Impressive debut – Vivian Cheruiyot winning the 2016 Great North Run (Mark Shearman) © Copyright
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27- Olympic 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot targets to improve her personal best of 2:23:50 when she races at her second career marathon on Sunday in the German city of Frankfurt.
Cheruiyot who transited to road running this year made her debut in the 42km race at the London Marathon in April finishing fourth, almost six minutes behind winner, compatriot Mary Keitany.
“I have prepared for this race for three months and my shape is the same as it was before my debut in London in April. My aim is to run a personal best. I know that this is a fast course. I go into the race with a good feeling,” Cheruiyot said on Thursday evening after landing in Germany.
The 34-year old hopes she can replicate her success from the track onto road running and with the Frankfurt Marathon, she is positive of her first ever career marathon victory.
“I think I will be good in the marathon in future. My aim is to catch up slowly. On Sunday, The perfect result for me would then be to run the second half again in 70 or even 69 minutes,” Cheruiyot said as she protracted on her growing road running career and her second test in Frankfurt.
Pace setters have been handed a task of clocking the first half of the race at 70 minutes and this could pan down well with Cheruiyot’s ambition.
In the history of the race, no woman has ever broken the 2:20 mark. The current five year-old course record from Ethiopia’s Meselech Melkamu stands at 2:21:01.
Although there are five women in the race with personal bests that are faster than Cheruiyot, the multi Olympic and World Champion does not bother too much about her rivals.
“I run for myself. And I don’t know in what kind of shape the Ethiopians are anyway,” a defiant Cheruiyot said.
Feysa Tadese tops the women’s field with a lifetime best of 2:20:27. The last two races have been won by Ethiopians with Caroline Kilel being the last Kenyan to win the race in 2013.
In the men’s race, defending champion Mark Korir who ran 2:06:48 last year, 59 seconds shy of his career best will lead the hunt, joined by compatriot Martin Kosgey who will be gunning to improve on his runner-up finish from 12 months ago. He comes armed with a 2:07:22 lifetime best.
The men’s field boasts half a dozen runners with personal bests under 2:08 while three others, including Germany’s national record holder Arne Gabius with 2:08:33, have broken 2:10.
–Additional info courtesy Frankfurtmarathon.com
