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Cheruiyot set for London Marathon debut

Kenyan former world champion Vivian Cheruiyot reeled in 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia to win the women’s 5,000m title

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 17 – Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot will face one of the strongest women’s fields that also includes compatriot and defending champion Jemima Sumgong on her debut for the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon scheduled for April 23.

Sumgong, an Olympic champion, defied the odds last April when she recovered from a bruising fall to beat the world’s best in the British capital with a devastating finish.

The 32-year-old went on to make history in Rio when she became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic marathon gold. Sumgong defeated Ethiopia’s world champion Mare Dibaba in Brazil to confirm her status as the world’s number one marathon runner of 2016.

Dibaba, who won bronze in Rio behind Bahrain’s Eunice Kirwa, will be one of Sumgong’s main rivals in London from a field containing four women who have broken the iconic two hours 20 minute barrier and no fewer than nine who have run quicker than 2:22.

“London is the marathon every runner wants to win,” said Sumgong. “I can’t wait to return to defend my title.”

Jemima Sumgong celebrating after writing history as the first ever Kenyan to win the women’s Olympic gold in Rio Games.

The line-up announced today includes all three medallists from last year’s London Marathon, three of the top five finishers from the Rio Games, four previous London Marathon champions, and the winners at last year’s Abbott World Marathon Majors races in Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

The quickest on paper is again Mary Keitany who will be aiming to become only the fourth woman to win the London Marathon three times after completing a hat-trick of New York City Marathon titles last November.

Keitany became the second fastest women marathon runner of all time when she won her second London Marathon in 2012 in 2:18:37.

But after finishing runner-up in 2015, the African record holder could only place ninth last April after she was involved in the collision that brought down Sumgong. That cost Keitany a place on Kenya’s Rio team and the 35-year-old will feel she has something to prove.

“I love running in London,” said Keitany. “After the sickness I had before the race and the fall last year during the race, I want to show everyone what I can do. My goal is to win the Virgin Money London Marathon for the third time and to demonstrate to everybody that I could have won the Olympic Games last year if I had been selected.”

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Mary Keitany of Kenya, pictured in 2015, has the longest New York City Marathon women’s win streak since Norway’s Grete Waitz took five in a row from 1982-1986

The domestic competition for Kenyan runners will be fierce as the elite line-up also includes Florence Kiplagat, the 2016 Chicago champion and half marathon world record holder who was third here last year and second in 2014; last year’s Tokyo Marathon champion and 2015 world silver medallist Helah Kiprop; plus Cheruiyot who will make her marathon debut at the age of 33.

The quintet of quality Kenyans is matched by a five-strong Ethiopian contingent that is equally impressive.

Mare Dibaba, who finished sixth last year, is joined by her namesake Tirunesh Dibaba, the triple Olympic and five-time world track champion, who finished third on her marathon debut in London three years ago; the 2015 London champion Tigist Tufa, who was second here last year; three-times Berlin Marathon champion Aberu Kebede, who has also won the Frankfurt, Tokyo and Rotterdam marathons; and the 2010 London champion Aselefech Mergia, who has triumphed three times in the Dubai Marathon in recent years.

The 10 East Africans are likely to form the leading pack on 23 April but they will be chased hard by other athletes with notable pedigrees.

2017 London Marathon women’s elite field   

Jemima Sumgong (KEN)     2:20:41

Mary Keitany (KEN) 2:18:37

Aselefech Mergia (ETH)       2:19:31

Florence Kiplagat (KEN)      2:19:44

Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:19:52

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Aberu Kebede (ETH)            2:20:30

Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)        2:20:35

Helah Kiprop (KEN) 2:21:27

Tigist Tufa (ETH)       2:21:52

Ana Dulce Felix (POR)         2:25:15

Lisa Weightman (AUS)         2:26:05

Andrea Deelstra (NED)        2:26:46

Maja Neuenschwander (SUI)          2:26:49

Diana Lobacevske (LTU)    2:28:03

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Laura Thweatt (USA)            2:28:23

Krista DuChene (CAN)         2:28:32

Kellyn Taylor (USA) 2:28:40

Alyson Dixon (GBR) 2:29:30

Louise Damen (GBR)           2:30:00

Charlotte Purdue (GBR)       2:30:04

Maryana Damantsevich (BLR)        2:30:07

Susan Partridge (GBR)        2:30:46

Tracy Barlow (GBR) 2:32:05

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Jenny Spink (GBR)   2:35:57

Yelena Dolinin (ISR)             2:35:59

Tish Jones (GBR)     2:36:13

Barbara Sanchez (IRL)        2:37:14

Hanna Vandenbussche (BEL)        2:38:35

Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)         Debut

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