NAIROBI, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo marathon silver medalist Bedan Karoki says he is preparing for a second assault at the Chicago marathon in October.

Karoki, 29, will be among a battery of Kenyan stars heading to the United States seeking to conquer the American race after he only finished ninth in his first bid last year.

"I have been training hard to prepare for the Chicago marathon," Karoki said.

"It is a tough race bearing in mind that we face Mo Farah, Boston marathon champion Lawrence Cherono among others. But it is down to how you prepare and how the body responds on the day of competition."

Karoki, the world half marathon silver medalist in 2016, made his marathon debut in 2017.

"I still need to learn more in the marathon. But I have high hopes of doing well in Chicago. Training is going on well with no injury concerns," he said.

However, Karoki will face tough challenges from defending champion Farah and Boston champion Cherono, both of whom confirmed their quest for the Chicago title this year.