Haile Gebrselassie and Irina Mikitenko make comeback in Berlin Marathon - Athletics news
One of the biggest marathon races in the world, the Berlin Marathon, which is usually organised in the last week of September, will be witnessing two of its traditional victors, Haile Gebrselassie and Irina Mikitenko, making a comeback this year.
Berlin Marathon is an annual event which is organised annually since 1974. The total distance of the track stretches to 42.195 kilometres. The total numbers of athletes, who run the city-wide road race exceed 40,000, while more than 35,000 professional athletes and amateur sportsmen of them cross the finishing line each year. This year, the event has been planned to commence on September 25.
Amid being flat and offering a mild temperature, the track of Berlin marathon is regarded as the world’s fastest for both men and women. A huge, warm, vibrant and cheering crowd around the course make every moment of the race rather encouraging for the participants.
Perhaps, that is the reason why both, Gebrselassie, who marked a new track record in 2008 by clocking two hours, three minutes and fifty nine seconds and Mikitenko, who clocked the fourth best time on the track for hitting the finishing line in two hours, nineteen minutes and nineteen seconds, are eager to participate in the run.
While commenting about the news that he ensured his participation in the Berlin run, Gebrselassie said, “I love the Berlin Marathon. The crowds are fantastic and on a good day everything is possible on this extremely fast course.”
The formidable track and distance runner from Ethiopia has bagged the Olympic gold medal for a distance of over 10,000m. He has also won four world championships titles along with four Berlin Marathon titles.
In the women’s corner, Mikitenko, who has had the privilege of winning World Marathon Majors series in 2008 and 2009, is setting up for earning an Olympic Marathon qualification. Despite an injury, the athlete clocked two hours, twenty four minutes and forty one seconds for finishing at the seventh place in London, while participating in the Berlin run.
With having an equally formidable field to compete for the title, whether the dream of the veteran Kazakh runner materialises or not, is yet to be seen.
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