Former World marathon bronze medallist, Sharon Cherop will headline the 46th edition of the Bankasi Istanbul Marathon, slated for November 3, 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Cherop, who is the oldest athlete among the entrants, is also the 5000m bronze medallist at the 2000 World Junior Championships.
The 40 year-old holds the fastest time on paper of 2:22.28 that she got at the 2011 Boston marathon, where she took the bronze medal.
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Cherop who won the Milan Marathon last year also comes to this race with a season best of 2:24.41 that she got early this year at the Hannover marathon where she took the silver medal.
“I think I still have some energy left in me to run for more years, “she said after the race in Germany.
The Sing’ore Girls Secondary School alumni, will not have an easy ride as she will have to get past the 2015 Africa U20 5000m silver medallist, Sentayehu Lewetegn from Ethiopia who comes to this race with a life time best of 2:22.45 that she got at the 2018 Frankfurt marathon, where she made her debut over the distance and was placed sixth. The 28 year-old who last raced at the Chevron Houston Marathon in January of last year, might pull a surprise as she holds the second fastest time on paper.
The two will have to get past a debutant Betty Chepkemoi Kibet from Kenya who comes to this race with a time of 1:08.39 that she got in April at this same course where she finished in sixth place. The 24 year-old, who was a world-class junior athlete in her early career, has a strong 10k PB of 31:08 that she got in Valencia three years ago and 1:21.43 in Kolkata for 25k in December of last year.
The race organizers have assembled a strong elite field to try and chase the race course record of 2:18.35 set in 2018 by the World Marathon Record holder Ruth Chepngetich from Kenya.
