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Kenya's Cherono eyes world marathon championships in London

Xinhua, December 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Former Berlin marathon champion Gladys Cherono of Kenya is keen to secure a slot in the Kenya team to the World Championships after she recovered from a career threatening injury.

Cherono, 33, has finally been able to shake off her a lower back injury, which ruled her out of the Chicago marathon in October.

Speaking on Monday after a local cross country meeting in Machakos she said her target was to get into shape and focus on the Spring marathons next year starting in March.

"I may compete at the Tokyo or London marathon. My team has not settled on which race to take because they are monitoring how I regain my fitness after a long injury layoff," Cherono said.

"I have every hope that I will make the team to the world championships in London in August and represent Kenya in the marathon race," she said. This was her first race since March.

Cherono won her Marathon Majors debut at Berlin in 2015 in 2:19:25, the third fastest time at that race. In her only other marathon, she was second at Dubai eight months earlier in 2:20:03. Cherono is the only runner besides Paula Radcliffe to total less than 4 hours 40 minutes for two marathons in one year.

Earlier in 2015 she ran a personal best 1:06:38 half-marathon at Istanbul and she has run 30:29.23 for 10,000m. She was the 2014 IAAF World Half-Marathon gold medalist and 10,000m silver medalist at the 2013 World Championships.

Meanwhile, Olympic 5000m silver medalist Hellen Obiri beat a strong field to claim her second victory in Machakos. She clocked 33:29 in the 10 km as she pulled away from 1500m Olympic winner Faith Kipyegon (second in 33:47) in the final lap.

"I am not in my best shape yet and I hope to hit the right form ahead of the World Cross Country championships," Obiri said.

Kipyegon had her first race since Zurich Diamond League final in September. "This is the start of my build up ahead of the track season next year," she said.

Her next race will be the Campaccio cross country meet in Milan, Italy on Jan. 6. Kipyegon also plans to compete in the World Cross country championships in March in Kampala, Uganda. Her elder sister, Beatrice Chepkemoi from Keringet, ended third in 33:56. Endit