Kiplangat wants déjà vu in Osaka

By virtue of his name, Victor Kiplangat is already a winner. And since his debut over the 42km distance, he has tried to match his name.

Kiplangat announced himself to the nation proper after he claimed the marathon title by beating a small field to the finish-line at Victoria Square during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England last July.

Now four career marathons races, two wins, a fourth place with a personal best (PB) at last April’s Hamburg Marathon in Germany while the other - 2021 Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands - he was only a pacemaker.

Kiplangat will be hoping for déjà vu when he lines-up on Sunday for the Osaka Marathon in Japan.

“He is going for the podium,” his coach Addy Ruiter said. Kiplangat is the country’s second fastest with a PB of two hours, five minutes and nine seconds from Hamburg.

He is in the elite field in Osaka, whose course record over the new course is 2:07:31 by Japanese Gaku Hoshi last year. “Time not important,” Ruiter said of Kiplangat’s plan.

And that’s probably because Kiplangat has already qualified for the World Athletics Championships which come later in August in Hungarian capital Budapest.

His time from Hamburg is well under the qualifying standard of 2:09:40 via the window from December 1, 2021 until later on May 30.

A total of six men have done that and Kiplangat is second best on the list bidding to take the three available quota places to Budapest.

Kiplangat however warmed up for the Osaka trip by finishing third at the Kolkata 25K in India on December 18.

KIPLANGAT AT A GLANCE

Full Name: Victor Kiplangat

Date of birth: Nov 10, 1999)

Major Events: Half-Marathon, Marathon

Personal Bests: 59:26 (21km), 2:05:09 (42km)

Coach: Addy Ruiter

Manager: Jurrie van der Velden

KIPLANGAT OVER 42KM

Apr 18, 2021: Enschede Marathon, Pacemaker (DNF)

Nov 7, 2021: Istanbul Marathon, 1st (2:10:18)

Apr 24, 2022: Hamburg Marathon, 4th (2:05:09)

Jul 30, 2022: XXII Commonwealth Games, 1st (2:10:55)

2023 BUDAPEST WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN’S MARATHON - TEAM UGANDA QUALIFICATION

1 Stephen Kissa; Hamburg Marathon (2nd, 2:04:48 on Apr 24, 2022)

2 Victor Kiplangat; Hamburg Marathon (4th, 2:05:09 on Apr 24, 2022)

3 Solomon Mutai; Venice Marathon (1st, 2:08:10 on Oct 23, 2022)

4 Filex Chemongesi; Linz Marathon (8th, 2:08:42 on Oct 23, 2022)

5 Martin Musau; Amsterdam Marathon (12th, 2:09:04 on Oct 16, 2022)

6 Geofrey Kusuro; Madrid Marathon (2nd, 2:09:23 on Apr 24, 2022)

Entry Standard: 2:09:40, Qualifying window: Dec 1, 2021 - May 30, 2023