RWANDA’S elite athletes Dieudonne Disi and Gervais Hakizimana will come against some of the world’s finest athletes in tomorrow’s Marseille-Cassis ‘Classique Internationale. The 20.308km event, which also counts as an IAAF Silver Label Road Race will attract 12,000 athletes. After a run of three gold medals in his last three races, Disi will fancy his chances as he makes a debut appearance at the event. After a stuttering run in August where he was forced to withdraw from the 28km World Marathon championship, the 29-year old has sailed from victory to victory in the last two months. First, he coasted to gold in Beirut after winning the 10,000m at the Francophone Games. On October 12, he won the Paris 20km in 59:33 before equaling the Reims Half Marathon record (1:01:13) six days later. He told Times Sport yesterday, “I am in good position and hope to keep the good form going.” Disi, who will renew his challenge with Paris and Reims runner-up Michael Tesfay of Eritrea, still feels that his main challenge will come from Kenyan Matthew Koech, who won the 25km in Berlin in May in the excellent time of 1:13:24. Ends
