NAIROBI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Veteran half-marathon runner Sammy Kitwara of Kenya says he has shaken off his illness and injury problems and is ready to challenge the course record at the Hamburg marathon on Sunday.
Kitwara, 31, failed to complete the Lisbon half-marathon in March citing stomach pains, but has since got over his problem and is focused on winning his first race of the season.
"I feel strong and ready for the challenge. In Lisbon I had severe stomach pains, which forced me to pull out of the race. But that has been sorted and now the big assignment ahead is to run a fast time.
"If the weather conditions are right, I want to set a new course record and see if I may run a new personal best time," said Kitwara on Friday.
"I have heard a lot of good things about the Hamburg race and I'm really looking forward to it."
Kitwara holds a personal best time of 2:04:28. The Hamburg course record was set in 2013 by Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge at 2:05:30.
Kipchoge has since said that time is slower, and will not withstand the challenge of top marathon runners on parade in the German city.
He picked out former world and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich as a man who will be able to crush it.
"I train with Kiprotich and I know what he can achieve when he is fit. Let us wait and see how fast they go, though I do not intend to put any pressure on them," said Kipchoge in Eldoret.
Organizers have assembled one of the strongest teams of elite runners with three athletes having run below two hours and five minutes.
The list is headed by Kenyan veteran Emmanuel Mutai who ran 2:03:13 in the Berlin marathon in 2014, when Dennis Kimetto set the current world record of 2:02:57.
Mutai is followed by Ethiopia's Ayele Abshero (2:04:23) while Kenya's Sammy Kitwara has a personal best time of 2:04:28.
Other leading entrants in the men's race include former world and Olympic champion Kiprotich from Uganda (2:06:33), Kenyans Vincent Kipruto (2:05:13), Stephen Chebogut (2:05:52) and Ethiopia's Solomon Deksisa (2:06:22).
The women's entry-list is headed by Sweden's Isabellah Anderson (2:23:41) who is making her comeback from maternity leave.
She will face Bahrain's Shitaye Eshete (2:25:36) and Kenya's Sylvia Kibet (2:26:16). Kibet, a former world 5,000m silver medallist, has failed to replicate the glory she enjoyed in cross country and track competition but believes Hamburg will be her race to lose.
"I have done well in training and do hope to win the Hamburg marathon. There are no injury concerns affecting me and with right skills, I see victory beckoning," said Kibet.
