Paris Marathon champion Cyprian Kotut (pictured) has withdrawn from Tokyo Marathon which is scheduled for Sunday, due to an injury. Kotut the Kapsabet-based  2Running Club said that after consultations with his doctor and management, he  decided to withdraw from the race because of the injury.

“I was on course with my training but I picked an injury which came with a lot of pain forcing me to withdraw from the Sunday race,’’ Kotut told People Sport.

Kotut was eager to run another personal best on the flat course, having won Paris Marathon improving his best by almost two minutes to 2:07:11.In  April last year, he smashed the race course record during the 36th edition of the Haspa Marathon that was held in Hamburg,

Germany.

The 31-year-old came to this race with a personal best of 2:07.13 which he got at the 2016 Paris Marathon where he took the honours.

He lived up to his expectations of targeting the race course record of 2:05.30 that had been set by World Marathon record holder, Eliud Kipchoge in 2013. Kotut trounced Kissa with a powerful kick, setting a new course record of 2:04.47 which is also his personal best.

 In 2021 he led a Kenyan 1-2 podium finish during the Firenze Marathon held in Italy as he fought for the honours with fellow Kenyan, Samuel Lomoi cutting the tape in 2:08.59 as he missed the race course record with 19 seconds. The race course record of seventeen years set by James Kutto still stands.

Kotut was followed a minute later by Lomoi who crossed the line in 2:09.54 with Olivier Irabaruta from Burundi closing the first three podium finishes in 2:10.13.

In the absence of Kotut Amsterdam marathon champion Bernard Koech will lead Kenya’s onslaught in the men’s

category. Koech said he is looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the top marathoners in the world.

“ Even though my colleague Kotut has withdrawn, It’s going to be a great race.

My training has been good and as you know Marathons are not easy, but I have done my preparations and my target is to do well having been inspired by my training mates who have been exceptionally

and I know this experience will come in handy in Tokyo on Sunday,” said Koech.

In the women’s category, Rosemary Wanjiru in the absence of defending champion Brigid Kosgei is preparing for the London Marathon in April. Wanjiru has a personal best time of 2:18:00 set at the Berlin Marathon last year.

Wanjiru will have to contend with the threat of the Ethiopian athletes led by last year’s runners-up Bekere Ashete who clocked a personal best of 2:17:58 alongside compatriot Abayachew Tigist, who has a time of 2:18:03 set in Berlin last year.

Tokyo Marathon race director Tadaki Hayano said he expects a competitive race. “We have a good crop of elite runners who will be competing as well as some of the Japanese athletes and it promises to be a very fascinating event.”