Ethiopians, Kenyans to battle for top honours in Mumbai

A host of top-class distance runners from the African continent, including pedigreed nations Ethiopia and Kenya, have descended here to show their worth and fight for the cash prizes in the USD 405,000 16th Tata Mumbai Marathon to be run on Sunday.

Ethiopian runners took both the men's and women's titles 12 months ago and Abera Kuma and Amane Gobena, from that nation, are the pre-race favourites to take the top individual prize of USD 45,000.

Kuma comes to Mumbai as the fastest man in the field with his 2:05:50 personal best set in the Rotterdam Marathon last April.

"I have been training very well again and I feel I can run faster than that time. Maybe it will be difficult to run as quickly as that here, but I am in good shape," said Kuma ahead of his debut race here. There is a bonus of USD 15,000 for creating a new course record in the race and Kuma, with a personal 10,000m best of 26:52.85, is targeting the record of 2:08:35 set by Kenyan Gideon Kipketar in 2016.

However, he is bound to face stiff challenges from the likes of the Kenyan trio Jacob Kendagor, Elijah Kemboi and Cosmas Lagat other than compatriot Aychew Bantie, all of whom have recorded personal bests below the 2:08:15 mark.

Kuma's compatriot Amane Gobena knows what it takes to win in Mumbai after having triumphed at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race, one of Asia's leading marathons, in 2018.

Gobena is not only the defending women's champion but would also be the fastest woman on the start line opposite the iconicChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

The 36-year-old mother of two ran her personal best of 2:21:51 when finishing second in the 2016 Tokyo Marathon but continues to be a top-class runner.

In addition to her 2018 win here, she also finished third in the Prague Marathon last year.

The women's course record of 2:24:33 has remained with Kenya's Valentine Kipketer since 2013, but Gobena showed that it could be challenged in 2018 when she ran 2:25:49, the second fastest winning time ever.

"I enjoyed last years race a lot and I've been looking forward to coming back here. I may be 36 but I am still running well, and my legs feel a lot younger," she said in the run-up to the event.

"It has to help that I raced here last year. Experience is so important in the marathon and that includes experience of the races where you run," she added.

She too will have to battle hard with the likes of compatriots and former winners, Dinkesh Mekash (who was champion in 2014-15) and Shuko Genemo (2016), besides three other countrywomen in Birke Debele, Melesech Tsegaye and Mergertu Alemu.

India's leading finishers from 2018, Gopi Thonakal and Sudha Singh, will be trying to make it two-in-a-row in the battle for top honours among the participants from the home country, a feat that will also fetch a top cash prize of Rs 500,000.

In addition, there is a bonus of Rs 2 lakh for breaking the national course records 2:15:48 for men set by Nitendra Singh Rawat in 2016, and 2:37:29 for women set by O P Jaisha in 2015.

Gopi had finished 11thoverall in 2018 clocking 2:16:51 while 3000m steeplechase specialist Sudha had come home seventh overall in the 15th edition in 2:48:32.

Both have expressed their wish to attain here the qualifying standards set by IAAF for the September-October World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Thonakal, who had competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the World Championships in London in 2017, is looking to run under the Doha qualifying standard of 2:16:00.

Sudha has set her sights on running under 2:37:00, the Doha qualifying standard and also Indian best here.

While Gopi can expect a run for his money from Rawat, Sudha will be pressed hard for the top honours among Indians by Jyoti Garwate, who took the top spot in 2017.