Top Kenyan Abel Kirui won the Vienna Marathon in 2008. © www.photorun.net
The marathon is almost always one of the most exciting events in the entire World Championships. This year, it could also be one of the most grueling. With a start time around noon, the midday summer temperatures are almost certainly going to make things difficult along the 42.195-kilometer course which loops around Berlin’s famous Brandenburg Gate.
Because the championships are taking place in late summer, many big-name athletes have chosen not to compete in it—opting to focus their efforts instead on a fall marathon. Two notable runners not present are the Olympic champion, Sammy Wanjiru, of Kenya and the world-record holder, Haile Gebrselassie, of Ethiopia. The absence of these two superstars in addition to the challenging weather conditions almost guarantees an open men’s race—an exciting one too.
Despite, the absence of these top two marathoners, the field remains incredibly deep.
Two men top the seed list for Ethiopia: Tsegay Kebede and Deriba Merga. Kebede was the bronze medalist last summer in Beijing. Just 22 years old, he improved his best time to 2:05:20 hours in London in April where he finished only ten seconds behind Wanjiru. Of all Ethiopians, only Gebrselassie has run faster than him. The other Ethiopian contender, Deriba Merga, has already won two marathons this year. In January, he set a course record in Houston and three months later, he broke the tape at the prestigious Boston Marathon.
However, the fastest runner in the field is a Kenyan: Abel Kirui. The 27-year-old Kirui improved his personal best to 2:05:04 in Rotterdam in April, becoming the sixth-fastest runner in history. He won the 2008 Vienna Marathon and finished second in Berlin the previous year when Gebrselassie broke the world record. Included in the strong Kenyan marathon squad are the four-time winner of the Boston Marathon, Robert K. Cheruiyot, and the athlete who finished fourth in the London Marathon in 2009, Emmanuel Mutai, who has a personal best of 2:06:15.
Another African could also be giving the Ethiopians and Kenyans a run for the gold medal: Jaouad Gharib of Morocco who has already twice won the World Championship marathon (2003 in Paris and Helsinki in 2005). Winning a third world title would be unprecedented. Gharib, runner-up in the Beijing Olympics last year, has shown that he is in top shape by setting a PR in London last April (2:05:27), which was good for third place. Another strong Moroccan is Abderrahim Goumri whose best time is only three seconds slower than Gharib’s.
The double New York Marathon winner from Brazil (2006 and 2008), Marilson dos Santos, could also be a factor, as should Yonas Kifle of Eritrea. Others to consider are Atsushi Sato of Japan, who has a personal best of 2:07:13, and Mubarak Hassan Shami of Qatar.
The men’s marathon will be on Saturday, August 22.
