Defending champion Ezekiel Chebii of Kenya will put his title up for grabs during this year's Lake Biwa marathon in Japan on March 4.
Chebii's timing of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 7 seconds posted in Amsterdam two years ago still stands as the fastest in the field, which also has fast runners Tadesse Abraham (Switzerland) and Abera Kuma (Ethiopia), reports Xinhua news agency.
Speaking here on Wednesday on his way to Japan, Chebii exuded confidence that he will triumph for the second year in a row to boost his chances of making the Kenyan team at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
"I have a plan to represent Kenya in Doha, but it has to start soon with win in Lake Biwa marathon. Then we will see what other races will come through and hope to carry the momentum. Last year it was tough to win and I expect the conditions to be even worse with tougher challenges from the opponents," he said.
Alongside the trio, there will also be four Japanese men seeking to steal the show led by Gold Coast winner Takuya Noguchi, Takuya Fukatsu and Fumihiro Maruyama.
--IANS
ajb/bg
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