NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 26- Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge looks to end his otherwise outstanding season on a high note having been nominated for this year’s Association of International Marathons Best Male Runner award.
He will contest for the coveted title alongside reigning World Champion Geoffrey Kirui who won the World Championship Marathon title in London, with the awards set for November 10 in Athens, Greece.
Three time London and New York Marathon champion Mary Keitany who ran in a new women-only world record time of 2:17:01enroute to clinching the London title this year has been nominated for the female gong alongside Kenyan-turned Bahraini Rose Chelimo.
Chelimo won the World Championship title in London last August.
Kipchoge who this year made an unsuccessful attempt at running a marathon under two hours for the first time in history will be looking for his third AIMS crown having won the award in 2015 and 2016.
“An honor to be nominated again for the AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award again. Thank you for your support,” Kipchoge tweeted on Thursday evening.
The 34-year old claimed his eighth victory from nine marathon appearances when he won the Berlin Marathon last month in a world-leading time of 2:03:32, though his initial plan was to attack the 2:02:57 World Record held by compatriot Dennis Kimetto.
It was his first race since the ‘Breaking Two’ attempt at the Monza Formula One track in Italy where he came 25 seconds shy of becoming the first man to ever run a marathon under two hours.
Compatriot shot to the limelight after winning the Boston Marathon and his conquest as a World Champion on the streets of London anchored his name in Kenyan history books.
He became only the fourth Kenyan to win a Marathon World Title, following up on the footsteps of Douglas Wakihuri in 1987, Luke Kibet in Osaka, 2007 and Abel Kirui who won it twice in 2009 and 2011.
Keitany looks a sure best for the female award, having established herself as the queen of road racing and in all the 19 road races she has participated in since 2006, she has failed to win only thrice.
Other awards will be made to AIMS member races who have displayed best practice in environmental and social policies. The AIMS Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to someone who has made a major contribution to the sport of distance running.
