Rotich eyes glory in Frankfurt as he seeks to break 13-year-old record

Kenya's Elisha Rotich celebrates on the finish line as he wins the men's race in the 42,195 km Paris Marathon, as part of its 45th edition on October 17, 2021.[AFP]

Elisha Rotich, the 2021 Paris Marathon winner will be leading Kenyan charges in attacking the Frankfurt 42km course record on Sunday.

The course’s fastest mark of 2:03:42, set by former world record holder Wilson Kipsang has stood since 2011.

Rotich raised eyebrows in October 2021 when he smashed the Paris Marathon course record which had been set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele seven years before then.

He returned to Paris in April this year, after months of injury, and placed third.

Tomorrow, he goes up against global stars among them Ethiopia’s Lencho Tesfaye as he leads Kenyan charges in an attempt to write history.

Rotich takes to Frankfurt a personal best of 2:04:21. He will have to improve his PB by at least a 45 seconds to destroy the 13-year-old course record.

Frankfurt Marathon organisers hope that a winning time slightly below the course record might be possible.

“I feel that I have recovered fully and ready for the competition. I am optimistic that it will play out well. I also hope to improve on my PB,” Rotich said ahead of his departure to Frankfurt.

Rotich will have the company of compatriots Reuben Narry with a personal best of 2:09:06, Bernard Muia (2:09:17) and Vincent Ronoh (2:09:21).

The women will be looking to produce impressive performances as they eye the course record established by Valary Aiyabei five years ago. She ran 2:19:10 in the 2019 edition.

Magdalyne Masai, the fastest Kenyan woman in the women’s race will be leading in a face-off with Ethiopian stars among them Hawi Feiysa.

Aside from Frankfurt 42km, Kenyan big shots will also be lining up at the Valencia Half Marathon, tomorrow.

Road racers have delivered super speeds in Valencia, a course which has seen half marathon records fall spectacularly.

Kibiwott Kandie broke the world record of 57.32 in 2020. The mark was later lowered to 57:31 by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo.

All eyes will be on last year’s Antrim Coast Half Marathon Daniel Mateiko and Isaiah Kipkoech Lasoi.

Mateiko is not new in Valencia, having finished third in both 2021 and 2022, with 58:26 as his personal best.

He has already run nine half marathons and will be looking to improve on his personal best and possibly take the crown.

Lasoi, who is in top form after finishing third in Copenhagen six weeks ago, with a personal best of 58:10 in his fourth half marathon of 2024, is also tipped to turn tables in the Valencia Half Marathon.

Observers say a course record in the women’s contest is possible given that 10km road record holder Agnes Ng’etich is in the stellar cast.

Ng’etich, who smashed the 10km world record in Valencia on January 13 with a jaw-dropping time of 28.46 will be expected to explode tomorrow.

During the track season Ngetich suffered from physical challenges that kept her out of top competitions including the Olympics national 10,000m trials in Eugene, USA.

She is also seen a threat to Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey Half Marathon world record of 1:02:52 set on the same course (in Valencia) in 2021.

The pace-making duties will be done by Japhet Kosgei and Vincent Nyageo, who will be expected to lead at a tempo of about 3:00/km, to ensure a challenge to the world record.