Mungara confident to defend Toronto Waterfront Marathon title
Kenneth Mungara, the 37-years old Kenyan athlete and two times winner of Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon aims at defending the title in the third successive event. However, the experts are of the view that the prize money of $20,000 may succeed in
bringing in sterner rivals for him this time.
Despite having a budget as small as $ 2 million, organizers of IAAF Silver Label Race are taking commendable measures to assemble a field, which is rich in talent. However, considering their efforts, it seems impossible that the record of Mungara, which
he set in 2009 (crossing the finishing line in just 2 hours, 8 minutes and 31 seconds) could be broken. Mungara has proved to be the fastest on Canadian soil.
If we analyze the performance of Mungara’s possible rivals, Daniel Rono can be the first person, who may succeed in giving him a tough time on the field. Daniel Rono, owing to his consistent performance, setting his best at Rotterdam Marathon in 2008 and
for familiarity with the flat course of Toronto is being considered second best for the event.
Daniel Rono had already won the title of Toronto marathon back in 2006, while in 2007 he stood second where he set his best covering the distance in just 2 hours, 9 minutes and 35 seconds. His performance in New York marathon during 2008 along with Boston
marathon in the following year had already established him as a seasoned athlete.
Among other countries competing in the event, Ethiopia is being considered favorite, which is being represented by the three best runners chosen from eighty athletes trained on the home grounds under the supervision of renowned Haji Adilo.
Teshome Gelana can prove to be another possible threat for Mungara as this 25-year old runner, who grabbed the attention of spectators in 2010, also has the Houston Marathon title to his name.
In the Houston Marathon Teshome Gelana defeated Zimbaba Yigeze, who had a personal record of crossing the finishing line within 2 hours, 8 minutes and 27 seconds. Gelana not only possesses tremendous talent, he has been prepared and coached by Haji Adilo
for the event. Keeping in view the past performances of Gelana, Haji is not wrong if he expects great things from him.
Speaking of the training experience he had with Gelana, Haji Adilo said that he had trained Gelana in some of the toughest terrains of the world. At a 7000 feet elevation, Gelana covered a distance of 30 kilometers within 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Two other great runners the spectators would be expecting to see in the event are Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis. Reid and Eric, hailing from the Canadian soil are also being considered favourites by the domestic spectators.
The Athletics Canada has set a standard time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 29 seconds for anyone, who wishes to attend 2011 IAAF World Championships and Olympics 2012. This seems a reasonable target for both of the above mentioned players.
The Canadians are particularly relying upon Reid Coolsaet, who was declared best for ten thousand meters on the home grounds and was consequently crowned as Canadian marathon champion in Ottawa.
Besides winning the title, the runner is also admired for keeping a high volume throughout the year. This shows his ability to pose a serious challenge for any international athlete. Speaking of Eric Gillis, he represented Canada during the 2008 Olympics
for ten thousands meters. He stood 7th in the race.
Pondering upon the preparations of the athletes, we can conclude that it might not be as easy for Mungara to defend and name the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon this time as it has always been easier for him. However, those who favor Mungara are of
the view that, not only does the runner have great experience of running on the tracks in various natures worldwide, his fitness levels are consistently high.
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