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Makau sets world record in Berlin
Source: Agencies |
September 26, 2011, Monday
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HAILE Gebrselassie lost the race against time yesterday with his world record shattered by Patrick Makau, and his great career in doubt less than a year before the London Olympics.
His lungs seizing up and struggling for air after more than 27 kilometers of the Berlin Marathon, Gebrselassie finally quit shortly after kilometer 35.
By then, Makau was more than two minutes ahead - on his own and on the way to German capital's landmark Brandenburg Gate and a new world record.
"I was hoping to gain a lot of experience but not to win," Makau said after slashing more than half a second from Gebrselassie's old mark.
Makau pulled away after 27 kilometers and finished in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds.
Gebrselassie, whose previous record stood at 2:03.59, pulled up after Makau's breakaway and seemed on the verge of giving up when he stopped running and bent over, holding his chest. After about a minute, he resumed the race.
For several kilometers he was second, about two minutes behind Makau.
"He was still feeling good at 25K but then his lungs started tightening up, he could not breath, we don't know why," his agent Jos Hermens said.
Gebrselassie suffers from asthma and is allowed to take medicine, but hadn't taken any because he had not had any problems for months.
Gebrselassie had won four successive Berlin marathons from 2006 and set his world record in 2008.
Makau also won last year's event in driving rain. Yesterday's race on Berlin's flat course took place in sunny, mild conditions. The 26-year-old brandished a Kenyan flag after coming through the Brandenburg Gate and crossing the finish line.
"Today maybe a new generation is starting in the marathon," he said. "My body was not good in the morning but I had no problems in the race, I did everything well."
Gebrselassie, 38, pulled out of the New York City Marathon in November with a knee injury and retired immediately after the race. But he changed his mind eight days later. He injured both knees when he fell during a training run in the rugged countryside of his homeland but came back to win a half-marathon in April in Vienna, Austria. He also won the 10,000-meter Great Manchester Run in May.
Gebrselassie's main objective in Berlin was to run a good time and qualify for Ethiopia's Olympic team.
Stephen Kwelio Chemplany, a pacemaker from Kenya, finished second in 2:07.55, and another Kenyan, Edwin Kimaiyo, was third in 2:09.50.
Florence Kiplagat of Kenya won the women's race in 2:19.44, ahead of Irina Mikitenko of Germany and world record holder Paula Radcliffe of Britain, who was making her Berlin debut.
Mikitenko clocked 2:22.18 and Radcliffe finished in 2.23.46.
His lungs seizing up and struggling for air after more than 27 kilometers of the Berlin Marathon, Gebrselassie finally quit shortly after kilometer 35.
By then, Makau was more than two minutes ahead - on his own and on the way to German capital's landmark Brandenburg Gate and a new world record.
"I was hoping to gain a lot of experience but not to win," Makau said after slashing more than half a second from Gebrselassie's old mark.
Makau pulled away after 27 kilometers and finished in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds.
Gebrselassie, whose previous record stood at 2:03.59, pulled up after Makau's breakaway and seemed on the verge of giving up when he stopped running and bent over, holding his chest. After about a minute, he resumed the race.
For several kilometers he was second, about two minutes behind Makau.
"He was still feeling good at 25K but then his lungs started tightening up, he could not breath, we don't know why," his agent Jos Hermens said.
Gebrselassie suffers from asthma and is allowed to take medicine, but hadn't taken any because he had not had any problems for months.
Gebrselassie had won four successive Berlin marathons from 2006 and set his world record in 2008.
Makau also won last year's event in driving rain. Yesterday's race on Berlin's flat course took place in sunny, mild conditions. The 26-year-old brandished a Kenyan flag after coming through the Brandenburg Gate and crossing the finish line.
"Today maybe a new generation is starting in the marathon," he said. "My body was not good in the morning but I had no problems in the race, I did everything well."
Gebrselassie, 38, pulled out of the New York City Marathon in November with a knee injury and retired immediately after the race. But he changed his mind eight days later. He injured both knees when he fell during a training run in the rugged countryside of his homeland but came back to win a half-marathon in April in Vienna, Austria. He also won the 10,000-meter Great Manchester Run in May.
Gebrselassie's main objective in Berlin was to run a good time and qualify for Ethiopia's Olympic team.
Stephen Kwelio Chemplany, a pacemaker from Kenya, finished second in 2:07.55, and another Kenyan, Edwin Kimaiyo, was third in 2:09.50.
Florence Kiplagat of Kenya won the women's race in 2:19.44, ahead of Irina Mikitenko of Germany and world record holder Paula Radcliffe of Britain, who was making her Berlin debut.
Mikitenko clocked 2:22.18 and Radcliffe finished in 2.23.46.
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