Kenya’s Olympic Marathon Teams Announced

Geoffrey Mutai, the top-ranked marathoner in the world, will stay home. 

(c) 20121 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission. 

Two unaffiliated sources have reported that the Kenyan Olympic Marathon team has been selected, and both sources name the same athletes.

Reuters and the Kenyan radio journalist Michelle Katami via Twitter, reported this morning that Athletics Kenya has selected the first three women home at last Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon –Mary Keitany, Edna Kiplagat, and Priscah Jeptoo– as making the women’s team.  The men’s squad is led by London champion Wilson Kipsang, followed by world champion Abel Kirui and 25,000m and 30,000m world record holder Moses Mosop.

RELATED: Keitany And Kipsang Win London Marathon

An athlete manager directly impacted by the selection and contacted by Race Results Weekly confirmed that the news is correct.

The women’s selections should not be seen as controversial.  Keitany has won the last two editions of the Virgin London Marathon in runaway victories.  Kiplagat won the world title last summer and was second in London, while Jeptoo was the silver medalist behind Kiplagat at the world championships last summer and came third in London.  Keitany is managed by Gianni Demadonna, coached by Gabriele Nicola and sponsored by adidas.  Kiplagat is managed by Brendan Reilly, coached by her husband Gilbert Koech and sponsored by Nike.  Jeptoo is managed by Federico Rosa, coached by Claudio Berardelli, and sponsored by Nike.

RELATED: Olympic Marathon Course Goes Round And Round

At least two of the men’s selections, however, will be the subject of intense debate.  Kipsang, who ran 2:03:42 at Frankfurt last October narrowly missing the world record, then won London in a near course record of 2:04:44, is the least controversial choice for the team.  But picking Kirui and Mosop over last year’s world #1 ranked marathoner Geoffrey Mutai, world record holder Patrick Makau, and 2011 London champion Emmanuel Mutai will certainly stir debate.  Kipsang is managed by Gerard Van De Veen, self-coached, and sponsored by adidas.  Kirui is managed by Jos Hermens and Valentijn Trouw, coached by Renato Canova, and sponsored by Nike.  Mosop is managed by Hermens and Trouw, coached by Renato Canova, and sponsored by Nike.

The women’s Olympic Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, August 5, while the men’s race will take place one week later.