Pune: As it has been in the past, the Kenyans and Ethiopians are all set to dominate the field that has little Indian flavour at the 28th Pune International Marathon here on Sunday.
There’s a nip in the air and humidity is just average, giving the athletes perfect condition to better the timing but a man from the city-based Army Sports Institute has stayed away.
“There was no recovery time after competing in last month’s Allahabad marathon. Now we are training our eyes on Mumbai Marathon in January,” an ASI coach told PTI.
In such a scenario, the 10k run for the Indians will be the one to look out for where Asian Games silver medallist Kavita Raut and Lalita Babbar, the Mumbai Marathon winner, will vie for top honours.
Gebregziabher Gebremariam, the 2009 World cross-country champion from Ethiopia, is the fastest man in the field of 150 and would be the one to beat with defending champion Luka Chelimo Kipkemoi opting to pull out.
The Ethiopian, who won the New York Marathon on his debut over the distance in 2010, has a best of 2:04:53, set when finishing third at the 2011 Boston Marathon.
The 29-year-old achieved the same position in this year’s edition of the race, clocking 2:10:28 in April as he would look to better his this year’s timing in the event carrying a winner’s purse of Rs 3 lakh.
In the absence of the defending champion and compatriot Chelimo, Simon Kirui Kiprugut will be the Kenyan flag bearer having finished second with a timing of 2:14 in last edition.
There will also be half marathon in both the men’s and women’s categories .
Four top class Ethiopian runners are in the fray to compete against Kenyan Daniel Cheruiyot Yegon who had clocked 1:01:52 in the last edition.
In the women’s half marathon, Romeha Alene Woldu of Ethiopia with a timing of 1:08:14 will hope to beat the course record of 1:08:37 that was set by Kamulu Pauline Kaveke of Kenya last year.
This time the defending champion has pulled out as it is expected to be a battle between the the Ethiopian and Kenyan Agnes Katune Mutune who finished second with a timing of 1:09:04 in the last edition of the meet.
The men’s and women’s half marathon will comprise an equal winners purse of Rs 1.5 lakh each as there would be eight more categories in the Rs 30 lakh prize money event.
Concerned with atrocities against women, the organisers have chosen ‘Run for Mother’ as this year’s theme, for which a 6km charity run will take place. (PTI)