by Justin Lagat
Wilson Kipsang, 2016 BMW Berlin Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
Justin Lagat wrote this preview of the Tokyo Marathon. Wilson Kipsang has been quoted as hoping to break the world record. My take is that he could get the course record, but without the competition he had with Mr. Bekele, that WR thing may be hyperbole.
But, as well all know, World records are about going where no one else has run before. Wilson Kipsang has done it once, come close a second time, surprising many of the sport’s experts with Mr. Kipsang’s fine race in Berlin 2016.
The organizers of the Tokyo Marathon have always been pushing to make Tokyo the best marathon in the world, and they are doing exactly that this year given the kind of the elite fields that have been assembled for the race this weekend. Led by Wilson Kipsang and Dickson Chumba among others, definitely, the course records of 2:05:42 set by Chumba in 2014 and that of 2:21:27 set by Hellah Kiprop are both under threat after the course has been renewed to make it a faster one. The new course has eliminated bridges such as Tsukuda Bridge and is now relatively flat.
All eyes will be on Kipsang who has a personal best of 2:03:13 and will be aiming to run a very fast time here. He will be facing a tough competitive field of elites that will include Kenya’s Dickson Chumba with a personal best 2:04:32, Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia with a personal best of 2:04:38and other notable names like Bernard Kipyego, Marius Kipserem, Bernard Koech, Tadese Tola, Alfers Lagat and Dechasa Shumi, among others.
The women’s field is also loaded with some of the world’s best runners led by the reigning world champion, Birhane Dibaba; Lucy Kabuu with a personal best time of 2:19:34; Amane Gobena, with a personal best time of 2:21:51 and Amane Beriso with 2:20:48, among others. A notable debutant here will be Kenya’s Betsy Saina who represented Kenya in the 10,000m event both at the last Olympic Games and World Championships.
In the past years, the excitement ahead of the Tokyo marathon had usually been slightly less than the excitement ahead of London, New York, Boston, Chicago and Berlin. But, the excitement right now is as high as it gets and even there the mention of a world record amid the eagerness to watch what will unfold. This time round, fans across the world are looking forward to watch the event live. Here in Kenya, the event will be aired live by one of the sports channels in the country very early in the morning.
