Defending champion Silas Sang has to fend off illustrious competition in his bid to hold on to his Portugal Half Marathon title today.Sang faces imposing challengers in the form of world championships marathon silver winner Emmanuel Mutai and Ethiopian Olympic bronze medallist over the 42km distance, Tsegaye Kebede, in the men’s race.
The women’s fight for top honours in the 10th edition of the race pits Boston Marathon champion, Salina Kosgey against Ethiopia’s surprise bronze medallist (10,000m) in Berlin, Wude Ayalew, as the standout clash.
Other prominent names keen to dethrone Sang, who has a 1:00.34 personal best in half marathon, include 2007 World Half bronze medallist Charles Munyeki (59:44 PB), Francis Kosgei (61:37 PB), Elisha Birgen (61:20 PB), Alphonse Yatich (62:10), Joel Kimurer (61:00), Uganda’s Dickson Marwa (59:52 PB), Nicholas Kiprono (1:00.25 PB) and Spain’s Jose Manuel Martinez (62:36 PB), eighth in 2009 world championships marathon.
The Kenyan assault in the women’s race moreover features Magdalene Chemjor (69:39 PB) and Florence Barsosio (71:03 PB) with Russian Olga Glok (69:58), and Ethiopians Aselefech Assefa (71:40 PB) and Berkinesh Shiferaw (71:19 PB) also fielding.
Brother-In Law
Elsewhere, brother in-law of prominent Ethiopian distance runner Leila Aman shot and killed her parents and sister on Monday during an apparent domestic dispute in the town of Assela, 175 kilometres of the capital Addis Ababa, family sources said.
The incident took place in the home of Leila’s father Aman Tola following an altercation between Aman’s younger sister, Zeyni, and her husband of two years.
They said the husband, whose name was not provided, was a police officer deployed in the nearby Bale district. The sources said he shot his wife and her parents with a rifle at around 8pm and then killed himself.
"It is a really shocking incident and we are all disturbed," said Kassim Adilo, a cousin of Aman and husband to 2009 Houston Marathon women’s champion Teyiba Erkesso.
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