The Absa Kip Keino Classic is not exactly new to Africa 800 metres bronze medallist Lilian Odira.
At last year’s edition, Odira participated as a relatively obscure pacesetter in the women’s 1,500m won by her compatriot Mary Ekiru in four minutes 06.26 seconds.
Well, the 26-year-old reigning Kenya women’s 800m returns to Kip Keino as a fully-fledged competitor in the two-lap race.
She will be looking to the fine field to push her to some fine time at the Ulinzi Sports Complex track come Saturday.
“I am ready for my full debut at the Kip Keino Classic,” the national champ betrayed her eagerness to do battle in a field that has five sub-two-minute runners.
“It will be an open but tough race. It’s a fine field that I know will push me to either run a season best or personal best,” said Odira, who represented Kenya at this year’s World Atletico Indoor Championship in Nanjing, China in March, reaching the semi-finals.
She owns a personal best 1:58.53, achieved last year.
Odira ran the 2km race at the National Cross Country Championships in Nairobi, finishing third in February before settling for the second spot at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Championships in Eldoret the same month.
She won her 1,500m race during the fifth Athletics Kenya Track and Field Championships in April before turning her focus on the Kip Keino Classic.
“I started with the cross country couple with a sprinkle of 1,500m races so as to build my endurance. I have just started speed work for my 800m speciality. Saturday’s race will show me where I am at the moment,” said Odira.
She said that her programme is tailored to avoid any burnout before the World Athletics Championships scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.
“My main target is to make Team Kenya for Tokyo, which will be my first world championships, having made my first Olympic Games outing in Paris last year,” said Odira.
“This is an open field with five sub-two-minute athletes, but surprises may abound. Everyone is good,” said Odira.
Last year was memorable for Odira, who finished second at the Kenyan trials for the African Games and went on to finish fourth in 800m in Douala, Cameroon.
She then paced at the Kip Keino Classic before going on to win the national 800m title, but her major breakthrough came at the national trials for the Paris Olympic Games, where she won, breaking the two-minute barrier for the first time with a time of 1:59.27.
She bowed out in the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics with a personal best 1:58.53, which makes her the third fastest in the Kip Keino field.
Odira is up against Saint Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney, who has the fastest time in the field of 1:57.59 from her fourth place finish at the Paris Olympic Games and Botswana’s Oratile Nowe, who ran a national record with victory at Botswana Golden Grand Prix in 1:58.96.
Also in contention is Africa 800m champion Sarah Moraa (1:59.39), who is out to emulate her cousin and 2024 Kip Keino Classic champion, Mary Moraa, who set a championship record and fastest time on Kenyan soil of 1:57.96.
Kenyan-born Nelly Jepkosgei of Bahrain (1:57.89), Moroccan Soukaina Hajji, Vanessa Scaunet (2:01.05, Belgium) and South African AViwe Hoboloshe (2:01.15) are also in the mix.
