Richmond Marathon

In the case of Kenyan distance-running standout Jynocel Basweti, familiarity has bred a distinct advantage in the annual SunTrust Richmond Marathon.

Basweti, 23, has won the past two Richmond races and is favored to win a third this morning. His weapons include not only youth and conspicuous ability, but detailed knowledge of the 26.2-mile course. None of his would-be challengers possess such knowledge.

"Knowing the course as well as he does could make a big difference," said Thom Suddeth, the event's coordinator of elite athletes. "He knows when to relax and he knows when to push. The others don't. Some of them arrived [yesterday] and haven't even seen the course."

An athlete running on a course with which he or she is not familiar, Suddeth said, "is more likely to make [tactical] mistakes" such as choosing the wrong time and location to surge. Said Suddeth, the proprietor of the Road Runner Store in Carytown: "A bad mistake early might affect you 45-50 minutes later."

Basweti won in 2:22:22 in 2008 and 2:18:28 last year. Only two runners in the event's 33-year history have captured three or more titles in succession: Elly Rono (2002-04) and Michael Adams (1986-89).

Joseph Ngetich and Adil Lyazali appear likely to provide the most serious challenges. Ngetich, a 25-year-old Kenyan, is an accomplished half-marathon runner. Lyazali, a 33-year-old Saudi Arabian, delivered a pedestrian effort (2:27:09, 30th) in last week's New York City Marathon. He should have something left for today.

Suddeth said Basweti's home-field edge, while undeniably valuable, assures the reigning champion of nothing. Such an advantage, he said, can be quickly eroded by the shifting fortunes of long-distance competition.

"It always comes down to this: Who has the best day?" Suddeth said. "You go through so many mood swings when you're running a marathon. Maybe you feel bad at the start. You hang in there and try to fight through it. You keep telling yourself, 'It'll get better.' Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't."

When it doesn't, he said, "that's when you see people start to fall off the pace."

So similar in ability are the perceived men's favorites, Suddeth said, that "it could be a very interesting, very exciting day, maybe like three years ago," when Ethiopian Mohamed Awol defeated Kenyan David Cheromei in a photo finish.

The women's marathon appears to be Tezeta Dengersa's race to lose. Suddeth believes Dengersa, a 30-year-old from Ethiopia, is capable of delivering a sub-2:40 effort today. Such a performance would have won the past seven SunTrust women's races and should be more than good enough against a field diluted by injuries.

Today's shorter races, the McDonald's Half Marathon and the HCA Virginia 8K, promise speed and suspense. In the men's half marathon, an expected battle between Ernest Kiprugut of Kenya and Mourad Marofit of Ethiopia could lay waste to the year-old course record of 1:06:02.

Two women with strong local ties, former Virginia Commonwealth University All-American Maria-Elena Calle and former Maggie Walker Governor's School standout Esther Erb, are expected to challenge in the half marathon and the 8K, respectively.

The men's and women's marathon winners will earn $2,500. The half marathon and 8K winners will receive $1,000.

Richmond Marathon