Elias Makori
11 October 2008
Rio De Janeiro — Just like the World Race Walking Championships, the World Half Half Marathon Championships may not be as high profile as other competitions organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
But this year's competition in this great Brazilian beach city of Rio de Janeiro brings with it a lot of extra pleasure.
Ironically, the fun is not so much in the competition, as one would expect, but largley on the fringes, given the pleasures of Rio de Janeiro and its famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.
Nonetheless, there ´s quite a lot to look forward to, apart from the scantily clad people on the beach, in Sunday ´s race with the indefatigable Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat, unrivalled on the road, and Eritrean Zerseney Tadese out to defend the titles they won in last year ´s competition in Udine, Italy.
Mombasa debacle
Coincidentally, the pair also won the senior races at last year's World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa with Kenya-born Kiplagat retiring from cross country running and Tadesse making another appearance last March in Edinburgh where Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele avenged for his Mombasa debacle by winning an unprecedented sixth world title.
In Rio, Tadesse is chasing his third consecutive title in the event that was previously known as the World Road Running Championships. He is seeking to score the unprecedented hat-trick that will see him improve on the record set by Kenya ´s legend Paul Tergat who won in Ulster (1998) and Palermo (1999).
The Kenyan team could stop him, though.
Expected in Rio on Saturday night, the Kenyan team ´s biggest hope is Patrick Makau Musyoki who chased Tadese to the tape in Udine last October taking the silver medal in 59 minutes and two seconds, leading Kenya to the overall team title.
Musyoki has posted good 10km times this season and looks good to give the Eritrean a good run for his money.
He won the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in the United Arab Emirates in February and set a course record on the way to winning the Reading Half Marathon in England with a time of 1:01;19.
At this year's City-Pier-City Half Marathon in The Hague, the man from Manyanzwani in Kangundo outsprinted compatriot Joseph Maregu to win in 1:00.08.
He also won the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon, edging out Ethiopia ´s Eshetu Wondimu, clocking a winning time of exactly 60 minutes.
In September, Makau won the Fortis Rotterdam Half Marathon, his strong finish helping him edge out Evans Cheruiyot with both timed at 59.29.
Favourite tag
In total, Musyoki has eight wins and three second place finishes in all the races he has run on the road this year, speaking volumes of his favourite tag in Monday ´s race.
The Kenyan team also has the unpredictable pairo f Japan-based Mekubo Mogusu and Lamech Mosoti, discovered in the annual Safaricom Gusii Golden Series, who have been good on the road but untested in international competition.
Peninah Arusei, who hás a lucklustre and controversial appearance at the Beijing Olympics 10,000m race, will be seeking to make amends in the women's race where Kiplagat, who arrived here on Monday, is still favourite.
Bout of malaria
She will be joined in the fight by Pamela Chepchumba, who had a brave run at last year's meet in Udine.
Suffering a bout of malaria, Chepchumba, who won this year ´s Porto Half Marathon, fought gallantly to take bronze behind Lornah Kiplagat and compatriot Mary Keitany in a personal best 1:08.06 in Udine last year.
The Kenyan entry here hás: Men: Stephen Kibiwott, Joseph Maregu, Mekubo Mogusu, Lameck Mosoti, Patrick Musyoki; Women: Peninah Arusei, Pámela Chepchumba, Julia Mumbi and Pauline wangui.
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