By John Kwoba
NAIROBI, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenyans Philip Kangogo and Angela Tanui are gearing up for another conquest at the Huawei-sponsored Venice Marathon on Sunday in Italy.
Kangogo will be up against Venice course record holder John Komen (2:08.13) as he targets to hit two birds with one stone.
"Records are there to be broken. I feel I have run faster and if the weather and competition is right, I will be the new champion and set a new course record. I can run two hours and seven minutes," said Kangogo.
The 27-year-old Kangogo clocked his 2:08:16 career best at the 2015 Barcelona Marathon and believes he has gone over his worst time as he nursed an ankle injury and is ready to return to winning form.
"Venice will provide the platform to announce my return to high level competitions. I want to win here and go on to impress in other cities to be able to make the cut in the Kenyan team," Kangogo said.
"We have the World Championships and Tokyo Olympics coming up and the road to the Olympics starts in Venice," he added.
World record holder Eliud Kipchoge has raised the bar to 2:01.39 and vowed his ambition to defend his Olympic crown in Tokyo.
"I know Kipchoge is strong and we all envy him. He wants to go to the Olympics and we have two more slots for the Kenyan team. I believe I have the potential and I will work hard to attain just that in Venice," Kangogo said.
In Venice he will be up against Kipkemei Mutai (2:10:16), John Komen,(2:08:13) and Gilbert Kipleting Chumba, who finished fourth in Venice last year.
The title favorite in the women's race is Kenyan Angela Tanui, who clocked 2:26:31 in Vienna last year and has a half marathon best of 1:07:16. The leading European runner is Croatia's Nikolina Sustic.
