Tadese aims to upset Kenyan plans in London

Eritrean Zersenay Tadese poses the biggest potential threat to Kenyan plans to dominate the men's London marathon today after a sensational performance last month.

Tadese, who dropped out of last year's London race, slashed 10 seconds off Olympic marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru's world record when he clocked 58 minutes 23 seconds in the Lisbon half-marathon in March.

Last year's winner Wanjiru said on Friday that he would combine with world champion Abel Kirui and Duncan Kibet in a team effort in order to deliver a seventh consecutive men's London title to Kenya.

Despite Tadese's heroics in Portugal, Wanjiru identified Tsegaye Kebede as the main threat to the Kenyans. The Ethiopian pushed the winner to a course record two hours five minutes 10 seconds last year.

"It will be very difficult for me because everyone is so good.

The speed of Wanjiru and Tadese suggests Haile Gebrselassie's world record of 2:03:59 could be under threat although the Kenyan said the demanding London course made a record unlikely.

Temperatures are forecast to be around 21 degrees Celsius after a week of glorious spring weather in London.

Irina Mikitenko, aiming to emulate fellow German Katrin Dorre by completing a hat-trick of London women's victories, had no complaints about the weather.

Mikitenko was forced to improvise her training routines during a savage European winter by moving to Spain for four weeks in January and training on an indoor track in Frankfurt in February.