Kipchumba, Aiyabei included in elite list for London Marathon
Reigning Amsterdam Marathon champion Vincent Kipchumba and current Frankfurt Marathon winner Valary Aiyabei will make their debut in the London Marathon scheduled for October 4.
Kipchumba is delighted to have been included in the elite men’s list for the 40th London Marathon and hopes to challenge for glory in Europe’s top road race.
“I am very happy that I have been included in the elite field. I have been looking forward to this marathon and now I have to intensify my training ahead of the marathon so as to achieve my target,” Kipchumba told People Sport.
Kipchumba, had been training in Kapsabet, Nandi County, under the watchful eye of his coach Claudio Berardelli.
He says that even though the race was postponed by six months he did not lose hope of making his debut in the World Marathon Majors race.
“When I was informed that I will be competing in the London Marathon, I was happy because this was a dream come true for me.
I have been eyeing a place in one of the biggest marathons in the world,” said Kipchumba.
He also said that he will be privileged to compete with some of the best athletes in the world over the distance.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt champion Valary Aiyabei says she has been eyeing a new world record over the distance in one of the World Marathon Majors.
The Iten-based athlete ran the fifth-fastest women’s marathon time in Frankfurt after recording 2:19.10 to break the previous course record of 2:20.36 set by Ethiopia’s Meskerem Assefa in 2018.
Aiyabei said it is possible to bring down the women’s marathon record after Brigid Kosgei ran a new mark of 2:14:01 last year to break the 16-year-old mark of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe in Chicago.
“My plan is to break the record in the London Marathon and it is possible to break the world record.
It all depends on one’s mental strength and how you train. I have a dream to lower Kosgei’s record and I believe with God’s blessings, it will come to pass,” Aiyabei said.
