TOKYO MARATHON 

Race: Sunday at 6.10am

Victor Kiplangat has the World and Commonwealth Games titles. Eliud Kipchoge has everything the marathon has to offer, besides, of course, the current world record.

On Sunday, Uganda’s reigning world champion and the legendary Kenyan face off in the Tokyo Marathon Elite Field in what is Kipchoge’s first race since losing the world record to the late Kelvin Kiptum.

Naturally, there is talk of Kipchoge going for the record, an expectation hardly undermined by how well he performed in his last appearance in the race.

Kipchoge set a course record – 2:02:40 – on the way to winning the 2022 edition, although that mark is two minutes and five seconds behind Kiptum’s all-time standard. Kipchoge's personal best (2:01:09) is 34 seconds behind the world record.

Kiplangat had a memorable display in his last appearance in the country, finishing second in the 2023 Osaka Marathon with a time of 2:06.03.

Kiplangat is currently ranked fifth in the world standings and will need to be at his finest to contend for top honours against a field that features 11 sub-2:05 runners.

His career mark in the marathon is 2:05:09. He has been accompanied by compatriot Abel Boniface Sikowo, who will handle pace-setting duties.

Uganda has no representation in the women’s field but a Kiplangat victory would more than make up for the blot.

This is Kiplangat's first race since winning the marathon world title in Budapest last year, and it will most likely be his last before the Paris Olympics in August this year.