FIRST CALI MARATHON IN COLOMBIA ON SUNDAY WITH STRONG FIELDS
Cali intends to start out a marathon story from heaven
For an inaugural occasion, the Cali Marathon (Maratón de Cali) in Colombia goes to hit the bottom operating on Sunday morning. With a half dozen nationwide document holders, two sub 2-04 males and a sub-2:20 girl, the Metropolis of Salsa goes to see a pageant of quick operating. The Cali Marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label Street Race. On condition that Cali is one thousand metres above sea-level, there gained’t be ultra-fast occasions, slightly a chance to see some nice contests, which many main marathon organisers now realise is the order of the day, shelling out as they’ve with pacemakers.
Nonetheless, occasions are nonetheless the most effective pre-race indicator. And trying to translate his statistical superiority into victory within the males’s race is Gabriel Geay of Tanzania, nationwide document holder for each half-marathon (59:18) and marathon (2:03:00), backed up with a second place in Boston 2023. Equally, Helalia Johannes of Namibia, a number of nationwide document holder together with the marathon (2:19:52) and former Commonwealth champion (2018) is favorite within the ladies’s race.
Geay specifically faces some extremely skilled marathon opposition, even when some, like double world champion and Olympic silver medallist Abel Kirui (2:05:54) are most likely previous their greatest. Not so his Kenyan compatriot Ronald Korir, who ran 2:04:22 in Berlin 18 months in the past. Likewise, compatriots Boniface Kiplimo (2:05:04) and Eric Kiptanui (2:05:47).
Cali, also called the Department (workplace) of Heaven is the most recent cease on Dennis Kimetto’s farewell tour, which he characterised as a ‘comeback’ after we final encountered him on the Dubai Marathon in mid-January. At 41 years of age (not as previous as Kirui), the previous world document holder (2:02:57 in 2014) acquitted himself nicely within the UAE, staying with the main pack till midway and ending in 2:14:56. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if he copes as nicely at 1000 metres altitude as among the elite south American runners who dwell and prepare at altitudes simply as excessive if no more so than the western highlands of Kenya whence Kimetto hails. Because it occurs, the quickest south Individuals are all lowlanders; Jorge Castelblanco of Panamá (2:09:24), Joaquim Arbe of Argentina (2:09:36) and Derlys Ayala of Paraguay (2:10:11), all nationwide document holders.
Johannes’ opposition within the ladies’s race comes largely from East Africa, Jackline Sakilu of Tanzania (2:21:27), Emma Ndiwa of Kenya (2:25:14), Adenench Mekonnen of Ethiopia (2:26:01), and main south American Rosa Chacha, the Ecuadorian document holder with 2:26:34. Johannes carried out poorly within the Olympic Marathon in Paris, however stated at this morning’s press convention: ‘An damage prevented me operating my greatest there (Paris), however my coaching for Cali has gone nicely; I’m hoping for a win’.
Geay stated, ‘I’m pleased to be in Cali once more. I haven’t seen the course but and the climate is way more humid than I’m used to, however I’ll do my greatest to win on Sunday in a very good time’. What’s fairly sure is that he and others will break the most effective of the one marathon run in Cali earlier than – the Pan-American Video games championship in 1971, gained by Olympic champ to be (the subsequent 12 months), Frank Shorter of the USA in 2:22:40.
The Maratón de Cali is the brainchild of native boy made good Luis Felipe Posso, who went to the US on a scholarship many years in the past and is now one of many world’s main athlete managers. He’s additionally occasion coordinator for, amongst others, the marathons of Sydney and Osaka, and the half-marathon in Colombia’s capital metropolis, Bogotá. On the Cali occasion launch press convention he promised to help native mayor Alejandro Eder within the latter’s goal to revive Cali to satisfaction of place within the organisation of main sports activities occasions on the Pacific coast. Posso’s contacts have already gained the cachet of a World Athletics elite label for Cali and standing as a ‘feeder’ occasion for subsequent 12 months’s Boston Marathon. So intent was he in selling his house metropolis, Posso relocated from Florida to Cali for almost all of the final 12 months. ‘My dream is to make the Cali Marathon, my house city race into the most important and greatest in South America,’ stated Posso.
The marathon and adjoining 15k race (and mini-maratón, 4.2k) are anticipated to attract over 10,000 athletes for this inaugural occasion with over 2500 overseas entrants. Posso definitely hasn’t stinted on the elite entry with over 50 prime class males and greater than 20 elite ladies, the form of numbers which put many a longtime marathon to disgrace.
Extra info is on the market on-line at: https://maratondecali.co/en
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