Bekele in a hurry for London glory
Triple Olympic track champion Kenenisa Bekele is somewhat surprised that his 5,000m and 10,000m world records are still standing, but he feels he can complete a remarkable hattrick by claiming the marathon mark.
Triple Olympic track champion Kenenisa Bekele is somewhat surprised that his sepia-tinged 5,000m and 10,000m world records are still standing but, at 34, he still feels he can complete a remarkable hat-trick by claiming the marathon mark.
Ethiopian Bekele, widely regarded as the greatest distance runner of all time, set 5,000m and 10,000m world records in 2004, improving the longer distance a year later, and nobody has got remotely close to either since.
After finding his feet in the marathon, he posted the second-fastest time ever — 2hr 3min 3sec — when winning Berlin in September 2016, six seconds outside Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57, set on the same course in 2014.
On Sunday, finally running free of the succession of back, hip and calf injuries that have dogged the last five years of his career, he hopes to win the London Marathon and eclipse Kimetto’s world record.
“Times are very important,” Bekele said in London on Thursday. “On the track, I don’t see anyone out there looking like they can reach my marks at the moment. In the marathon, running 2:10 and winning would not give you full happiness. Winning in 2:04 would be a different feeling.
“But it’s really challenging. It’s almost 10,000m pace, so it’s difficult. I had to learn how to run differently from the track — a different foot strike. Every race, every course is different and I’m learning with every one.”
Fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie previously held the world records for 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon but nobody has held all three at the same time. Bekele was third in London in 2016 and said he learnt from the experience.
“The crowd here are different from any other race. People like the sport here. It’s very special.”
The 2016 winner, Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, will not be defending his title as he concentrates on trying to dip under two hours as part of Nike’s “Breaking2” project. Bekele’s strongest challenge could come from Eritrean Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, who was crowned marathon world champion at 19 two years ago.
The women’s race is also intriguing, with twice-winner Mary Keitany now the favourite after 2016 London and Olympic champion and fellow Kenyan Jemima Sumgong pulled out after failing a doping test. Sumgong’s positive for the blood booster erythropoietin brought criticism from some of her compatriots ahead of the race.
“For me, it really embarrasses the sport,” said Florence Kiplagat. “I am ashamed because we are losing top athletes like that. I think all of Kenya now is in the spotlight.”
Vivian Cheruiyot, the Olympic 5,000m champion, urged Sumgong, who has yet to have her positive test confirmed by her B sample, to cooperate with the authorities.
“She knows she went for that injection. She can’t say she didn’t know. I remember her winning in Rio and that everyone was happy for Kenya. If she is using something it is very disappointing.”