Vincent Kipruto wins the Paris Marathon with a course record 2:05:47 (© organisers)
World silver medallist Vincent Kipruto is the fastest man in the field that has been announced for the 68th Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on March 3.
The Kenyan has broken 2:06 three times in his career, the first time when winning the 2009 Paris Marathon. One year later in Rotterdam he improved his PB to 2:05:13, a mark that remains his best to this day. If he’s on form, he could challenge the Lake Biwa Marathon course record of 2:06:13, set by Olympic bronze medallist Wilson Kipsang in 2011.
Joining him in Otsu City will be fellow Kenyan Peter Kirui. Since finishing sixth over 10,000m at the 2011 World Championships, the 25-year-old stepped up to the marathon and clocked 2:06:31 on his debut in Frankfurt two years ago. Last year he also won the New York Half Marathon with a PB of 59:39.
Also in the field is Ethiopia’s Tariku Jufar, winner in Beijing and Houston last year with a 2:06:51 PB; Switzerland’s Viktor Rothlin, the 2010 European champion and former Tokyo winner with a 2:07:23 national record; and Morocco’s two-time Olympian Abderrahim Bouramdane, who boasts a 2:07:33 PB and finished fourth at the 2011 World Championships.
Although not an invited runner, Atsushi Fujita is the fastest Japanese athlete in the field with a marathon best of 2:06:51 dating back to the 2000 Fukuoka Marathon.
Among the other domestic runners, Ryo Yamamoto, Tomoyuki Morita, Takashi Horiguchii and Masashi Hayashi all finished in the top eight in the last year’s Lake Biwa Marathon and will return to the race where they set their current PBs.
Ken Nakamura and Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
ELITE ATHLETES:
Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:05:13
Peter Kirui (KEN) 2:06:31
Tariku Jufar (ETH) 2:06:51
Atsushi Fujita (JPN) 2:06:51
Viktor Rothlin (SUI) 2:07:23
Abderrahime Bouramdane (MAR) 2:07:33
Masakazu Fujiwara (JPN) 2:08:12
James Mwangi (KEN) 2:08:38
Ryo Yamamoto (JPN) 2:08:44
Tomoyuki Morita (JPN) 2:09:12
Takashi Horiguchi (JPN) 2:09:16
Tomoya Shimizu (JPN) 2:09:23
Alexey Reunkov (RUS) 2:09:54
Masashi Hayashi (JPN) 2:09:55
Paulo Roberto Paula (BRA) 2:10:23
Seiji Kobayashi (JPN) 2:10:38
Koji Kobayashi (JPN) 2:10:40
Kazuki Ikenaga (JPN) 2:10:44
Yukihiro Kitaoka (JPN) 2:10:51
Keita Akiba (JPN) 2:10:53
Suehiro Ishikawa (JPN) 2:11:13
Satoru Kasuya (JPN) 2:11:17
Kohei Matsumura (JPN) 2:11:18
Tomoya Adachi (JPN) 2:11:59
Maina Dishon Karukuwa (KEN) 2:12:25
Shinobu Kubota (JPN) debut
