Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto has given reasons why he will be dedicating his Paris Olympics race to former world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum.
Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto says he will be running in honour of his late friend Kelvin Kiptum at the Paris Olympics.
Kipruto is among those who seem guaranteed a slot in Kenya’s final marathon team to the Olympics which will be unveiled on Wednesday and he is keen to ensure the memory of Kiptum does not fade away.
Kiptum and Kipruto ran together in Chicago last October when the 2023 London Marathon champion set his world record, with the latter finishing third, and was set to lead Team Kenya to Paris before the cruel hand of death struck in February.
Now with Kipruto among those set to fly Kenya’s flag in Paris, the 2021 Boston Marathon winner will be carrying him in his heart in the French capital.
“Kiptum was great friend and in Paris I will running in honour of Kiptum,” said Kipruto. “I have been running with him, I ran with him in Chicago, he was a great friend and we shared and talked a lot.”
Athletics Kenya will unveil the final three that will head to Paris on Wednesday and besides Kipruto, newly-crowned London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso and two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge are seen as the other two who will join him.
Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich and Timothy Kiplagat are the other runners hoping to be selected.
In the women’s side, two-time Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri and London Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, the defending champion, look assured of their places in the team while Sharon Lokedi, second in Boston this year, Rosemary Wanjiru, runners-up in Tokyo, are the others looking to get into the team.
Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and ex-world champion Ruth Chepngetich, who finished fifth and ninth in London respectively, are the rank outsiders.
