Kenya' s Cheruiyot to focus on London Marathon

Olympic 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya has ruled out competing at the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda in March.

Instead, the diminutive long distance runner will focus her energies on a daunting task that is to make her debut at the London Marathon on April 23, her first race over the 42km distance.

"It will be my first marathon and as any other person, I am fretting of what to expect. My training is going on well and I want no other distraction because I know running the track is not similar to running the marathon.

"So I thought it was wise to skip the cross country and focus on the marathon," she said Wednesday from Eldoret.

Kenya' s quest in London will be led by Olympic champion Jemima Sumgong, who will defend her London Marathon title on April 23 against one of the strongest women' s fields ever assembled for a major city marathon.

There is also New York champion Mary Keitany, who missed out on an Olympic ticket in Rio and another reserve athlete Florence Kiplagat, the Chicago marathon champion.

There is also last year' s Tokyo Marathon champion and 2015 world marathon silver medallist Helah Kiprop.

"It is a strong field and it is upon me to make sure that I put up a great fight. I have seen athletes like Eliud Kipchoge and Florence Kiplagat transfer to the marathon distance without problem and that gives me hope," she said.

Before the London race, the 10,000m world champion has lined up for her second half marathon race at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 10 in the United Arab Emirates.

This means that this weekend' s Kenya Police cross country meeting in Nairobi will not have Cheruiyot running.

However, coach Julius Kirwa said that it will not water down the level of competition with defending world champion Agnes Tirop and Alice Aprot on parade. Endit