The reigning TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon champion, Kenya’s Elvis Kipchoge Cheboi, will return to the town on Oct. 20, aiming to affix the elite firm of two males who’ve efficiently defended their marathon title the next 12 months.
Final 12 months, Cheboi shocked the elite males’s area, defeating a number of worldwide athletes with private bests two to a few minutes sooner than his. His private finest of two:09:20 was set in Toronto final 12 months. Nevertheless, his efficiency on the 2022 Barcelona Half Marathon, the place he clocked a private better of 59:15, suggests he might problem the Toronto course file of two:05:00 if circumstances are beneficial.
The one two males to efficiently defend their marathon titles in Toronto are four-time champion Kenneth Mungara and course file holder Philemon Rono.
Reflecting on final 12 months’s win in Toronto, Cheboi mentioned the victory was “a major second” for his profession: “That race gave me nice reminiscences as a result of I had by no means received a marathon or any race overseas.”
Cheboi’s preparation for this 12 months’s marathon has been meticulous. Initially planning to compete within the 2024 Vienna Marathon earlier this 12 months, he determined to focus solely on defending his title in Toronto after a hamstring problem disrupted his coaching. Now, absolutely recovered, he’s targeted on rising to the highest of the rostrum as soon as once more. “I feel I’ll attempt to win for the second time, however I can’t promise. The nice climate on the day will decide if I can run my finest time,” mentioned Cheboi.
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier working occasion, attracting many worldwide marathon stars as a World Athletics Elite Label Race. This 12 months’s race will happen on Sunday, Oct. 20, with Cheboi aiming to defend his title and presumably break his private finest on the flat, quick course.