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Course record-holders Yebrgual Melese and Paul Lonyangata, will return to the Shangai Marathon this weekend

Ethiopia’s Melese won comfortably last year, taking more than a minute off the course record with 2:20:36.

A past winner of the Houston and Prague marathons, Melese set a PB of 2:19:36 when finishing third in Dubai last year, but her form in 2019 hasn’t been quite so good. The 29-year-old finished 11th in Tokyo in March in 2:31:40 but last month clocked a promising 1:09:02 at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

Fellow Ethiopian Waganesh Mekasha is another title contender. The 27-year-old reduced her PB by more than three minutes to finish fourth in Dubai in January in 2:22:45 and went on to clock 2:23:19 at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in Dongying seven months ago.

The Ethiopian contingent also includes Fantu Jimma, a 32-year-old with a PB of 2:26:14 set four years ago in Xiamen. It will be Jimma’s fourth marathon of the year, having won in Wuhan in 2:28:25 and finished third in Xiamen and Lanzhou. She was also victorious at the Changzhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon last month.

Lonyangata is among the main favorites in the men’s race. The 26-year-old Kenyan set his PB of 2:06:10 when winning the 2017 Paris Marathon, the first of two victories in the French capital. He set the Shanghai course record of 2:07:14 in 2015 and has a season’s best of 2:07:29, set when finishing third in Paris.

Bahrain’s Hassan El Abbassi is another top contender. The 35-year-old, who set his marathon PB of 2:04:43 in Valencia last year, is the 2014 Asian Games 10,000m champion and 2018 Asian Games marathon silver medalist. More recently he finished seventh in the marathon at the World Championships in Doha in 2:11:44 but is still in pursuit of his first international marathon title.

Kipsang Kipkemoi will compete in China for the first time in his career. The 29-year-old Kenyan clocked his PB of 2:08:26 in Seville in 2017 and came close to that in April when he finished second in Madrid with 2:08:58. Sunday’s race will be his fourth marathon of the year as he has also competed in Mumbai and Cape Town but didn’t better 2:10 on either occasion.

Other sub-2:10 runners in the field include Kenya’s 2011 world silver medalist Vincent Kipruto and Ernest Ngeno, a 2:06:41 performer who finished second in Shanghai two years ago.

LEMA BREAKS COURSE RECORD IN HENGSHUI

Ethiopia’s Marta Lema Megra took more than a minute off the course record to secure a convincing victory at the Hengshui Lake International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday (22).

The 28-year-old Lema, who set a PB of 2:22:35 last year in Toronto, enjoyed a comfortable sole lead in the latter half of the race and wrapped up her first victory in China in 2:24:21.

It was Lema’s second appearance in Hengshui; she finished second in 2:25:59 four years ago behind Kenya’s Agnes Kiprop. And Kiprop’s winning mark of 2:25:43 had stood as the course record until Megra renewed it by 1:22.

Lema’s compatriot Askale Alemayehu trimmed nearly one-and-a-half minutes off her career best to finish second in 2:27:32. Her previous PB of 2:29:01 was set three years ago in Shanghai.

Olympian Tirfi Tsegaye finished third in 2:28:30 to complete an Ethiopian sweep of the podium. The 34-year-old, who won the 2016 Dubai Marathon in 2:19:41 and finished fourth at the Olympic Games later that year, was contesting her first marathon in three years having taken a maternity break.

As the fastest entrant in the men’s field, Aychew Bantie of Ethiopia led from gun to finish to claim the victory in 2:08:51.

A leading group of 12 runners paced the race to 10km in 30:37. After passing the 20km water tables in 1:00:10, the group started to wither rapidly as eight runners, including 2015 Hengshui winner Ernest Ngeno of Kenya, dropped off one after another.

Only four men were left in the leading pack after 25km and Ethiopia’s Teshome Girma quit the contest for the title before 40km.

The leading trio – Bantie, Bonsa Dida of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Joel Kemboi Kimurer – remained together until Bantie launched his powerful charge for the win with about 400 metres to go.

Bantie’s winning mark was a couple of minutes shy of the 2:06:23 PB he set four months ago in Prague, but it was his first ever marathon victory.

Dida, 24, bettered 2:10 for the first time as he finished second in 2:09:04. Kimurer, a 2:07:48 performer, trailed one more second behind to take the third place.

