Focus on jackpot: Chicago marathon winner Kimetto hunts for Sh44 million WMM windfall at stake in Berlin

 

Kenya's marathoners will be seeking to improve their position in the 2013/2014 leaderboard of the World Marathon Major (WMM) series during Sunday's Berlin Marathon.

Marathon maestro Emmanuel Mutai, Chicago marathon winner Dennis Kimetto and World Half Marathon champion Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor will head to the German capital with the same expectations - eyeing a positive result that will certainly tilt their rankings in the WMM series standings.

Performances in six major marathons – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York – alongside results from either the World Marathon Championships or the Olympic Games marathons count towards the $1 million (approximately Sh86m) jackpot shared between the men's and women's winners.

World marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang (2:03.23) lies in second spot with 51 points behind reigning champ Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, who tops the leaderboard with 55 points. Kimetto, who failed to amass points in Boston marathon last April, trails in third place with 50 points.

The 20-year-old Kimetto, who basks in an impressive 2:03.45 personal best set in Chicago Marathon last year, needs to be at his best to counter Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa (2:04.45), who is fourth with 40 points. Kimetto is the third-fastest marathon runner in history after Kipsang and Patrick Makau (2:03.38).

Emmanuel Mutai, the 2011/2012 WMM series winner and who has finished second in seven marathons, lies in fifth with 30 points.

Kamworor, who finished third in Berlin last year, is out to make the difference of his life time on Sunday.

"I really want to win this race this time. I am in top form and have the experience. I have prepared well and hope to give it my best shot," Kamworor told FeverPitch after his speed work session at the University of Eldoret track yesterday.

Kamworor, who has had unbridled love for athletics from his childhood but harboured no interest in full-time athletics, did not look outside his village for inspiration – he comes from a region with a rich athletics pedigree in 5,000m and 10,000m.

Within a radius of 10-kilometres from his home in Keiyo South, live world's long-distance greats among them double world champion Vivian Cheruiyot, former Military Games 5,000m champion Sammy Kipketer and Kenyan-turned-Qatari Albert Chepkurui.

As a young boy, Kipsang would sneak away from home during weekends to the nearby athletics-rich Kapkenda Girls High School, where he peeped through the fence to watch athletics world-beaters training.

"Such memories do inspire me when in competition," he said as he prepared to leave tonight for Berlin.

He will join forces with Emanuel Mutai, who trains in Kaptagat alongside Kimetto.

Former Africa double champion Gladys Cherono is expected to re-enact her shows at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, where she led historic top-five spots for Kenya in Copenhagen, Denmark, last March.

Cherono, a soldier with the Kenya Defence Forces, will be breathing fire in her maiden 42km run.

Mercy Kibarus, who sealed top five spots in the Copenhagen sojourn, will be itching for the big prize.