Kenyan Win Expected At Grandma’s
Twenty-one Kenyans are vying for the victory in Minnesota.
A large contingent of Kenyans are vying for the victory in Minnesota.
Even though it’s thousands of miles away from Kenya, Duluth, Minnesota will be full of the East African runners at the Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday.
The Duluth News Tribune has profiled some of the elite Kenyans who are expected to contend for the win.
The clear frontrunner is 31-year-old Christopher Kipyego, who prevailed in the race’s 35 edition last year. His victory was the closest finish in the marathon’s history.
“Every Kenyan goes into a race believing that he has trained hard and will do well. We don’t think about being No. 2 or being beaten, we think about winning,” said Kipyego from a training base in Mexico. “You believe you are stronger than anyone in the race.”
When he ran the 2010 edition, Kipyego was amazed by how many Kenyans were entered. That year, he took second overall. There were 35 Kenyans entered and the top five all hailed from there.
This Saturday, 21 Kenyans are entered.
For More: Duluth News Tribune