INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--A 23-year-old Kenyan looms as the strong favorite to rule the first Quezon City International Marathon Sunday and break the Philippine record set by an East German over 27 years ago.

Daniel Koringo, one of 12 Kenyan runners who will challenge the Cresenciano Sabal-led local crew, said he is capable of finishing a full marathon in 2:14:00.

?I?ll try to beat the record,? said the 23-year-old Koringo during the carbo-loading night inside the Quezon Memorial Circle on Friday. ?In fact, I want to bring back the world record to Kenya.?

Hannes Waldemar Cierpinski, gold medalist in the 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow Olympics, topped the first Manila International Marathon in 2:14:27, a record which still stands as the fastest full marathon finish on local soil. The race started and finished at Rizal Park on Jan. 31, 1982.

Koringo is coming off a victory in the 26K Malakoff race in Penang (1:25:53) and placed eighth in the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur marathon (2:23:41.16) both held in June.

Three other female Kenyan runners showed up at the carbo-loading night?Lydia Rutto, 25; Doreen Kitaka, 27; and Sarah Maiyo, 29. The QCIM is just the second 42K race of Rutto and Kitaka whose best times are both 2:45:00. They arrived Friday morning from training in Malaysia, along with Koringo and 5-foot-9 Samuel Tarus Too.