Former winners Agnes Kiprop and Aberu Mekuria will both return to the Chinese city of Hengshui to compete for the women’s title at the Hengshui Lake International Marathon

The 36-year-old Ethiopian, Mekuria clocked a course record of 2:26:07, her personal best time at that time, to win in 2013. Two years later Kenyan, Kiprop claimed the tile in 2:25:43, which has stood as the course record until now.

However, the 39-year-old Kenyan, whose PB of 2:23:54 was set in Frankfurt back in 2011, hasn’t come close to 2:26 since her 2015 Hengshui victory. She clocked 2:29:04 to finish fourth at the Dongying Yellow River Marathon in April, which was her fastest time in more than four years.

Mekuria, on the contrary, has been enjoying a second wind in her decade-long career, achieving a PB of 2:24:30 to break the course record at the 2019 Chongqing International Marathon. It will be her third race in Hengshui as she also clocked 2:32:53 to finish eighth in 2015.

The organizers have assembled the deepest women’s field in the eight-year history of the race, as other race favorites also include Marta Megra of Ethiopia, who set her PB of 2:22:35 last year in Toronto, as well as her compatriot Tirfi Tsegaye, the fastest woman toeing the line with a PB of 2:19:41 from her massive victory in Dubai in 2016.

The men’s field also contains a former champion. 24-year-old Ernest Ngeno of Kenya took the top honors in Hengshui four years ago with a winning mark of 2:07:57, which was his PB at the time and 12 seconds shy of the course record set by Markos Geneti in 2014.

Last year, he improved his PB to 2:06:41 when finishing third in Paris, which makes him the second-fastest entrant in the field.

Although Ngeno is keen to end a three-year title drought following his victory in Milan in 2016, he could face a serious threat from Aychew Bantie.

The rising Ethiopian, who turned 24 this month, trimmed more than two minutes off his career best to finish third at the Prague Marathon in 2:06:23 four months ago and is still pursuing his first title since debuting over the classic distance in 2017.

Bantie’s compatriot Fikadu Kebede, who turns 33 on Friday, also arrives in Hengshui in high spirits. He set a PB of 2:08:27 in Dubai in January and came close to that mark three months later with a second-place finish in Dongying in 2:09:38.

The men’s field also includes Kenyan duo Dominic Ruto and Ismael Boshendich Chemtan

Kenyan Laban Korir is eyeing gold at debut in the World Marathon Championships

Laban Korir is hopeful to end the year with victory at the World Marathon Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The 34-year-old has thrown down the marker and hopes his persistence, perseverance and patience will pay off as he makes his debut for Kenya team in the world championships.

"After I got the message from Athletics Kenya (that I was in the team) I was very happy. It is not easy to make the Kenyan team in the marathon," he said on Tuesday.

"You dream of making the Kenyan team but you think, no, it is not possible. I was so proud to be selected. I want to represent my country well."

After a sixth place in Boston - in baking hot temperatures which soared to a high of 31 C - and a respectable 11th in the Chicago Marathon (2:09:52), Korir is ready to face the heat in Qatar.

In 2014, Korir entered the marathon winners' circle for the first time with victory in the Toronto clocking 2:08:15, and he has had impressive consistency over the past three or four seasons.

In 2016 he placed second in the Paris Marathon in 2:07:29 before running a personal best of 2:05:54 for fourth in the Amsterdam Marathon later that year.

In Doha, he will team up with defending champion Geoffrey Kirui, Amos Kipruto, Paul Lonyangata and Ernest Ngeno.

"If you are disciplined, work hard and are serious about every workout then this can lead to good results," explains Korir.

At the Barcelona Marathon in February a back injury, picked up a week prior, badly compromised his efforts to produce his best, but once again showing an indomitable spirit he battled to finish ninth.

"In my mind, I wanted to finish the race because I wanted to race at the World Championships. I have such a passion to represent my country," said Korir.

Training with two world and Olympic champions Eliud Kipchoge and Stephen Kiprotich, Korir knows he is learning from the best and will want to stand out as the best in Doha.

"The one thing I have learned is never to lose hope in your life. Anything can happen at any time and anything is possible. I'm very happy after all these years I will finally get the chance to represent my country," he said.

Berlin marathon silver medalist Amos Kipruto is optimistic to clinch gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar

Kipruto, 27, has made the Kenya's team to the World Marathon Championships after his sensational run in Berlin chasing down Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge as he went on to set a new world record of 2:01:39 in the German capital.

Though Kipruto finished the race almost four minutes later clocking 2:06:23, it opened a door for him to represent the country at the World Championships and he has promises to help the country maintain a firm grip on the gold medal at the worlds.

