Eliud Kipchoge eyes on world mark

Eliud Kipchoge, the reigning Chicago and London Marathon winner, will be targeting the world record if conditions will allow at the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday.

Kipchoge will marshal forces with former Berlin Marathon winner Geoffrey Mutai (2:03:02) and 2011 London Marathon winner Emmanuel Mutai (2:03:13) to lower the all-time mark set by Dennis Kimetto (2:02:57) in the German capital.

Kipchoge beat all odds to overcome defending champion Wilson Kipsang’ after a neck and neck battle in the final two-kilometre stretch in London Marathon last April.

“My biggest focus is to improve my personal best time, but I have always said anything is possible and if the conditions are good, the record is possible,” said Kipchoge.

He is a man of few words who likes to go about his business quietly. He rarely comments on issues, evasive but keen to post congratulatory messages on his Facebook wall to the media and his coach after winning big races.

“I’ve always believed that I’m the best competitor. That keeps me strong against rivals,” he said.

Kipchoge is familiar with the Berlin course, having finished second in the 2013 race with a personal best time of 2:04:05 in a race that saw compatriot Wilson Kipsang shatter the then world record, clocking 2:03:23.

“I know Berlin well as I was second when Kipsang set the world record so, like I said, I’m hopeful things will look up for me,” he said. They will leave for Berlin this evening.

The London Marathon was simply a moment for Kipchoge to revenge against Kipsang, who beat him at the 2013 Berlin Marathon when he broke the world record.

Kipchoge, however, borrows from American poet Arthur Guiterman: “Admitting errors clears the score and proves you wiser than before.”

“When I was entered in London Marathon together with Kipsang, I went back to the drawing board and re-examined where I went wrong in Berlin. I will get there to perhaps rectify the mistakes I might have made in Berlin,” Kipchoge said.

The Berlin Marathon is one of six World Marathon Majors races with the Chicago Marathon (October 11) and New York Marathon (November 1) the only races remaining in the calendar after the Tokyo, Boston and London races that were held in February and April.