Kimetto shakes off injuries, dreams of Vienna marathon course record

World marathon record holder Dennis Kimetto of Kenya is hopeful of resurrecting his career after three years of injuries as he returns to action at the Vienna Marathon to be held on April 22.

Kimetto, who has not won a marathon since 2015, has opted to snub both the London and Boston marathons to test his body's reaction to extreme competition in Vienna, reports Xinhua news agency.

In the last three years, Kimetto has only succeeded in finishing two marathons, both in London, which left many to question whether his running career had come to a stop.

"It is always hard to get up and return to action after months of hard work ends up with another injury," he said on Wednesday from Eldoret.

"However, I was able to train without injuries for a good period, which has raised my hopes and conviction I will do well in Vienna," he said.

Kimetto's last race was in Chicago in 2016, where he did not finish. He has tried several half marathon races without big success, but that has not dampened his spirits as he seeks to take his career off the rocks in 2018.

"I believe in my capabilities and want to show a strong performance in Vienna. If conditions are good then I want to attack the course record. The most important thing is that after several disappointing races in the last two years I can achieve a good marathon result again," he added.

--IANS

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