CHASING SH45m PURSE: Rotich kicks off her WMM chase on high note

Caroline Rotich of Kenya celebrates after winning the 119th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. Mike Lawrie/Getty Images/AFP

Caroline Rotich’s superlative showing at the 119th Boston Marathon on Monday night slid her to the top of 2015/2016 World Marathon major (WMM) series leader-board.

But fireworks are expected as London Marathon organisers welcome the world’s best four women – defending champion and World Marathon Majors series winner Edna Kiplagat, 2013 winner Prisca Jeptoo, Mary Keitany, the 2011 and 2012 winner and 2014 runner-up Florence Kiplagat – to chase the ‘Virgin Money’ on Sunday.

The athletes travelled to the English capital with varied expectations after Monday’s 119th Boston Marathon, which will certainly tilt the WMM series standings.

The Abbott World Marathon Majors, whose chief sponsor is global health services provider Abbott, started with the Tokyo Marathon on February 22 and, besides Boston and London, the other races will be the World Championships marathons in August alongside the Berlin Marathon (September 27), Chicago Marathon (October 11) and New York Marathon (November 1).

Performances in the six major marathons alongside results from IAAF World Championships and Olympic Games marathons count towards the $1 million (approximately Sh86m) jackpot shared among men and women winners.

Rotich, who was born in Nyahururu, but resides in the US, shares the top spot with Ethiopia’s Birhane Dibaba, who won Tokyo Marathon last February, with 25 points.

Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba and Kenya’s Helah Kirop, the runner up finishers in Boston and Tokyo, trail with 16 points as Ethiopians Tiki Gelana and Buzunesh Deba, third-placed in Boston and Tokyo, lie in fifth position with nine points apiece.

Selly Kaptich Chepyego and America’s Desiree Linden, fourth in Tokyo and Boston, are ranked seventh with four points while Kenya’s Flomena Daniel and Sharon Cherop, fifth in Tokyo and Boston, boasts a point each.

Wilson Kipsang and Edna Kiplagat, who will both launch their 2015 World Marathon Majors campaigns in London Marathon on Sunday, are the defending champions in the series whose men’s and women’s winners each pocket a $500,000 (Sh45 million) jackpot.

Organisers have decided to have the jackpot winners paid the $500,000 jackpot over a period of five years at $100,000 (Sh9 million) each year and have introduced the new rule to ensure the athletes remain ‘clean’ and are not caught using drugs over this period of time.

Despite the average performance, former Boston Marathon winners paid glowing tributes to the Kenyan charges. Timothy Cherigat, the 2004 Boston Marathon winner, said the team was strong enough for the opposition.

“Our athletes appeared not to compete as a team unlike our rivals Ethiopia, who exhibit high level of teamwork even when the event is not a championship. They should help each other irrespective of the management stables they belong,” said Cherigat.

He added: “An athlete must be physically and mentally ready to compete in Boston. There are many challenges in the course.”

Athletics Kenya sent congratulatory messages to Rotich for winning the Boston Marathon women race after clocking 2:24:55 and Wilson Chebet for taking the third position in the men’s category.

AK Acting President Lt. Gen Rtd Jackson Tuwei said it was a remarkable performance and good work by all participants.