Nairobi — Two-time Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge headlines a strong three-man team that will represent Kenya at this year's summer games in Paris.
Also in the squad is Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto as well as London Marathon champion Alexander Munyao Mutiso, who won first World Marathon Majors race a week ago.
The 2022 Abu Dhabi Marathon champion Timothy Kiplagat is the reserve member of the team.
Kipchoge, who holds the second fastest time in the world, will be chasing an unprecedented three-peat at the quadrennial games, following his triumph at Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020).
Nonetheless, the two-time world record holder believes the race will not be child's play.
"It is going to be an uphill task...everywhere. You have around 196 countries participating. Everybody is a champion, I don't underrate anybody. I give everyone maximum respect and you know this is sports. This is where we exchange and meet," he said.
Kipchoge said he is preparing well for the competition, noting the importance of being in top shape.
"I really want to have a good performance and I believe in my preparations. If anything happens, then this is sport...anything can happen and you have to accept the outcome. This is a huge goal and I trust I will make it," he said.
All in all, he is proud for another opportunity to don the Team Kenya singlet and fly the national flag.
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"I feel good...it is the only way to give back to our country. I can't build roads, bridges or bring new technology. This is the only I can market Kenya and be totally patriotic to the country and talk to the rest of the world and tell them we are one of the countries in East Africa with a lot of things," he said.
Kipruto will be running in his first-ever Olympics, which he says will be an opportunity to honour world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who passed away in a road crash in February this year.
"Kiptum was a great friend of mine and in Paris I will be racing in honour of him. I have been racing with him...I ran with him in Chicago. We shared and talked about a lot of things," the 2022 Chicago Marathon champion said.
For Mutiso, a place in the final team is continuation of a fairytale and just reward for persistence.
The 27-year-old clocked 2:04:01 to win the London Marathon a week ago, overcoming an elite field that included Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele.
The Prague Marathon champion will also be competing at the Olympics for the first time and will be hoping for a huge first impression.
