Kampala — Because of his participation at the 2017 World Cross-country Championships due March 26 in Kololo, Stephen Kiprotich has had to follow a unique schedule this year.^[9]

Check also: Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich Finishes 4th in Tokyo Marathon 2016

This program is much different from the past five years that have seen him do a marathon as early as February or as late in the year as November.^[5] That has happened in cases the long distance runner has had to partake ahead of the World Championships or Olympics.

Ahead of the London World Championships due August 4-13, ^[4]Kiprotich will run at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany on April 23. “Yes, we have confirmed he’ll run in Hamburg,” Kiprotich’s manager Jurrie van der Velden from Global Sports Communications company told Daily Monitor.^[1]

Since breaking out after winning the 2011 Enschede Marathon, Kiprotich has always run a World Marathon Major (WMM) at Worlds,^[8] Olympics and in cities London, New York or his favourite Tokyo. So this will be the first time he’ll run a race outside the WMM since Enschede. Inevitably!^[9]

Dutchman Velden and company had an option to fix Kiprotich for the April marathons like Rotterdam, Linz, Enschede or Antwerp. ^[2]But why Hamburg – Germany’s second biggest after the Berlin Marathon? “Enschede and Antwerp Marathons are on the same day as Hamburg. However, Hamburg is much higher level so suites him better,” he explained.^[7]

This will be Kiprotich’s first 42km race since surrendering his Olympic title to Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge while taking 14th place at the Rio Games – his worst marathon career finish – on August 21, 2016.^[10] “The time between World x-country and Hamburg is four weeks which should be okay for him to recover and put final touches,”^[1]

“It has been long for him to run shorter distances and now with x-country,^[4] he has been challenged to push it on a higher pace which can help him try to lower the national marathon record.” Velden added. Moses Kipsiro ran his debut 42km race at the Hamburg Marathon,^[7] finishing 14th in a time of 2:15:30 but failed to make it to Rio.

KIPROTICH AT A GLANCE

Date of Birth: February 27, 1989

Main Event: Half-Marathon, Marathon

Personal Best: 1:01.15 (Half-Marathon), 2:06.33 (Marathon)

Manager: Jurrie van der Velden

Twitter Handle: @Stephen42k

Kit Sponsor: Nike

KIPROTICH ITINERARY

Jan 12: National X-Country (Kampala)

Mar 26: World X-Country (Kampala)

Apr 23: Hamburg Marathon (Hamburg)

MARATHON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

 2011 – 1st Enschede Marathon

2011 – 9th Daegu World Championships

2012 – 3rd Tokyo Marathon

2012 – 1st London Olympics

2013 – 6th London Marathon

2013 – 1st Moscow World Championships

2013 – 12th New York Marathon

2014 – 12th London Marathon

2014 – 5th New York Marathon

2015 – 2nd Tokyo Marathon

2015 – 6th Beijing World Championships

2016 – 4th Tokyo Marathon

2016 – 14th Rio Olympics

Source: The monitor

Check also;

• David Emong wins Uganda’s first Paralympic medal
• Uganda’s Mutai finishes 8th in RIO as Kiprotich fails to defend marathon medal in Olympics
• Here’s How much Usain Bolt Is worth, And Where His Money Comes From!

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