Kipsiro takes marathon learning curve to Ottawa

KAMPALA.

When he missed out on selection to the team to the Rio Olympics last year, marathoner Moses Kipsiro was quick to focus on the next edition of the quadrennial Games - Tokyo 2020.
He improved his personal best (PB) to 2:14:18 after finishing seventh at his second career 42km race - the New York Marathon last November.

In preparation for the London World Championships due August 4-13, he will feature at the Ottawa Marathon in Canada on May 28.
Normally, top marathoners for April races such as the London, Boston, Hamburg, Lake Biwa or Rotterdam Marathons have a three-month break before the Worlds.

“As you know, my race schedule depends on my manager (Ricky Simms),” Kipsiro disclosed to Sunday Monitor recently.
Kipsiro had earlier hoped for one of those events but the 2007 World 5,000m bronze medalist will now head west and run less than 70 days to the Worlds.

Qualification mark
His time in New York beat the London qualification mark of 2:19:00 but he is fourth in pecking order yet Uganda has three marathon slots in the quota system.

2012 Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich, 2015 World bronze medalist Solomon Mutai and Robert Chemonges have better times.
It means Kipsiro must at least run lower than Chemonges’ 2:10:32 that earned him victory at the Dusseldorf Marathon in Germany last month.

Luckily, the 30-year-old is encouraged by improvements on the state of his troublesome right knee.

“This knee has been a problem for over four years. The pain had ceased but it returned after New York. It has now faded and I want to run better in Ottawa.

“I had malaria in Hamburg (debut marathon) last year but New York gave me a very good challenge. I now know that I am capable of a good marathon,” added the three-time Commonwealth gold medalist.

KIPSIRO AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: September 2, 1986
Manager: Ricky Simms
Kit Sponsor: Adidas
Major Races: Half-Marathon, Marathon
Personal Bests: Half Marathon (62:18),
Marathon (2:14:18)

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