MUMBAI: Training alongside the legendary Eliud Kipchoge has put Philemon Rono in a confident mindset going into Sunday's Tata Mumbai Marathon. Though this is the first time Rono will be competing in Mumbai, the 31-year-old made his ambition clear at a press conference here on Friday.
"I'm well prepared for this race because I've trained since last year, so I was focussing on this race. My aim is to win the race on Sunday," said Rono. A three-time winner of the Toronto Marathon, the third of those triumphs in 2019 saw Rono set his personal best time of 2:05:00.
Mumbai, of course, presents its own unique challenges, and should the going get tough on Sunday, Rono will look to draw strength from all that he's learned training with world marathon record holder Kipchoge. "He wished me success. When you train with a champion, you aim to be a champion as well.
"Eliud always says, never give up, even if you feel defeated, continue until you finish the race," said Rono, breaking into a smile when asked to explain the quirky nickname Baby Police, given to him by his colleagues in the police force he represents back in Eldoret, Kenya.
"It comes because in my force, I'm the shortest guy."
Ethiopia's Derara Hurisa, meanwhile, hadn't competed in a marathon before turning up for the last edition of the Mumbai Marathon in 2020, and he made it a debut to remember, setting a new course record (2:08:09) on his way to winning the elite men's event. It's been a bitter-sweet ride for him since then as he would go on to win the Vienna Marathon in September 2021, only to be disqualified for wearing non-compliant shoes.
The 25-year-old bounced back from that setback in some style, however, winning the Guadalajara Marathon in Mexico last year in 2:12.26, breaking the course record there as well. "I'll try to defend my title, but everybody is here to win. My training has been very good. I know the course now more than the first year, so I hope I'll do my best. The competition here is really good," said Hurisa.
He was hardly exaggerating as the elite men's field in Mumbai consists of 10 runners with personal bests under the course record, including Hurisa's compatriot and training partner Hayle Lemi. Having won seven out of the 18 marathons he has competed in, including the Boston Marathon in 2016 and Dubai in 2015, the 28-year-old Lemi is also a leading contender for the $45,000 winner's prize. And should the conditions turn warm on Sunday, he won't be complaining. "I like the warm weather better. It's more comfortable for me," said Lemi who boasts a personal best of 2:04:33.
