Kipchoge targets course record at Rotterdam Marathon
Uganda's Moses Kipsiro (Centre, Gold), Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge (lefteft, silver) and Kenyan Mark Kiptoo (right, bronze) pose on the podium of the Men's 5000m Final of the Track and Field competition of the XIX Commonwealth games on October, 6 2010 in New Delhi.
What you need to know:
- After running the sixth fastest time in history, clocking 2:04:05 to finish second at Berlin Marathon seven months ago, Eliud Kipchoge will be eying a course record at the 42.195km Rotterdam Marathon race.
- The Kenyan men had won 13 editions before Ethiopians Yemane Adhane (2:04:48) and Tilahun Regassa (2:05:38) halted their dominance with victories in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Even though the focus will be on the Virgin Money-sponsored London Marathon where a galaxy of stars are set to battle it out this weekend, one Kenyan will be on another mission at the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday.
After running the sixth fastest time in history, clocking 2:04:05 to finish second at Berlin Marathon seven months ago, Eliud Kipchoge will be eying a course record at the 42.195km Rotterdam Marathon race.
It will be the third marathon race for 29-year-old former world 5000m titleholder and Olympics silver medallist, who still considers himself a novice over the distance.
Last year, Kipchoge made a grand entry to marathon, winning Hamburg Marathon in 2:05:30 before he returned to Germany five months later to push fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang (2:03:23) to a World Record breaking time.
Kipchoge now has the onus of not only reclaiming the Rotterdam title that has eluded Kenyan men in the last two years but also try to break the course record of 2:04:27 set by Kenya’s Duncan Kibet in 2009.
ETHIOPIANS' HALT DOMINANCE
The Kenyan men had won 13 editions before Ethiopians Yemane Adhane (2:04:48) and Tilahun Regassa (2:05:38) halted their dominance with victories in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
“I might have taken a while to move to the marathon world. But remember Rotterdam will be my third marathon and I still need more time to learn the trade. Many experienced athletes will be out to conquer the course record and I respect that,” said Kipchoge, who aims at running the fastest time in Rotterdam.
Kipchoge reckoned that it will be a bonus if the world record held by Kipsang is blown away. The last time the Rotterdam course produced a World Record was in 1998 when Belayneh Dinsamo from Ethiopia clocked 2:06:50.
It will be a good build up for Kipchoge, who will spearhead Kenya’s assault at the Commonwealth Games due July 23 to August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Kipchoge is up against fellow-countryman Bernard Koech, Albert Matebor and Jafred Kipchumba and Ethiopian Birhanu Gebru.
