by Alfonz Juck
PHOTO: The six top women entered into Sunday’s Virgin Money London Marathon (l. to r.): Gladys Cherono (Kenya), Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya), Mary Keitany (Kenya), Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia), Tigist Tufa (Ethiopia), Rose Chelimo (Bahrain) (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly, used with permission.
The news from London is updated daily. The press room is an all day affair for the entire week before the marathon. Pressers, writing, discussions, it is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Here is a bit of the news going around the press room, thanks to EME News and our friend, Alfons Juck.
LONDON MARATHON NEWS
LONDON (GBR): Mary Keitany has described breaking Paula Radcliffe’s world marathon record of 2:15:25 as a “lifetime goal,” informs organisers. “I must thank the race organisers for their decision to assist the women to see how fast we can go. With the male pacemakers we have a great opportunity and we have to try and see if it’s possible. It would mean so much to me because I’ve had Paula’s record in mind since I started my career. She was an inspiration and that world record is still ahead of me as a lifetime goal. As long as I’m running I want to get it,” she said. Keitany set a women-only world record of 2:17:01 to win in last year’s race.
LONDON (GBR): Tirunesh Dibaba said she “learned so much” from last year’s race in which she finished second in an Ethiopian record of 2:17:56, informs organisers. “I was shocked that Mary ran so fast last year from the start. I learned so much from that race, and I knew that I had to prepare better this year to be able to stay with her. I’ve changed many things in my training since 2017 and feel I’m in better shape now.” Dibaba also won the Chicago Marathon in October in 2:18:31 before taking two months off to recovery. “I took two months’ rest after winning in Chicago and started to train later this time, so my build-up has been different but I’m in better shape as a result.”
LONDON (GBR): Olympic 5000 m champion Vivian Cheruiyot revealed that she will never run another track race – but the 34-year-old said today she is determined to go out and beat the world again, this time on the roads, as she prepares for her second run in London Marathon and overall third marathon. “Oh, it’s possible I could still win,” she laughed, as her husband, the former runner Moses Kiplagat, played with their four-year-old son Allan nearby. “The marathon is hard but everything is possible, I think, if you train and train hard. But it’s good that I’m getting better slowly on the roads. I’m learning and after I’ve had a few more marathons and I’m getting used to them, I’ll be ready to go for the 2020 Olympic Marathon in Tokyo. I think I’ll be in a position to challenge then.”
LONDON (GBR): Mo Farah has said he needs more experience at the marathon if he is to win a medal in the event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, informs insidethegames.biz. “If I’m going to come away with a medal from Tokyo then, each year, if I can run two marathons that would give me good confidence and I can learn about myself – the things you can do and can’t do. That’s why I had a great track career – I learned how to win races, put off the opposition and be strong mentally and physically. I think, in the marathon, physically I am strong and mentally I have to start practicing,” he said.
LONDON (GBR): Kathrine Switzer has been named as the official race starter of the elite women’s and World Para-Athletics Marathon World Cup races at the Virgin Money London Marathon on 22 April, informs organisers. The elite men and mases will be started at 10:00 by Queen Elizabeth II from Windsor Castle.
