Adjust font size:
    TOKYO, Japan -- Kenyan Sammy Korir, the holder of the world's second fastest time, will spearhead a group of invited runners at next month's Tokyo men's marathon, organizers said on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Kenyan clocked two hours four minutes 56 seconds at the Berlin marathon in September 2003, just a second behind Paul Tergat, whose world record still stands. Korir's biggest rivals in Tokyo will include Athens Olympic bronze medallist Vanderlei De Lima of Brazil and 2004 Tokyo winner Daniel Njenga of Kenya, who has a personal best of 2:06:16. Other prominent runners are 2005 world silver medallist Christopher Isegwe, his fellow of Tanzanian Getuli Bayo and Uladzimir Tsiamchyk of Belarus, the organizers said. For the Japanese runners, led by Shigeru Aburaya and Satoshi Irifune, the February 18 event will be a qualifying race for the World Championships, to be held in Osaka in August. The best time among any Japanese who run under 2:09:30 will qualify for the World Championships. The 30-year-old Aburaya, who finished fifth at the Athens Olympics, has a personal best of 2:07:52, while Irifune, 31, came fourth at last month's Asian Games and has a best time of 2:09:58. The marathon will take place on a new course running from the metropolitan government headquarters to the Tokyo Bay area. The same route, with some modifications, will be used if Tokyo is chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Games. |
Get up-to-the minute news from CNNCNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. |
Korir was only a second behind when Tergat set the record.
| © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
 |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video.