Press Release – edited by Christopher Kelsall
Such is the breadth of talent and experience at the 2014 Berlin Marathon that the race to the finish line could see the world record broken almost as an afterthought. The talk among the leading competitors on Friday was of solid preparation and readiness to profit from past Berlin success. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is an IAAF Gold Label race and a World Marathon Majors (WMM) event.
Dennis Kimetto is quietly spoken and even by laid-back by Kenyan standards, but there is no mistaking the intent of the man who broke the course record with a personal best of 2:03:45 to win Chicago last October. He is one of the contenders and who knows just how fast this course can be. In 2012 he lost the race just a few strides from the finish line to training partner Geoffrey Mutai who surged on to victory. All this on his marathon debut and setting the fastest ever time of 2:04:16 for a first-timer at the distance.
“I know I am ready. My preparation has been good and I’m confident for Sunday. If the conditions are good, yes, we could break the world record.”
That would be the second year in succession that the Kenyans have won in Berlin. They will lead over 40,000 marathoners in motion at 8:45 am on Sunday. Last year, Wilson Kipsang sliced 15 seconds off the world record with his time of 2:03:23. As the fastest man in the field, Dennis Kimetto’s time in Chicago was only 22 seconds slower. Provided he has recovered from a leg injury which forced him to drop out of Boston in April, he represents a formidable foe.
In terms of consistency, few can beat the marathon CV of Emmanuel Mutai. It shows just one victory, when he set the course record in London in 2011 in what was then a personal best of 2:04:40. However, if you were looking for a man to give you a place on the podium whatever the course or conditions, he is Mr. Reliable.
“What I’ve learned in training and running marathons is perseverance. When we’re in competition, if you lose first place, you fight for second or third. I keep on fighting for what I want to achieve.”
For all his experience, this is a Berlin debut in the city’s marathon for Emmanuel Mutai. He knows all about Dennis Kimetto’s capabilities, having finished seven seconds behind his fellow Kenyan with a personal best of 2:03:52 in Chicago last October. Mutai has been doing his homework on Berlin for quite a while.
“I’ve read about the world records that Haile set here, studied the course and split times and watched races on TV. Family commitments meant I didn’t watch Wilson Kipsang’s world record live last year but I made sure I watched it on replay.”
Geoffrey Kamworor, a 21-year-old won the World Half Marathon title in Copenhagen in March but he first came to prominence when he captured the city’s half marathon title in 2011, fresh from winning the World Junior Cross-Country gold medal. One year later and at age 19, he made his marathon debut in Berlin and finished third in 2:06:12 and repeated that podium place last year. Sunday will be his sixth competitive appearance in the city.
“I feel at home here and it feels good to run here. My training has gone well and with this confidence, I am aiming for the win. I’m getting stronger all the time and these days have been able to do more long runs in training which boosts my confidence.”
If one man can break the Kenyan ranks, it is likely to be the pocket rocket form of Tsegaye Kebede. His consistency at least matches that of Emmanuel Mutai and makes impressive reading: 18 completed marathons and all but three of them showing top three finishes. A narrative thread also links the Ethiopia’s marathon bronze medallist in 2008 with both Mutai and Kimetto: the runner from Gerar Ber, some 40 km from Addis Ababa, also set his current personal best in Chicago with 2:04:38 for victory in 2012.
Kebede has shown a readiness to adapt even when his career is at its height. He was champion in London 2010 and then three years later in addition to his Chicago success. He credits the coaching partnership of Getane Tessema and the Italian Renato Canova with more emphasis on speed work.
“I used to do more long runs but now we concentrate more on speed. I made this change over the past two years. I’ve heard about the Berlin course from Haile and have always wanted to run it. Now I have the chance.”
The success of this change in focus has brought rewards. Not only is Tsegaye one of the favourites for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday, he won the most recent series of the World Marathon Majors. In the current two-year competition for 2013-2014, he also leads the men’s ranks in pursuit of a $500,000 payday.
Men’s Elite Field for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and their personal bests:
Dennis Kimetto KEN 2:03:45
Emmanuel Mutai KEN 2:03:52
Tsegaye Kebede ETH 2:04:38
Levy Matebo KEN 2:05:16
Eliud Kiptanui KEN 2:05:39
Frankline Chepkwony KEN 2:06:11
Geoffrey Kamworor KEN 2:06:12
Kazuhiro Maeda JPN 2:08:00
Ryo Yamamoto JPN 2:08:44
Maswai Kiptanui KEN 2:08:52
Abera Kuma ETH 2:09:53
Scott Overall GBR 2:10:55
Kazuki Tomaru JPN 2:11:43
Fernando Cabada USA 2:11:53
Falk Cierpinski GER 2:13:30
Andrew Lemoncello GBR 2:13:40
John Gilbert GBR 2:16:46
More information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com
