Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele 'trying for world record' at Berlin Marathon after tough recovery from COVID-19

Berlin: Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele has vowed to attack the men’s world marathon record in Berlin on Sunday, just nine months after recovering from COVID-19. The 39-year-old Ethiopian came within just two seconds of Eliud Kipchoge’s current men’s world record of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds when he won the 2019 Berlin Marathon, the last time the race was held in Germany’s capital due to the pandemic. “I had COVID nine months ago, it took about a month to get over it, but I am fine now,” Bekele told AFP on Friday. “When I come to Berlin, I am trying for a personal best and the world record.” Bekele is one of the greatest distance runners of all time, having won world and Olympic gold medals over both 5,000 metres and 10,000m. Despite catching the coronavirus at the start of the year, Bekele says he is now in peak condition and ready to attack his 2019 personal best marathon time of 2:01:41, as well as the world record, on Sunday. After the pandemic decimated the 2020 marathon calendar, Bekele is ready to test himself over 42.195 kilometres (26.2 miles) in Berlin. “I am very happy to come here again after COVID-19. It has been a really tough time for me,” Bekele said. “I have prepared well, even though it’s been difficult after two years without races.” In the absence of Kenya’s Kipchoge, who won the Olympic title in Japan in August, Bekele leads a strong field as he attempts to win the Berlin title for the third time after his 2016 and 2019 triumphs. The Ethiopian confessed that two years ago he was unaware of how close he was to the world record pace in Berlin until he saw his time in the final stages. “I wasn’t sure two years ago (of my time) and I just came to try to beat my personal best,” he said. “I have a bit of a feel for the world record pace, I am full of confidence.” Sunday’s race is the first of the world’s six major marathons to take place with a mass start since the pandemic. Bekele also intends to run the New York Marathon on 7 November, just six weeks after Berlin. The predominantly flat and fast course in the German capital has produced men’s and women’s world marathon records 11 times. “I am registered for New York as well, both races have a different strategy and are different courses,” said Bekele. “There have been no races for me for two years because of COVID, so I wanted to take this chance to race again within six weeks.”