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Berlin set for classic marathon
Source: Agencies |
September 15, 2011, Thursday
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LAST year's winner Patrick Makau of Kenya will run this month's Berlin marathon, setting up a mouth-watering showdown with world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, organizers said yesterday.
Makau, who ran the fastest marathon in 2010, said he expected Ethiopian Gebrselassie, who has twice broken the world record in Berlin, to be extremely fast in the September 25 race as both athletes seek to qualify for next year's London Olympics.
"I trust he will again be very quick here but I will try to focus on my own race," said the 26-year-old, who last year clocked a time of two hours five minutes and eight seconds to win in the German capital.
"If towards the end we are still together then the strongest one will win," he said.
Both athletes have picked what is considered the fastest marathon in the world to improve their chance of qualifying for London.
The 38-year-old Gebrselassie won the Berlin race, a flat inner-city course, four times in a row from 2006 to 2009, setting two world records in 2007 and again in 2008 with a time of two hours three minutes 59 seconds.
The women's field is equally competitive with world record holder Paula Radcliffe battling it out with local favorite Irina Mikitenko, who twice won the London marathon and was also a winner in Berlin in 2008.
The race will be broadcast to more than 150 countries.
Makau, who ran the fastest marathon in 2010, said he expected Ethiopian Gebrselassie, who has twice broken the world record in Berlin, to be extremely fast in the September 25 race as both athletes seek to qualify for next year's London Olympics.
"I trust he will again be very quick here but I will try to focus on my own race," said the 26-year-old, who last year clocked a time of two hours five minutes and eight seconds to win in the German capital.
"If towards the end we are still together then the strongest one will win," he said.
Both athletes have picked what is considered the fastest marathon in the world to improve their chance of qualifying for London.
The 38-year-old Gebrselassie won the Berlin race, a flat inner-city course, four times in a row from 2006 to 2009, setting two world records in 2007 and again in 2008 with a time of two hours three minutes 59 seconds.
The women's field is equally competitive with world record holder Paula Radcliffe battling it out with local favorite Irina Mikitenko, who twice won the London marathon and was also a winner in Berlin in 2008.
The race will be broadcast to more than 150 countries.
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