Tata Mumbai Marathon: Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa leads a strong men’s field

Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa leads a strong men’s field for the Tata Mumbai Marathon, while Bornes Kitur will defend her title at the IAAF Silver Label road race on Sunday (21).

Four men who have run faster than 2:07:00 and six women who have gone faster than 2:29:00 will be on the start line.

Deksisa, whose best of 2:06:22 is more than two minutes quicker than the course record, is the fastest man in the field. The 23-year-old ran that time when finishing second at the 2016 Rotterdam Marathon and after a third-place finish at the Toronto Marathon last October, he will be bidding for his first marathon victory in Mumbai.

The Indian all-comers’ record of 2:08:35, set by Gideon Kipketer at the 2016 edition of this race, could even be under threat.

“I’m in very good shape and I think I can run as fast as 2:06,” said Deksisa at the pre-race press conference. “A course record is possible, but I also want a personal best.”

Ethiopia’s Chele Dechasa and Abraham Girma, and Bahrain’s Shumi Dechasa (Ethiopian-born), the latter running for his country in the last two IAAF World Championships marathons, are the three other men who have run faster than 2:07:00 in their careers. But a younger Ethiopian runner could perhaps be the man to spring a surprise on his faster rivals.

Aychew Bantie, 23, has few international credentials but clocked 2:09:40 in his one and only marathon to date, a high-quality affair in Amsterdam last October, and will have learnt a lot from that experience.

Read more at: IAAF.org