Running News Daily

Former world record holder Dennus Kimetto is hoping to run well this weekend

Korir clocked a lifetime best of 2:06:35 in the Korean city 12 months ago, which would have been a course record had he not been beaten by six seconds by Abraham Kiptum. The 32-year-old will be highly motivated to go one better than last year, but he faces an incredibly strong field that includes fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto.

Since breaking the world record in 2014, Kimetto has withdrawn from more marathons than he has completed. Beset by injuries to his quadriceps, groin and triceps, the 35-year-old ran 2:14:54 in Shanghai last year, his first completed marathon since his 2:11:44 clocking in London in 2016.

It may be some way off his 2:02:57 lifetime best, but Kimetto is hopeful that the worst of his injury worries are now behind him and that he can return to challenging for top honours at major marathons.

There are nine men in the field with sub-2:07 lifetime bests and four of them have PBs quicker than the Daegu course record of 2:06:29: Ethiopia’s Shifera Tamru, who clocked 2:05:18 in Dubai earlier this year, three-time Houston Marathon winner Bazu Worku, three-time Amsterdam winner Wilson Chebet and evergreen Kenyan Mark Kiptoo.

Defending champion Janet Rono will face two other past Daegu winners on Sunday.

Rono won in Daegu last year in 2:28:01, and although her PB is a couple of minutes quicker at 2:26:03, she will start as the third-fastest athlete in the women’s field.

Ethiopia’s Mulu Seboka won in Daegu in 2014, having won in Dubai just a few months prior. She went on to clock a PB of 2:21:56 one year later and in 2018 she had a best of 2:25:01.