On April 23, Amos Kipruto will put his London Marathon title on the line after being on the throne for only six months and three weeks.
And the 30-year-old runner from Kapsabet is determined not to go down in history as the first athlete to hold the prestigious title for the shortest time.
Not only does Kipruto want to seal a double in the British capital, but also to accomplish the feat in a personal best time.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers were forced to hold the three previous editions of the meet at the end of the Summer season in October and not during the traditional spring period in April.
Kipruto celebrated his maiden World Marathon Majors (WMM) victory when he won in London in a time of two hours, 04 minutes and 39 seconds on October 2, last year.
“After my victory in London I knew I will have little time to rest because this year’s race has been brought back to spring.
“I had to maintain good shape and that is what I have done. I am ready to fight and defend the crown back-to-back,” said Kipruto, who has a personal best of 2:03:13 from his second place finish in Tokyo Marathon last year.
The 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships marathon bronze medallist said that two things are bound to happen in the race that has attracted some of the best athletes.
Career best time
“The race will either produce fast times or some of the slowest times on the course.
“I have been working mainly on my speed work to build endurance, which is needed for such big races.
“It’s my dream to deliver a good race in London and coming through with my career best time will be the most amazing thing,” said Kipruto, who expects to run the best race of his marathon career spanning seven years.
“London Marathon will always remain special for me because that is where I won my first World Marathon Majors race,” he added.
Kipruto embarks on his last training in Kapsabet, Nandi County on Sunday before departing for London on Wednesday.
This will be Kipruto’s fifth appearance at the WMM, having competed in Tokyo Marathon twice, and Berlin and London marathons one time each.
London Marathon Champion Amos Kipruto displays his running shoes during an interview in Kapsabet, Nandi County on April 11, 2023. He will be defending the title on April 23, 2023.
Kipruto made his debut in the WMM with a third place finish in Tokyo in 2018 in a time of 2:06:33 before heading to Berlin the same year where he finished second in 2:06:23.
Then he would glide to a personal best of 2:03:13 when he finished second behind Olympic marathon champion, Eliud Kipchoge, who won Tokyo Marathon in a course record time of 2:02:40.
The WMM series has six events—Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Berlin Marathon and New York City marathon.
Kipruto will face several of his fellow countrymen; they are the 2017 and 2019 New York City Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, who is making his debut in London, Kelvin Kiptum, 23, who produced the fastest marathon debut in history when he claimed victory in Valencia in 2:01:53 in December, and Vincent Kipchumba, a second place finisher in London in 2020 and 2021.
Other big names in the race are home athlete Mo Farah and Ethiopian legendary distance runner Kenenisa Bekele.
The Kenyans face a strong challenge from world marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, who returns to London after finishing sixth in 2019 and 2020 respectively. BY DAILY NATION