The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Cheptot to take part in Mumbai marathon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

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Sport - Athletics

Cheptot to take part in Mumbai marathon

MUMBAI, DEC. 22. Kenyan Stephen Cheptot, with a personal best of two hours and seven minutes this year, is among the world's best runners to confirm participation for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. Russian Marina Biktikarova (personal best 2:25:20 in 2003 and ranked 14th in the world) will spearhead the women's marathon challenge in the January 16, 2005 event.

Other notable competitors in the fray are Kenyans Joseph Kahugu (2:07:59), Fred Cherono (2:08.00), Noah Bor (2:08:45), Julius Sugut (2:10:33) and Ethiopian Tadessa Hailemiriam (2:09:22), Dillo Jube (2:09:00) and Gashaw Malese (2:09:00) in men's marathon.

The women's field will see Kenyans Esther Kiplagat (2:25:00), Emily Kimuria (2:28:00), Anne Jelagat (2:29:00) and Russians Irina Timofeyeva (2:25:00), Zinata Semenova (2:26:00) vying for the top spot.

Army Institute (Pune) will be sending 13 athletes for the men's event, among whom Bipul Sahariya (2:37:09), Nathuram (2:28:18), Shivdan Singh (2:32:32) will run the full marathon. Prominent Indian women distance-runners to take part are Western Railway's Leelamma Alphonso (1:23:31), Delhi's Bhagwati (1:26:53) in half-marathon.

Former British track stars Steve Ovett, Linford Christie and India's Kapil Dev have been named event ambassadors, according to promoters by Procam International. — Our Special Correspondent

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