Kenyans raring to go in Pune Marathon

Pune, Nov 24 (UNI) The awesome Kenyans are raring to go as curtains go up on the 21st Pune International Marathon here on November 26.

'' We have come with a mission,'' a confident defending champion, Josephat Ndeti, summed up the 10-member Kenyan squad's intention as soon as the team landed in the city yesterday.

A heavy unseasonal cloud burst last evening failed to dampen their spirits, and the squad, comprising six men and four women, took to the Shivajinagar Police grounds, opposite their hotel, for light training schedule unmindful of the long jet lag.

They were joined by the four-member Ethopian team consisting of two men and two men.

Long-distance runners from Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Scotland also arrived in the city late last evening.

The young Russian long-distance runner Naila Yulamanova, who had broken the Kenyan domination last year by winning the women's half marathon race (21 kms), clocking 75 minutes and 26 seconds, has decided to opt out due to injury.

Josephat, talking to UNI here today, said Pune has been his favourite hunting ground and he has come all prepared. ''Since the last year, I have not participated in any other event in order to concentrate on the Pune event and repeat my last year's performance,'' he said.

Regarding his training, the 35-year-old Josephat said he trains at high altitudes for 25 to 30 kilometers every day and also has regular weight training sessions.

''I would like to emulate my elder brother Cosmos Ndeti's feat who won the Boston marathon thrice in a row -- in 1993, 1994, and 1995. I would like to repeat the same feat in the Pune marathon,'' he says.

Josephat isn't much concerned about the competition from the Tanzanians, Ethiopians and the Russians. ''Leave them, I have serious competition coming from my own team-mates, Ambrose Makau and Douglas Gwandaru,'' he says. Makau had won the Pune event in 2002 with a time of 2:23:26, while Douglas had won it in 2004 in a time of 2:21:22. On his part, Josephat had clocked 2:19:35 last year.

MORE UNI IS MAZ AY GC1850