HENRY BRINCAT

A record number of over 1,000 participants this year’s Malta Marathon to be held tomorrow morning.

Moreover, the organisers have been heartened by weather forecasts claiming that tomorrow will be an almost perfect day for road running.

Both the full marathon and the half marathon have attracted full houses and this should make this year’s event one of the best, if not the best ever.

Germany leads the list of foreign runners with 300, 100 more than last year. The others hail mostly from Britain (140), Italy (80), USA (40), and others from a variety of countries.

For the first time in the event’s history, chip timing is being used to record the times and positions of the participants. It is hoped this will continue to raise the standard of the event to international levels.

The route will be more or less the same as that of last year with just one small difference at Ta’ Qali, where the runners will have to go through the national park.

The starts will be near Mdina gate. The full marathon is scheduled to start at 8am, while that for the Half Marathon is planned for two hours later.

As in past years, there will also be a 2km Fun Run which starts from The Ferries at Sliema. It should prove to be an enjoyable family activity. It is being coordinated by Pembroke Athleta (tel. 21433452). Those who have not yet registered may do so tomorrow before the Fun Run. It is anticipated that, as in previous years, close to 400 children will take part in this event.

Top runners

Two leading athletes are expected to take part. These are Kenyan Philemon Serem Kipketer who has a PB of 2:13.52 and Burundi Joachim Nshimirimana who as a PB of 3:13.30.

Marchane Abdelkebir, the Sicily-based runner who won four past editions and who holds the record, will again be a special guest of the organising committee. He is, however, expected to take part in the Half Marathon.

Among the locals, all the top runners have applied for participation and all are expected to challenge in their respective event.

Motorists are being urged to avoid those roads which will be closed during the staging of the event. They are all being requested to show cooperation with the Police and Local Wardens who will be controlling traffic in various streets and roads along the two events’ routes, mainly at Rabat and Dingli, Mtarfa Bypass, Ta’ Qali, Misrah Kola, Mosta, Zebbug, Qormi, Marsa, Blata l-Bajda, Pieta, Msida, Ta’ Xbiex, Gzira and the Strand till The Ferries in Sliema, where the finish will be located.