CAPE TOWN - Two top-class Kenyans head the list of international athletes in this year’s Cape Town Marathon.
While Ethiopian Asefa Negewo and England’s Tish Jones will not lightly surrender their 2016 titles, the marathon pedigrees of 32-year-old Laban Kepkemboi Mutai and 37-year-old mother of two, Agnes Kiprop, suggests last year’s champions are unlikely to have an easy ride to the finish in September.
Mutai’s best marathon time of 2:08:01, set in Dubai three years back, is 40 seconds quicker than Negewo’s best - his winning time of 2:08:41 in Cape Town last year.
While arguably a few percentage points off her lifetime best, Kiprop ran another sub 2:30 marathon in China earlier this year, placing second in the Dongying Yellow River Marathon in hot conditions in 2:29:54 and will be a strong contender in Cape Town, both for a win and the record - currently held by Isabella Ochichi of Kenya, 2:30:20.
The depth of talent in this year’s field is unprecedented, with a generous sprinkling of gold standard athletes set to start the Cape Town Marathon.
Closer to home, 2015 Two Oceans Marathon winner, Lesotho’s Motlokoa Nkhabutlane, used his fourth-place finish in Cape Town last year to earn an entry into this year’s Paris Marathon, where he broke the 26-year-old Lesotho national record, clocking 2:09:47 and will be looking for improvement in Cape Town.
Much is expected of South African track Olympian, Elroy Gelant, who will be making his marathon debut in this year's race.
The women’s field appears to be wide open. Together with Jones and Kiprop, 26-year-old Ethiopian, Betelhem Moges, will be one of the strongest contenders for line honours with a 2:24:29 best to her name, set in Dubai in January 2015, just six months before winning again in Beijing in 2:27:31.