‘Anything might happen’, says record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge before Berlin Marathon
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Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a world best time of 2hr 1min 9sec in the German capital in 2022, beating his own previous mark by 30 seconds.
PHOTO: AFP
BERLIN – Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon world record holder, was on Friday confident that he could overcome his recent form dip and challenge for his fifth Berlin Marathon crown.
The Kenyan set a world best time of 2hr 1min 9sec in the German capital in 2022, beating his own mark by 30 seconds.
But the two-time Olympic gold medallist’s sixth place at the Boston Marathon in April had some questioning whether the 38-year-old’s best days are behind him.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race, in which some 45,000 runners are set to take part, Kipchoge said previous setbacks had taught him not to give up.
“You know last year is last year. It was 2022 and 2023 is a different game altogether,” he said.
“You’re approaching it in a different way and you know, when you are inside the race, anything might happen. We follow what’s in our hands actually inside the race.”
Asked if he was feeling any pre-race nerves, he added: “Absolutely, I’m nervous. But your nervousness shows you are ready for the task.”
Kipchoge has won 15 marathons, including four in both Berlin and London.
He won the Berlin race in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 – the latter two in world marks. A win on Sunday would move him past Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie into first on the list of Berlin victories.
In 2022, he ran the first half of the race in less than an hour, which gave rise to hopes he might crack the hallowed two-hour mark. In the second half, he slowed slightly but still set a world record.
Twice he has run times better than his current world mark, including once under two hours, becoming the only man to do so, but both did not count as they were not in an open competition, as per World Athletics rules.
Kipchoge has said he wants to use Berlin to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics and his bid for an unprecedented third Olympic gold in the marathon.
His biggest rival on Sunday is likely to be fellow Kenyan Amos Kipruto, who won the 2022 London Marathon. But the latter said he was competing with himself rather than his countryman.
“I will be competing for my personal best. The biggest target is to compete with my time,” Kipruto, who clocked 2:03:13 in 2022, said.
In the women’s event, 2022 Berlin winner Tigist Assefa, 26, is the favourite.
Despite coming within 90sec of the world mark the last time, the Ethiopian said: “I’m not thinking about the world record. I (just) want to improve.” AFP
