Posted: April 25, 2006

Athletics: ING Marathon Returning Champions have work cut out for them

When defending champions David Cheruiyot and Lidia Vasilevskaia return to Ottawa in May, they will have a tough job trying to keep their ING Ottawa Marathon titles.

In the men's field, the favourites have to be Kenyans Ben Kimondiu (2:0:8:52 PB) and Mark Saina (2:09:00 PB). Kimondiu was the upset winner over Paul Tergat in the 2001 Chicago Marathon and Saina beat 2:07 and 2 2:08 athletes to win the 2005 Los Angeles Marathon. Other contenders include Kenyan Joel Rono (2:10:12), South African Makhosonke Fika (2:10:16), Russian Andrei Gordeev (2:11) and Morrocan Khalid El Boumlili (2:10:49). Rounding out the competition are Toronto resident Danny Kassap (2:14), Nelson Lebo (2:11), Lenard Ngigi (2:15 at altitude) and 3-time ING Ottawa marathon winner Joseph Nderitu (2:14).

There will also be a diverse international women’s field in 2006. Russian Vasilevskaia has the fastest PB in the field (2:29:26). Her main challenges should come from 2-time ING Ottawa marathon winner and Canadian Marathon Champion Lioudmila Kortchaguina (2:29:53), Ethiopian Lataye Nagash (debut), Russian Yulia Malashenko (debut), Polish Wiolette Kryza (2:31) and Kenyan Helena Kiprop (2:34). In close pursuit of that pack should be 2002 Canadian Marathon Champion Tania Jones (2:39), Kenyan Magdalena Syombau, American Mary Akor (2:37), Argentineans Claudia Camargo (2:36) and Sandra Torrez (2:39). Click here for a complete listing of the elite marathon field for the 2006 ING Ottawa Marathon.

The race website is at: NCM.ca.

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