World Record wouldn't be on Kipchoge's mind in Berlin

Kenyan marathon sensation Eliud Kipchoge says breaking the world record would not be a priority when he competes in the Berlin Marathon in September.

Having won the London marathon in April, the 30-year-old former 5,000m world outdoor champion believes winning in Berlin would help build his impressive reputation as a marathon runner.

Kipchoge will lead two other experienced Kenyans in the September 27 race, including Emmanuel Mutai, who finished second behind Dennis Kimetto when he set the new world record of 2:03.23 in Berlin last year.

"I have been privileged to train with both Emmanuel Mutai and Geoffrey Mutai, since I switched to marathon running," Kipchoge, who was runner-up in Berlin in 2013, told AFP.

"The fact that we will be competing against each other in Berlin this time round doesn't mean we will not go hard on each another. But for me I will prefer to run my own race and see what happens.

"Dennis Kimetto's world record would be hard to break so soon, but everything is possible if the conditions are right and people are prepared for the task," said Kipchoge

"I wouldn't say anything about breaking the world record. It will depend on how one feels on the day," said Emmanuel Mutai.

Kipchoge and the two Mutais have had experiences with the fast Berlin course and have all stood on the winners' podium.

Kipchoge was second with a personal best time of 2:04.05 in 2013, behind fellow countryman, Wilson Kipsang, who set a world record (2:03:23)

Last year, Emmanuel Mutai did all the running before he was pipped into second place by Kimetto, and Geoffrey Mutai, who four years ago ran the classic distance faster than any other runner on the Boston course, was runner-up in 2010 and won in 2012.

"We are delighted to have these three runners at the start, and with their qualifications, we can certainly look forward to an exciting race," says Berlin Race Director Mark Milde.

Kipchoge won four of the five races that he has run in his short but impressive marathon career.
Source: AFP