The list of men’s champions of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON reads like a 26.2-mile hall of fame.
Paul Tergat, Haile Gebreslassie, Patrick Makau, Dennis Kimetto, Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele. It’s a lineup in the realms of fantasy, and one you would pay top dollar to see compete in the same era – in the same shoe.
On the weekend the race marks its 50th running, there has been plenty of opportunity to reflect on the great performances – many of them world records – put on by those men on the streets of the German capital.
The temporary exhibition constructed in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate during race week is a treasure trove of the race’s history, one that has so often been lit up by times we never thought possible.
This year, a new name will have the chance to join the pantheon of men who did so much to build Berlin’s name as the place to run fast.
Tergat, who became the first man to break the 2:05 barrier in 2003 here, will be watching on Sunday.
“I remember the days when I came to Berlin. I knew I was going to a space where I didn’t know how it was going to go, but I was able to do it well and succeed. As an athlete, this is a huge accomplishment and that history will always remain.”
Those looking to join him in Berlin’s pantheon include the Ethiopian Tadese Takele. He is the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 2:03:24, set here last year when he finished in third place. After an injury-affected build up, he told media on Friday that he is at full fitness for Sunday
“I have recovered well and trained very well and am prepared to run another good time,” he said.
Takele will be wary of the threat posed by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie, but only if he can recover in time from some severe travel delays that race director Mark Milde said have affected around 20 athletes.
The 28-year-old is a former half-marathon world record holder with a PB of 57:32, suggesting he has the potential to be one of the very quickest in the world if he can translate that speed to the full distance.
Tergat praised Kibiwott’s quality: “I know him well because he lives in my area. He has great potential and is still relatively young. Berlin is a very fast course. I hope he will run well.”
There are few better judges of talent than a man with Tergat's resume. If Kandie can shake off the jet lag in time, he may well prove his local hero right.
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