NAIROBI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lawrence Cherono, the Boston and Chicago marathon champion, feels his clash with Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele in London Big Half Marathon on Sunday will serve as a mini-Olympic Games race.
The two are due to meet in Tokyo Olympic marathon race on Aug. 9 representing their countries. The shorter half marathon distance on Sunday is part of their preparations for the April races.
Cherono who is planning a title defense in Boston says running in London in the half marathon will give him a clear report of his preparedness.
"It is exactly the test I was looking. I am preparing for the Boston Marathon on April 20 and I am sure it will be a great race," Cherono said on Friday.
"From London, the next stage will be the Olympics that I will be meeting Bekele, if he makes the Ethiopian team. It will therefore help me know what caliber of athlete toe expect in August," he added.
On the other hand, Bekele will be returning to London on April 26 to challenge World record holder and race defending champion Eliud Kipchoge (2:01:39).
Three-time Olympic champion Bekele will take part in his first race since missing the world marathon record with 2:01:41 in Berlin last September. It will be his first half-marathon since 2013.
Cherono, who has a half-marathon best of 2:04:06, will be expected to improve on his best of 61:58 while another Kenyan, Marius Kipserem will be the only other overseas elite runner in a race that hosts the national championships and World Half trials for England.
Kipserem, the reigning Rotterdam Marathon champion, successfully defended his Abu Dhabi marathon title. After running 2:04:04 to win the Abu Dhabi Marathon in December 2018 on a short course, Kipserem finally got a real certified best time by running 2:04:10 to win the Rotterdam Marathon last year. She hived off two minutes of his personal best and in the end broke compatriots Duncan Kibet's 10-year-old course record in the Dutch city.
