Why Berlin Marathon is ideal race for men’s world record: Olympic champion Kipchoge faces tough battle in German city from Kipsang and Bekele tomorrow

ATHLETICS-GBR-MARATHON (L-R) Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya's Dennis Kimetto, Kenya's Stanley Biwott and Kenya's Wilson Kipsang pose for photographers near Tower Bridge in central London on April 20, 2016 during a photo call ahead of the London marathon. The 2016 London Marathon is set to take place on April 24, 2016. / AFP PHOTO

Dennis Kimetto’s record set in 2014 will come under threat as top marathoners battle for glory.

This year’s BMW Berlin Marathon is the latest race to be billed a ‘showdown of all ages.’

There is nowhere to hide for the top three contenders; Kenyan titans- Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and his compatriot, former record holder; Wilson Kipsang- taking on the mighty of Ethiopian track and reigning Berlin titleholder Kenenisa Bekele.

As if affronted by the fact the world record ran by Dennis Kimetto on the same course in 2014 of 2:02:57 has stood for ‘so long’, organisers burnt the midnight oil to sign arguably the best three male marathoners on the planet to a single showdown.

Keen followers of the ultimate distance running, know star athletes tend to ‘avoid each other’ to maintain their turf, explaining why another Ethiopian legend, Haile Gebrsellasie, who ran two world records in Berlin in 2007 (2:04:26) and 2008, was the headline figure at that race for five years.

That was until Kenyan ‘upstart’, Patrick Makau arrived on the scene in 2011, invited by Haile who did not consider him a threat and stole the thunder from ‘The Emperor’ when he broke his 2:03:59 record by running 2:03:38 for victory.

Makau’s standard lasted for only two years before Kipsang, who had missed it in the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon where he ran 2:03:42 barely two weeks later, came in 2013 and dropped 2:03:23.

At the very next edition in 2014, Kimetto, a training partner and Volare Sports stable-mate of Kipsang arrived at the German city and consigned his compatriot to the history books.

Such is the desire to set yet another world record in Berlin that there was no space for Kimetto-who is signed up for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon next month- in the star-studded line-up, meaning the record holder will be watching at home as another assault at his standard plays out.

Kimetto, who has been plagued by injury woes since his barnstorming 2013 and 14 seasons when he broke course records at every race he started, is no longer considered fit to dine at the high table of marathon speedsters in what is a fall from grace as rapid as his meteoric rise.

In 2015, Kipchoge was well within his record before the infamous soles of his specially manufactured Nike running shoes popped out, slowing his momentum but nonetheless, he won in a world leading 2:04:00.

Last year, it was even closer as Kenenisa came within six seconds of breaking the record with his 2:03:03 victory as Kipsang followed home in 2:03:13, his lifetime best and 10 seconds faster than his world record.

The addition of Kipchoge, who ran 2:00:25- the fastest a human has ever completed the classic 42.195km distance in history- at the May 6 Nike Breaking2 race in Monza, Italy to the 2017 Berlin line-up means that barring unfavourable weather conditions or calamity, Kimetto will assume the title of former record holder by tomorrow afternoon.

While the pedigree of the front runners and a potent supporting cast that has among others, Kenyans Geoffrey Mutai, Emmanuel Mutai and Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor as well as Ethiopian pair of Feyisa Lelisa and Tadese Tola is not in doubt, what makes Berlin the chosen race to legally break a world record permitted by world body IAAF rules?

The last six official world records in the 42.195km distance have all been set on the streets of the German capital, dating back to September 28, 2003 when Kenyan legend Paul Tergat ran 2:04:55, thus becoming the first man to run under 2:05 before Haile took over in 2007.

In 2011, Geoffrey Mutai and Moses Mosop ran the Kenyan 1-2 in Boston, running 2:03:02 and 2:03:06 that was until Kipchoge’s 2:00:25 ranked as the two fastest marathon times ever. The net elevation loss and potential for wind assistance in Boston, however, render it ineligible for world-records, according to IAAF and the specially prepared Formula 1 circuit in Monza and the switch of pacemakers as well as the lack of wind also disqualified the Breaking2 effort.

Amazingly, it is easier for male athletes to break the world record in Berlin and for women, London, statistics show.

Runner’s World published a chart averaging the top 10 performances in race history for the world’s major marathons.

For the men’s race, Berlin took the top spot with an average time of 2:03:55, while Boston came in sixth at 2:05:39.

For females, London came first with an average of 2:18:59 with Kenya’s Mary Keitany running the women’s only world record of 2:17:01 in April to boot.

Berlin’s course is flat and fast and there are hardly any perceptible inclines. It starts at 38m above sea level, never gets higher than 53m or lower than 37m.

Its flatness is the same as Chicago where Kimetto holds a course record of 2:03:45 save for the fact that the American city is extremely windy.

Chicago also has more 90-degree turns than Berlin, which can have a slowing effect to runners especially if they are following a pack.

Temperature is a crucial factor in any record attempt and in September, the mercury in Berlin rises to between seven and 10 degrees Celsius which is ideal to run at full pelt.

In comparison, London (2:03:05 Course Record/Kipchoge) undulates more, twists and turns more frequently, plus runners often face a head wind when running along the River Thames past Embankment. And Boston’s finish line is so much lower than its start that it is ineligible for world record attempts.

“Also, competitors in Berlin run on asphalt and compared to concrete this seems to be helpful. We hear from runners that they have less problems with their joints,” Mark Milde, the Course Director at Berlin told the BBC in a previous interview.

“And in late September we have running conditions that are close to ideal. There is not much wind and the temperatures are in the range of 12C to 18C.”

The good weather and the flat course have blessed Berlin since 1981 but the spate of world records being broken at this event only started in 2007, so what’s changed in recent years?

It is widely accepted that the golden age of marathon runners with the likes of Haile, Kipsang, Kipchoge and Kimetto redefining the way the event was previously run and in recent big races, we have witnessed the likes of Emmanuel Mutai and the world record holder working together to hammer the record.

 

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