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The Nairobian

Kipchoge predicts fast London Marathon race on Sunday

Athletics

By Xinhua | Sep 29, 2020

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge celebrates with his wife Grace Sugutt after Kipchoge busted the mythical two-hour barrier for the marathon during the "Ineos 1:59 Challenge: Sub-Two Marathon Attempt" on October 12, 2019 in Vienna. - With a timing of 1hr 59min 40.2sec, the Olympic champion became the first ever to run a marathon in under two hours.

One year since world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge ran a tantalizing INEOS 1:59 Challenge, finishing the race in 2:00:25 seconds, the Kenyan star says he expects a fast London Marathon race against his main challenger, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele on Sunday.

On Sunday, Kipchoge led the Kenyan elite runners including world women marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei to London on private jet hired by London Marathon organizers to fly the athletes from Eldoret in northwest Kenya.

"I think the time will be fast, London is a big race and all the participants are in good shape and able to run faster times," Kipchoge, who holds the official world marathon record of 2:01:39, told Xinhua on Sunday.

"I will be competing for the first time since running under two hours at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge. I'm happy to race with the dominant athletes, that is how the sport is and should be treated like that. Competition makes the sport beautiful," he added.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele crosses the finish line to win the Berlin Marathon on September 29, 2019 in Berlin

Given the restrictions arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the London Marathon event will be in an enclosed looped course in St James' Park, but an unbowed Kipchoge said he did not adjust his training program to meet the challenge of running in a loop course.

"It's truly my first time to race in a loop, but I have been training normally, no different at ups in my training. I trust my coach and I will put what I have been doing in that loop. Life is about making adjustments and I am ready for the loop challenge in London," said Kipchoge.