FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
World's Fastest Marathoner Geoffrey Mutai Looks to
Sharpen His Speed Against Strong Opposition in Prague
As befits a man who has run the marathon faster than anyone else in
history, Geoffrey Mutai is hardly a slouch at the shorter distances, as his
lifetime best of 27:19 for 10k shows. This prowess will be put to the test
in the last but one event of the RunCzech Running League when the Kenyan
goes to the start line of the Birell 10 km Race in Prague's Wensceslas
Square on the evening of Saturday, September 6.
Mutai's marathon best is 2:03:02 in Boston 2011, though the nature of the
course means it cannot be recognised as an official world record. Mutai
will face a range of talents, some better known than others. Building up to
the defense of his TCS New York City Marathon (Guest Race of RunCzech
Running League 2014) title two months later, his competitors include
compatriot Geoffrey Ronoh, the surprise winner of another RunCzech Running
League, the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon on June 21, where he left behind
Wilson Kipsang, the marathon world record holder. Ronoh has confirmed he is
in a good shape and has improved his personal best (59:45) at Wörthersee
Half Marathonu (AUT), defeating again Wilson Kipsang. This will be his
debut at 10k, though he was timed at 28:16 en route to his half marathon
win in June, indicating his potential for going well under 28:00 for the
distance.
Another more experienced runner as well as the last year's 10k winner is
Daniel Chebii. He won the Birell Prague Grand Prix by just one second and
his time of 27:35 placed him fourth on the world rankings for 2013 and four
seconds ahead of Geoffrey Mutai's best 10k for the year. Chebii also
finished a second outside the course record of 27:34, set by fellow Kenyan
Philemon Limo in 2011.
Jana Moberly, the elite athletes manager reveals: "I promised to Geoffrey
Ronoh already in Olomouc that I would invite him as an elite athlete.
Though his personal performance is not under 28 min I do believe he will
beat the best on his day. Having him together with Geoffrey Mutai and
Daniel Chebii, I think we can expect an exciting event, and maybe there
will be some more suprises."
If Turkey's Polat Kemboi Arikan has recovered from his fourth place in the
10,000m at the European Championships on August 13, the Kenyan-born runner
should also be one to watch for a podium place, given his best of 27:38.81
on the track. His best for 10k on the road is 28:17 but that goes back four
years. Arikan's morale should also be boosted after setting a Turkish
record of 61:22 to finish 16th at the World Half Marathon Championships in
Copenhagen in late March. Leading the Ethiopian challenge, at least by past
performances, is Azmeraw Mengistu with a best of 27:51. But never discount
an African debutant, so the 18-year-old Demoz Cherkos is worth noting.
The women's field, headed by the Kenyan duo of Helah Kiprop (31:19) of
Kenya and Esther Chemtai Ndiema (31:27), has the capacity to make serious
inroads on the inaugural women's course record of 32:00 from a year ago,
set by Josephine Chepkoech of Kenya. The Birell Prague Grand Prix is an
IAAF Gold Label Road Race, the highest category in international road
racing.
Helah Kiprop is the fastest entry in the women's race and her pedigree is
impressive. Beneath the bare statistic of her 10k best of 31:19 is the
story of four personal bests, all set in one race. The Kenyan finished
sixth in the Ras al- Khaimah Half Marathon in February last year, one of
best quality races ever at the distance. En route to a personal best of
67:39, she set also set best times for 10, 15 and 20k.
Kiprop should have keen competition from a familiar face to Prague running
fans, her fellow Kenyan Esther Chemtai Ndiema. She has a best 31:27 and
also finished fourth in 69:49 in this year's Sportisimo Prague Half
Marathon. Also challenging should be the 20-year-old Kenyan, Correti
Jepkoech, having run 31:31. Ethiopia's Genet Ayalew is highly experienced
and has a best of 31:47. She's had a good year so far, finishing 10th in
the World Half Marathon Championships this year.
Strong support is guaranteed for one of the Czech Republic's outstanding
all-round athletes, Anezka Drahotova, who is one of the so-called Czech
Marathon Hopes - a RunCzech project that supports young promising runners.
Barely 19-years-old, she reverts to running and her rapidly improving 10k
performances after winning a bronze medal in the 20k Walk at the European
Championships in Zurich. That followed setting a world junior record on the
track at 10,000m to win the World Junior title in Eugene, Oregon, in July.
Also a talented cyclist, Drahotova's performances in running, where she set
a 10k personal best of 33:59 in the Birell Prague Grand Prix last year,
suggest she might face a pleasant dilemma over her choice of premier
discipline in the not too distant future.
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