Kenya picks a formidable team to win Marathon title at Rio Games

 

Kenya selects a strong Marathon team for Rio Games

Eliud wants to complete set of Medal collection.

Samuel Wanjiru was last Kenyan to win the title in Beijing Games

 

Kenya has named her teams, both men and women for Rio games in marathon. The team has big names that have taken world marathon series with a bag. The names were announced and confirmed by Athletics Kenya on May 10^th, 2016

Eliud Kipchoge

Among the names for men team is World Marathon major’s champion. Eliud Kipchoge. Having won London marathon last month (April-2016), in 2:03:03 which is the second-fastest time ever in history,Kipchoge will be a force to watch at the games, if he wins which is on the higher side of probability, he will have completed a set of medal collections as he won a silver medal in 2008 and a bronze medal in 2004, both in 5000m.

The other two runners in the team are Stanley Biwott and Wesley Korir who will be attempting the games for the first time.

Stanley  Biwott has being competing in half and full marathon races. He won the 2012 Paris Marathon in a course record time of 2:05:11 hours and the 2015 New York City Marathon. His half marathon best is 58:56 minutes.He won the 2015 New York Marathon and then finished second at this year’s London Marathon in a personal best of 2:03:51

In 2013 at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon he finished as runner-up behind Geoffrey Kipsang, finishing in time of 58:56 which was his best time, he moved up to tenth on the all-time lists of best timers.

At the 2014 London Marathon Biwott ran a career best time of 2:04:55 to finish in at 2nd position. In March 2015, he won the City-Pier-City-Loop half marathon in the fastest time of the season 00:59:20. And sum it up, in November 2015; he won the New York City Marathon in 2:10:34.

Stanley Biwott(2nd from right)

At the 2016 London Marathon he improved his career best to 2:03:51, coming second behind Eliud Kipchoge and placing him sixth on the all-time ranking list.

Wesley Korir was the top Kenyan finisher at this year’s Boston Marathon, placing fourth in 2:14:05 behind a trio of Ethiopian athletes. The 33-year-old set his personal best of 2:06:13 when finishing fifth at the 2012 Chicago Marathon.

Korir who spent most of his time in US and won 5000m and 10000m at the Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2004 has a mixer of opportunities. From being a refuge in Uganda during Kenya worst moment of 2007/8 general election violence, and having to look for another school in US after Murray state dropped men truck and cross country programs.

Korir had his most significant victory to date at the 2012 Boston Marathon. He ran a tactical race under extreme heat which claimed many of the pre-race favourites, whom included his countryman Geoffrey Mutai who was considered the favourite to win.

Wesley Korir

Two-time Amsterdam Marathon champion Bernard Kipyego and Paris Marathon champion Cyprian Kotut have been named as reserves.

The marathon title has been so elusive for Kenya, the great Samuel Wanjiru was the last Kenya to won a gold medal at Olympic games when he did it in style at Beijing Olympics. It now looks all set for Kenya to win agian this elosive medal. The current form of Eliud Kipchoge is making any other marathona wonder what he can do to stop him.

This is for Kenya to lose.