By: Cody Barton

The world’s fastest field may have more than one extra degree of difficulty to overcome going into Saturday night’s seventh running of the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon. With the weather forecasted to be in the low to mid 90s (32+ degrees celsius), a start list headlined by Mary Keitany of Kenya and featuring three of the ten fastest half marathoners ever must temper their ambitions for course record and simply survive what looks to be a race of attrition.

Despite the adversity presented by the race forecast, Mary Keitany is focused on one thing, being Olomouc’s first repeat champion. “I am thankful for the opportunity to race again in the Czech Republic. I have had a lot of success here.”

That success includes a course record win last year in 66:38. But more than the opportunity to repeat as champion, Mary will be providing one last example of fitness and her ability to compete in a world-class field before Athletics Kenya makes its final decision July 1st on who represents the country at the Rio Olympic Games. Currently, Mary, who is reserved but joyful in person, hopes to inspire confidence in a selection committee with a reputation for being fickle when it comes to athletes on the international stage.

Her competition includes a breakthrough star in Violah Jepchumba, who ran 65:51 in an unexpected dominating victory at the Sportisimo Prague Half earlier this year. That time is only 1 second behind Mary Keitany’s personal best and good for third all-time at the distance. Jepchumba, whose husband Bill will be responsible for setting the early pace, was left off the list of five athletes under AK consideration, so for her this race is an opportunity to prove to event organizers and national federations alike that she is the premiere runner at a distance which has seen four of the ten fastest times ever run in a five month period. She is joined by Joyce Chepkirui whose 66:18 at the 2014 Prague Half ranks ninth all-time.

Czech national and Rio Games marathon selection Eva Vrabcova will also be on the line. Vrabcova is an accomplished cross-country skier who has represented the Czech Republic three times at the Winter Olympic Games and will be just the third Czech athlete ever to represent her country in both Olympiads.  
“I have changed my discipline from cross country skiing to distance running this year.”

She is using the race as a tuneup for the hot and humid conditions sure to be found in Brazil.

And with the race conditions making the path to victory rest on tactics rather than pure fitness, Olomouc will indeed be the focus of fans and federations around the world when the gun goes off at 7pm local time. Carlo Capalbo, President of Organizing Committee for Run Czech understands the implications when a field of this quality is assembled.

“Our goal is to make Olomouc the world distance running capital for a day. We are able to do remarkable work because do three things: we love the sport, we have world class events and we make people happy. That is the goal.”

A goal that is easily achieved when you put the world’s best on display.