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Nairobi, November 17: Former Tokyo marathon champion Sarah Chepchirchir and Flomena Cheyech will lead Kenya's charge at the Shanghai International Marathon on Sunday.
The two also try to test the course record of 2:21:52 set by Ethiopian Tigist Tufa three years ago. However, Xinhua news agency said that after recovering from injury in 2018, recovery should be proved first.
Chepchirchir said he hoped to compete for the first time this year in Nairobi hoping that a good show in Shanghai this year will return to the world championships and the Olympics in 2020.
"I want to see how my body reacts after staying a long time, and I believe it is important to win and prove it again," said the 34-year-old.
"But we are not alone because we have other top players with a desire for victory, it depends on how we prepare for the day and the strategy."
On the other hand, Cheyech, former former Commonwealth Games champion, finished the Nagoya marathon in March this year and spent a slow time at 2:33:01.
"I have been competing in Japan for years from injury, but after healing, I have come back to the game," Cheech said after completing second place at 71:05 in Eldoret Half Marathon in October.
But she said she was ready to participate in the Shanghai contest. "Shanghai will be the next hurray for me and hopefully will run well and win a gold medal."
Ethiopia's Yebrgual Melese will win. She finished 3-1 minutes at Dubai at 2:19:36, reduced her personal time by more than three minutes, and recorded 2 minutes 27 seconds and 47 seconds at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in the East China Sea. And Sunday's race will be the third marathon of the year.
Helen Tola Bekele, who will celebrate her 24th birthday next week, sees another woman. Since debuting in 2015, Ethiopia has improved its best time every season and has recently shortened to 2:22:48 in Berlin.
The male tribe has a star-studded field led by Dennis Kimetto, Kenya's world record holder, who remains the greatest hope to break the record at 2:07:14 in 2015.
Kimetto is no longer in a marathon since April 2016, and Eliud Kipchoge has a career of 2:02:57 two months ago.
Ethiopian Tsegaye Mekonnen (age 23) made his second fastest run in the 2014 Dubai Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 32 seconds. And his compatriot Seyefu Tura will be at the scene.
In the elite arena, there are two sub-2: 10 runners like Yitayal Atnafu in Ethiopia, 2:07:00 in the 2018 Houston Marathon runners-up team, Asbel Kipsang in Kenya, two hours and seven minutes and 30 seconds in Shanghai and two and three in 2015 and 2016. After the second
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