London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge led a team of marathoners as they departed for London from the Eldoret International airport aboard a 56 seater chartered plane.
The special aircraft, hired by London Marathon organisers to fly in elite athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia, took off from Eldoret at 8.15pm Sunday night.
They’ll participate in the London Marathon on the 4th of October, 2020.
The Kenyan team to Sunday’s London Marathon is led by defending champions and world record holders Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei.
Local newspaper Daily Nation reports that the executive made a stop-over in Addis Ababa to pick the Ethiopian contingent led by multiple world and Olympic distance running champion Kenenisa Bekele.
It then made a refuelling stop in Athens, Greece, before it made the final approach to London Stanstead Airport.
The Kenyan team include; Amsterdam Marathon champion Vincent Kipchumba and Rotterdam Marathon champion Marius Kipserem, Gideon Kipketer and Benson Kipruto.
The women team also include; the defending champion Brigid Kosgei, 2018 winner Vivian Cheruiyot, world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich, Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Jemeli and debutant Edith Chelimo.
Last year, Kipchoge bagged victory in a course record of two hours, two minutes and 37 seconds, finishing ahead of Ethiopians Mosinet Geremew (2:02:55) and Mule Wasihun 2:03:16 who were in the second and third positions respectively.
In the women’s category, Kosgei won in 2:18:20 finishing ahead of her compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot who clocked 2:20:14 while Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje sealed the podium in 2:20:51.
