Mumbai: African runners are expected to
steal the show in tomorrow's USD 310,000 prize money 7th
Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon .
The absence of defending champion Kenneth Mungara has
placed his Kenyan compatriot and last year's runner-up David
Tarus as the hot favourite for the men's crown.
Tarus has come here after having finished a creditable
sixth in an impressive two hours, nine minutes and 24 seconds
at Eindhoven last October, but can expect stiff competition
for the top prize of USD 35,000 from compatriot Daniel
Kiprugat.
The course record for the men stands at 2:11.51, set last
year by Mugara, while the record for women is 2:34:08, held by
three-time winner Mulu Seboka of Ethiopia, set in 2008, who is
bidding to regain her crow from last year's winner and
compatriot Haile Kebebush.
This year's race will see the runner traversing the
newly-opened Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, a 5.6 km stretch over sea
which bridges Worli and Bandra.
Kiprugut is the fastest contender in the men's field
following his 2:08:38 in the Paris Marathon last year.
On his first visit to India, Kiprugat hoped that the
weather would be good tomorrow.
"I am happy to be running in Mumbai. It was raining
when I left from Kenya. But the weather is good here and I
hope it remains the same even on Sunday," he said.
The other leading male runners are Ethiopia's Gebo Burka,
winner of the Alps Marathon in 2009 with a personal best of
2:10:18 set at the Cannes Marathon last November and Kenyan
compatriots Luka Chelimo and Henry Cherono with identical
personal bests of 2:10:26.
However, Africans cannot take things lightly as there are
East European runners who can give them good competition with
timings hovering around the 2:10 mark.
They are Russian national record holder Aleksey V Sokolov
(2:09:07), the victor in the 2007 Dublin Marathon, Ukraine's
Oleksandr Kuzin (2:07:33) and Yuriy Hychun (2:10:59) and
Moldova's Iaroslav Musinschi (2:10:15).
The only question mark is how well they can tackle the
weather in Mumbai after spending time at home in freezing
temperatures.
According to Elite Athlete co-ordinator Ian Ladbrooke
the men had targeted to dip below 2:10 and the women aiming to
crack 2:30.
In the women's race, Seboka and her country rival
Kebebush, are set to face strong opposition.
The Kenyan challenge will be spearheaded by Alice
Chelangat, with Irene Jerotich and Rose Kosgei the other
notable names.
Jerotich clocked a career-best 2:28:57 at high altitude
in Nairobi Marathon last October to win the race while
Chelagat, who finished second, has a personal best of 2:27:29
while finishing fifth at Dubai in 2008.
Kosgei, a 69-minute half marathoner and a former world
junior silver medalist in 1500 metres, is making her debut in
Mumbai and will also be a name to reckon with.
There are eleven other Ethiopian contestants in the
women's field.
Youngster Firehiwot Dado, who has clocked two sub 2:30
timings in 2009. She clocked 2:27:08 while winning the Roma
Marathon in March and 2:29:20 while finishing 4th in Frankfurt
seven months later, is the best among this lot.
Others in the field include Russia's Natalya Volgina,
the second place finisher at Paris three years ago with a
career best 2:27:32.
Hugh Jones, race director for the IAAF Gold label
event, has predicted the route to be a "little" faster this
time.
"To work the route on the sea link was a major exercise.
It was necessary for us to embrace such a powerful symbol of
the city. Topographically there isn't much difference, except
that marathoners will be running over the sea for a while than
on road," said Jones in the run-up to the event.
"There will be a small difference, but if the weather is
kind on race day then we can expect something big," he said.
Ladbroke felt that sea link might give the runners a
lift. "There will be a lot of excitement for sure. And that
could help in giving better timings," he predicted.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 16:50