Running News Daily

2019 Paris Half Marathon champion Antonina Kwambai says that she is ready for Valencia Marathon

Following a successful return of athletics at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday, Taipei Marathon champion Antonina Kwambai is hopeful her return will be as epic when the Valencia Marathon goes down in the Spanish city on December 8.

The 2019 Paris Half Marathon champion said she has undergoing rigorous training ahead of the race, hoping to lower her personal best time in what she calls a fast course.

Kwambai has a personal best time of 2:27.43 clocked while finishing second at the 2019 Warsaw Marathon and remains optimistic that the coronavirus pandemic health situation will have improved by the time she heads to Europe.

This will be her third marathon race after Warsaw and Taipei.

“I have fully resumed training in readiness for the Valencia Marathon, targeting a sub-2:23 time," said Kwambai.

When the first COVID-29 case in the country was announced in March, Kwambai was preparing for a trip to the United States of America to run at the Los Angeles Marathon but as fate would have it, the government introduced restrictions which meant she could not fly out.

“First, I was told there was a delay at the airport and later I was told that the race had been cancelled. I was disappointed because I had done all that was needed to travel to the USA but I had to accept the decisions made by the authorities since people's health,” added Kwambai, the 2018 Lille Half marathon.

“After missing out at the outing, I did not lose hope but maintained my training under manager Renato Canova with coach John Litein ensuring that I follow the program to the later,” said Kwambai, who had ran 21 half marathons across the world before taking onto the full marathon.

After signing with Renato, she says she expects to register good results. On Sunday, she was on the training track with an easy run and fitness routines.

“I have done well in half marathons with a personal best of 67:49 set at the Roma Austria half marathon and I have a 10,000m PB of 31:02 set at the Valencia Track and Field Championships,” she said.

Apart from the international races, she finished third at the 2018 Eldoret Family Bank Half Marathon, finished third at the Kabarnet 10km race and second at the inaugural Rimoi Half Marathon last year.