Red-hot Ayaibei seeks to defend StanChart Marathon title

Athletes compete in a past Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon. This year's edition will be held on October 28, 2018. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Annual race targets 25,000 participants to raise Sh60 million.
  • The athlete, fresh from winning in Beijing, hopes to retain women’s half marathon title she won last year.

Fresh from winning Beijing Marathon, Kenya’s Valary Ayaibei is back to defend her Half Marathon title at the 2018 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon next Sunday in Nairobi.

Ayaibei, who clocked 1 hour, 11 minutes and 04 seconds to win women’s half marathon title last year, ended Kenya’s drought at the Beijing Marathon on September 16.

The athlete clocked 2:21:38 to become the first Kenyan woman to win at the Chinese capital.

Ayaibei had started the year with a second place finish at Nagoya Marathon in 2:22:48 in Japan on March 11 before finishing second in Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon, timing 1:10:11 to win in the Japanese city.

Ayaibei has had a stable long distance running career, winning Kass Marathon in 2015 and going on to win the Barcelona and Valencia marathons in 2:25:26 and 2:24:48 respectively in March and November of 2016.

Aiyabei’s time in Barcelona was a Spanish women’s all-comers’ best and also a big improvement on the career best for the 25-year-old Kenyan at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race.

However, last year emerged perhaps as her best season when she produced her personal best both in the half marathon and full marathon races. She may have finished fourth in Prague Half Marathon on April 1, but her time of 1:07:50 was eventually her best.

She finished third in Berlin Marathon on September 24 last year, in a race won by her compatriot Gladys Cherono in a personal best 2:20:53.

Ayaibei then returned to the Czech city of Prague on May 7, setting a new World Record at 30km of 1:38:19 on her way to winning Prague Marathon in a course record time 2:21:57.

The 2018 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee chairman Peter Gitau indicated on Saturday that Ayaibei is among 15,000 participants who have already registered for the competition.

Among the entrants are seasoned long distance runners Eunice Chebet and Naomi Jepkorir Kipsanai.

Chebet has won several half marathon races in Italy, including Citadella Half Marathon in 2013 where she set a personal best of 1:13:01.

Chebet also holds the 2012 and 2013 Arezzo Half Marathon titles, the 2012 Ravenna Half Marathon and 2012 Latina Half Marathon crowns.

“We are targeting an entry of 25,000 athletes and we hope to raise Sh60 million for the Seeing is Believing Initiative,” Gitau said.

Julius Kipyego Keter, who finished second in 2017 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, and Edinburgh Marathon champion Julius Kiplagat Korir will grace the men’s marathon.

Keter, who is yet to compete this year, won the Mérida Marathon in Mexico in January last year in a time of 2:21:22 before finishing second in Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon in 2:10:34 a month later.

Keter would then wind up second again at Santiago de Chile Marathon in personal best 2:09:55 in April, while Korir, who won Edinburgh Marathon in 2:17:13 last year, is fresh from claiming victory at Las Palmas Gran Canaria Marathon in 2:18:14 in Spain.