Over 5,000 athletes for Mombasa Marathon

Nairobi, Aug 24 – Over 5,000 athletes from six countries will compete at the Mombasa International Marathon in Kenya Sunday.

Organisers expect at least 500 elite athletes to participate in the race, where the winner will walk home with US $2,500, reports Xinhua.

The marathon will have both local and international athletes competing with Athletics Kenya (AK) hinting it might use the event to pick out talent for possible inclusion in the World Half-Marathon, to be held in Kavarna, Bulgaria in October.

AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat revealed here Thursday that Uganda had sent two athletes, with Alex Omondi accompanying the 2003 Mombasa Marathon winner Alex Malinga, who finished fourth in the Athens Olympics Marathon. Ethiopia has also sent only one athlete.