Kiprotich eyes New York Marathon triumph

By James Bakama

CAN Stephen Kiprotich become the first Ugandan to win the New York City marathon?

That will be every Ugandan’s wish when 50,000 runners are flagged off for the 44th edition of the annual race today.

The Olympic and world champion will be one of the big names eyeing the $100,000 (sh260m) winning prize. 

“I have worked on my speed and should be able to perform well,” noted Kiprotich who finished 12 in his maiden appearance in New York last year.

Defending champion Geoffrey Mutai, former world record holder Wilson Kipsang and Boston marathon champion Lelisa Desisa are some of the stars the Ugandan will be up against.

Kipsang and Mutai have said they will be going for the two hours 05.06 course record. That could however not be good news for Kiprotich who has a 2:07:20 personal best.

Kiprotich’s best moments have come in slower races where the pace has been controlled until the final kilometers.

Sunday’s race will also be a grand finale for the $1,000,000 (sh2.6bn) World Marathon Majors jackpot.

Six annual road races in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City, along with the Olympic and IAAF World Championships marathons, serve as the qualifying races in the WMM series.

At the end of each marathon, the top five male and female finishers are awarded points based on their finish place.

Kiprotich, who last won a major race in 2013, this time, doesn’t feature on the leaderboard, which currently has world record holder Dennis Kimetto and Kipsang racing for the big prize.

At the end of each two-year series, a $1 million prize purse is split equally between the top male and female point earners. The $1 million prize will be awarded annually, meaning that each two-year series will overlap.

New York was yesterday jolted with news that women’s favourite Rita Jeptoo had reportedly tested positive for a banned substance.

Jeptoo, who won this year’s Boston and Chicago Marathons was to be awarded the women’s $500,000 (sh1.3bn).