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Nairobi, Oct 29 (IANS) Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai, who first won the New York Marathon in 2011, will be attempting his third shot at the crown Nov 2, after winning in 2013 despite a spirited challenge from several other Kenyans. The Kenyan athletes were Tuesday buoyant of doing well in New York, as they jetted out, reported Xinhua.
"I have done my training well and as I go I can confirm that it will be the legs doing the talking. I do not know how the others have prepared, but I will focus on my own race and aim at beating others," Mutai said here Tuesday.
"Everyone is prepared and it will be competitive. I look at myself. For now we pray for the best to win," he added.
Dennis Kimetto, who won the Berlin Marathon a couple of weeks ago, also made the trip, but will not be running as he awaits his fate with regard to the World Marathon Majors (WMM) crown.
The World Marathon Majors is a championship-style competition for marathon runners. It comprises six annual races for the cities of Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City. Kimetto, who has 75 points, is in line to clinch $500,000 and the coveted crown for his efforts this season if Wilson Kipsang (51 points) fails to win in New York.
A win in New York for Kipsang would see his tally hit the 76 point margin, thereby edging past Kimetto.
Kimetto broke Kipsang's world marathon record of 2:03.23 when he won in Berlin, setting a new world and course record of 2:02.57 and becoming the first man to run under two hours and three minutes.
Kipsang, 32, may as well burn the tracks as he is well-stocked on energy reserves. His last participation being the London Marathon, back in April.
"Time will not be essential in New York. I just want to see how fast I can go against a spirited challenge from my competitors. It is my first time running in New York so I have no specific targets at the moment, apart from what everyone expects in a competition, to win," Kipsang said. The 2012 London Olympic Marathon bronze medallist has run under 2:05 five times, the most in history.
Kipsang won his second London Marathon in 2014 in a course record 2:04:29 after narrowly missing the record in the 2012 event.
He is also the two-time champion and the course record-holder at the Frankfurt Marathon. The Kenyan squad will meet its greatest challenge from Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda, the reigning Olympic and World Champion .