"I must laud the head coach for trusting me with the duty to represent Kenya at the World Championships. It will be my first time to represent Kenya at the World Championships and I had been praying over it for some time.

"In Kenya we have many athletes and being selected means that I am living the dream itself. So it is up to me to win gold and wrap it up for the country," Kipruto said on Thursday in Eldoret.

Kipruto says Kenyan athletes have the talent, and need not waste it through short cuts by cheating.

"The short cuts are not good. This vice must be destroyed and athletes need to learn that it pays to win clean. Today, we are the most tested athletes worldwide and anyone winning does it through hard training," Kipruto said.

"If you run and train well, it will help you win clean. I know am capable of running a world record one time, but at the moment the focus is on the gold at the World championships."

Kipruto will link up with defending champion Geoffrey Kirui, two-time Paris marathon champion Paul Lonyangata, Laban Korir, and Ernest Ngeno.

At the same time former Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Mercy Cherono is back from maternity leave and hopes to make Kenya team to the World Championships.

Cherono last won a silver medal in 5,000m during the 2013 Championships in Moscow, Russia.

"I am back in training and hope to make the World Championship team because I have nothing more to prove. Pressure is off me and all I need to do is run my race," she said.

Kenyan Geoffrey Kirui says he is not under pressure to reclaim his title at the IAAF World Championships

Kirui has not won a marathon since he triumphed in London back in 2017. His last big city marathon was in Boston the same year, which earned him a slot in the Kenya team. But his barren spell is not disturbing him as he focuses on his title defense in Doha.

Owing to the high temperatures in Qatar, the marathon will be run at midnight, with temperatures still expected to be over 30 degrees Celsius. But Kirui is open to the challenge and says he will take it in his stride.

"I have been there before, and I know the weather is very hot so am preparing well for any condition. I will be in my best form, barring any injury in training. My focus is on the race 100 percent. It will be a little bit harder for my opponents to beat me because I have more experience now," said a bullish Kirui on Saturday in Nairobi.

Kenya's team of nine marathon runners will move to Eldoret for training, though Athletics Kenya is yet to name its overall coach.

"As the defending champion I know everyone will be aiming to beat me, but this time round I am even better prepared," added Kirui.

The reigning champion believes his main challengers will not come from Ethiopia, Uganda or the United States, who have piled more pressure on Kenyan athletes in road races. Instead, Kirui says his main challenge will come from within, as he lines up alongside compatriots Laban Korir, Paul Lonyangata, Ernest Ngeno and Berlin Marathon runner-up Amos Kipruto.

"The team is perfect and everyone has a good time, but this is the World Championship and we need to be aware of competition from others who are also doing well out there. But the Kenya team is strong and anyone can surprise you on his day," he added.

Defending champion Geoffrey Kirui and two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat are among the athletes named by Athletics Kenya for the marathon at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019

Nine athletes have been selected, but two of those will be reserves. As Kirui gets a wildcard entry by virtue of being the defending champion, Kenya will have four men on the marathon start line and three women. The final line-up will be decided nearer to the time of the World Championships.

Kirui, who also won the Boston Marathon in 2017, is joined on the team by Amos Kipruto, Laban Korir, Paul Lonyangata and Ernest Ngeno.

Kipruto, a 2:05:43 performer, finished on the podium in Tokyo and Berlin last year. Korir, a former winner in Toronto, has a PB of 2:05:54. Lonyangata set his PB of 2:06:10 in 2017, the first of his two Paris Marathon victories. Ngeno has reached the podium in nine of his 11 marathons to date, clocking a PB of 2:06:41 last year.

Kiplagat won back-to-back world titles in 2011 and 2013. She finished fifth in 2015 and returned to the podium in 2017, taking the silver medal in London.

The 2:19:50 runner is joined on the Kenyan World Championships team by Ruth Chepngetich, Sally Chepyego and Visiline Jepkesho.

Chepngetich won in Istanbul last year in 2:18:35 and then took the Dubai Marathon title earlier this year in 2:17:08, moving to third on the world all-time list. Chepyego earned the bronze medal at the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and set a marathon PB of 2:23:15 last year. Jepkesho, a former winner in Paris and Rotterdam, has a PB of 2:21:37.

Men: Amos Kipruto, Geoffrey Kirui, Laban Korir, Paul Lonyangata, Ernest Ngeno

Women: Ruth Chepngetich, Sally Chepyego, Visiline Jepkesho, Edna Kiplagat