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Kenya's Chepkirui eyes on New York marathon conquest

Xinhua, February 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya's Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Joyce Chepkirui will use the New York half marathon race to gauge her preparedness ahead of her debut at the Boston Marathon on April 20.

Chepkirui, 26, who will launch her first full marathon attempt in the U.S., said she is using the half marathon in New York on March 15 to gauge her preparedness.

"I have been training hard with the Boston Marathon in my focus. But I have to check and see how my body will react as I run in competition," she said. "That is why the New York marathon is important to my preparations. It is one step towards my goal to compete in Boston," Chepkirui said on Wednesday in Nairobi.

Chepkirui, who is also the Africa 10,000m champion, has done well over the 21km distance and recently won the Prague Marathon. However, she faces a daunting task to add the New York title in her collection.

Up against her will be Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Sally Kipyego, who won the New York Half Marathon race in 2014.

The top three from last year's race are set to fight for the title again, with Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia) and Molly Huddle also returning.

Another athlete with history in the big city half marathon is 2013 champion Caroline Rotich, who will hope to reclaim her title. There is also Germany's Sabrina Mockenhaupt and Dutch talent Jip Vastenburg.

However, it is Chepkirui, who will be the favorite to strike gold. She is the fastest in the field with a personal best time of 66:19, which she set last year in Prague.

Her management said in a statement: "Happy to confirm that Chepkirui is scheduled to race on Sunday, March 15 in 2015 New York City Half Marathon, as a test run for her quest to win Boston Marathon."

Chepkirui is the fastest marathoner in the field with a personal best of 1:06:19, which she ran to win the 2014 Prague Half Marathon.

The 2014 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K champion won the gold medal at both the 2014 Commonwealth Games and African Championships in the 10,000 meters. Endi