Running News Daily

Kenyan Joshua Kipkorir is confident of recapturing the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon title on Sunday

Fresh from a third-place finish at Gyeongju Marathon in Korea on Mashujaa Day, Joshua Kipkorir is confident of recapturing the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon title this weekend.

Kipkorir, who has finished three of his marathons this year, is among over 15,000 participants, who had registered for the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon by Tuesday evening.

Nairobi has six races but the highlight is the men and women’s marathon race where the winners will get to pocket Sh2 million each. This makes it the second richest race in the country, with the prize money up from Sh1.5 million. The Eldoret City Marathon has the highest prize for winners in the country at Sh3.5 million.

In total, the prize fund has been increased from Sh8.5 million from last year to Sh10.5 million this year with the race also being moved from Uhuru Park to its traditional ground of Nyayo National Stadium.

Kipkorir launched his season on February 2 with a second place finish at Lagos Marathon in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 16 seconds, and would then fail to finish Daegu International Marathon on April 7 in Korea.

Kipkorir finished third at Gyeongju Marathon is his second career best time over the distance of 2:09:50 on Sunday.

“I still feel strong. I will just take is easy and slow and see how the first 20km will go,” said the 25-year-old Kipkorir, who will be making his third appearance at Standard Chartered Nairobi after finishing third in 2017 in 2:13:27 in a race won by Brimin Kipkorir in 2:12:39.

“This event is more or less like training for me also ahead of the 2020 season where I will be targeting other majors races. Most of these races are won mentally,” said Kipkorir, who has been training in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet along he likes of this year’s Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono.