New Delhi: Kenyan long distance runner Ezekiel Kiptoo Chebii after winning at Lille, France earlier this month has his eyes now set on the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and is aiming to put forward his best show here on Sunday. The 21 year old Kiptoo clocked 59:05 at Lille to win the race is his personal best timing.

Kiptoo who set a new course record at the Lille Half Marathon earlier this month says that there is no specific goals for him as such and all that he wants is try and better his performance from the last race.

"Weather plays an important role. In Lille the weather was good but it’s hot out here. The good thing is that the race is going to start in the morning. The competition is tough and it won’t be easy. But I am confident. My target will be to better my own record,” Chebii told reporters on Thursday,” said Chebii.

Kiptoo was down with Typhoid for a week but now has recovered and feels that the illness will not have any bearing on his performance in the race.

“I was down for about a week and was on medication but now I am fit,” Chebii told the reporters here.

The Kenyan who is in India for his maiden visit is well aware of the athletes that would compete in the race and is expecting a tough challenge with more than 10 runners have their personal best under the sub 60 minutes mark.

Chebii who is making rapid strides in the long distance running started off as a 5000 m sprinter soon shifted to road running. “For track events, one needs to be very fast and I slowly realised that I am more of a road runner who can run long distance.”

Running lies in his genes and it no surprise that he too came into it. Chebbi’s brother and father both were into running and also represented Kenya in the Olympics.

By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury

Indian Sports News Network