Six-member squad hopes to smash 20-year-old record in Paris

Before athletics enthusiasts shift their attention to the New York City Marathon on Sunday, a team of six men will have attempted a 42.195km relay world record in Paris.

The squad of John Lomoni, Amos Kipkemoi, Meshack Lelgut, Brian Kibor, Ezra Ondiso and Elisha Kiprop are plotting to smash a 20-year-old world record at the Ekiden de Paris marathon relay.

Lomoni and compatriots have set their sights on demolishing a 20-year-old 1:57:06 world record set in Japan by a Kenyan battalion of Daniel Mwangi, Mekubo Mogosu, Osesmus Nyerere and John Kariuki in 2005.

At the Ekiden de Paris relay contest, the six athletes will be running different distances which are 5km, 10km and 7.195km.

On Sunday, the men will change the batons in a 5-10-5-10-5-7.195km format in the contest that started in Japan in 1917 before shifting to Paris in 2013.

The marathon relay record was set in November 2005 when a team member like Lomoni was a ten-month-old baby.

At last weekend's national cross country, his main focus, he said, was to confirm whether his fitness was well tuned ahead of next Sunday’s marathon relay world record attempt.

“We will be aiming at 1 hour 56 minutes and we understand the nature of the assignment. The training in Iten has been good and we are ready to make history at the Ekiden de Paris,” said Lomoni.

Alongside Amos Kipkemoi, Meshack Lelgut, Brian Kibor, Ezra Ondiso and Elisha Kiprop, Lomoni will be looking to edge his name in the history books.

Team coach Byron Kipchumba said the squad will today have a feel of the marathon relay course.

Organisers say the first five marathon relay runners will change batons in 5km or 10km distances, while the anchor will complete the remaining 7.195km.

Lomoni, who finished ninth at the national cross country championships staged at the Eldoret Sports Club grounds on Saturday, said he is ready for the Paris assignment.

The 20-year-old athlete used the national cross country event to test his endurance and speed ahead of the Sunday marathon relay.

A total of 1,630 teams, comprising 9,327 runners, are registered for the six-person relay marathon held in the streets of Paris and organised by the French Athletics Federation, organisers said.

Participants will be passing through iconic buildings, starting with the Eiffel Tower, next to which the start and finish lines are located.

“We are committed to offering one-off events dedicated to all participants, of all ages and levels, but also a whole range of activities that they can find in our clubs on a daily basis,” Emmanuelle Jaeger, Vice-President of the French Athletics Federation recently said.