NAIROBI, May 22 -- Kenya will still present a strong team to the World Championships despite the withdrawal of some seasoned runners.

With Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang pulling out, Kenya team will have to rely on the service of Paris Marathon champion Paul Lonyangata, London Marathon winner Daniel Wanjiru and Boston Marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui.

Gideon Kipketer, who finished second at the 2016 Chicago Marathon and 2017 Tokyo Marathon respectively, is the men's reserve.

The women's team has also had withdrawals with women's world marathon record holder and London Marathon champion Mary Keitany and Chicago Marathon champion Florence Kiplagat turning down the invitation citing conflicting interest with their planned races in September.

Paris women's marathon champion Purity Rionoripo will join world marathon silver medallist Helah Kiprop, who had not been named in the initial team and two times world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat in the women's marathon team.

Athletics Kenya Vice Chairman Paul Mutwii maintained the selected athletes are strong and will weather any challenge from the opposition during the London World Championships in August.

"Kenya has a huge pool to draw from and their unavailability to compete in London does not give the selectors an easy time because equally those who had not been considered have posted some of the fastest time and they are winners in their own right," said Mutwii.

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