by Alfonz Juck
The 2017 BMW Berlin Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
BMW BERLIN MARATHON FLASH-BACK
BERLIN (GER): Eliud Kipchoge has said he plans to return to the Berlin Marathon next year in a bid to break Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57, informs Race News Service. “Absolutely, I would like to come back and try for the world record next time. I had come here to break the world record but the weather changed my plans,” he said. Next year’s Berlin Marathon will be staged earlier than usual on 16 September.
BERLIN (GER): Eliud Kipchoge has admitted he knew the world record wasn’t possible as early as the 5km checkpoint in the Berlin Marathon, informs Race Results Weekly. “After five kilometres I knew it was not possible. I could see how the road was (with so many puddles). That’s when I realised that the world record was not possible,” he said. He also described the race as his hardest marathon of his career thus far. “This was my hardest marathon ever. I still felt confident when [Guye] Adola went ahead of me. The conditions were not easy and I still think I am capable of breaking the world record.”
BERLIN (GER): Eliud Kipchoge’s coach Patrick Sang has described his performance as “amazing,” informs Wired. “In these terrible conditions, 2:03 is amazing. There was the mental challenge, the physical challenge, the environmental challenge. He is one of the great runners,” he said.
BERLIN (GER): President Uhuru Kenyatta led the congratulations on social media yesterday, informs the Daily Nation. “You are, undoubtedly, the best marathon runner the world has ever seen,” he said after Kipchoge’s win.
BERLIN (GER): Anna Hahner has confirmed she is aiming to compete on home soil at the European Championships in Berlin next summer, informs Leichtathletik.de. Hahner finished fifth in the Berlin Marathon in 2:28:32, comfortably inside the qualifying mark of 2:32:00.
BERLIN (GER): Some stats from Ken Nakamura. 2:03:47 by Adola is the fastest marathon debut on the standard course. Kipchoge ran the fastest marathon for the 32 years old; Adola ran second fastest marathon by 26 years old. Top 5 performance average for Eliud Kipchoge is now 2:03:47, second best behind Wilson Kipsang 2:03:23. For women’s race, top 10 average for Berlin has improved from 2:19:55 to 2:19:52.
BERLIN (GER): Winners Eliud Kipchoge and Gladys Cherono claimed their first Series XI points in the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
