Wilson Kipsang Says World Record Could Fall at Sunday's BMW Frankfurt Marathon
by: BMW
Frankfurt Marathon
October 28, 2011
Editor's note: For more on last year's winner Wilson Kipsang and his chances in Frankfurt click here. Kipsang was 3rd in his marathon debut in Paris, then set the course record in Frankfurt and followed that up with a win at Lake Biwa.
Wilson Kipsang, Course
Record Holder and Defending Champion
Returning
doesn’t make feel under a lot of pressure but being the champion with
this great field I have to compete very well on Sunday.
The world record is really very possible
in this race. It’s a good course, the field is strong and the spectators
are fantastic.”
Agnes Kiprop, Frankfurt
Marathon Winner 2009
“I’m delighted to be back
in Frankfurt for the
third time. My aim is to improve my time [as last year]. My training has
been different compared to last year. It took more out of me. I trained
more. I worked on my speed but also extended my long run to
40 km sometimes. I want to go through halfway on Sunday
in 71:30 or 71:40.”
Sabrina Mockenhaupt, Frankfurt Marathon Winner 2008
“I needed more preparation this year.
There’s always a special place in my heart for Frankfurt, it’s not
far from home for me. I’m here to run a good time, where I finish is of
secondary importance on this occasion. My target is 2:25. I’d like to run around 72:30 for the first half.
I’ve increased both my training volume and the intensity. This is the
longest preparation I’ve ever done for a marathon and I hope that it
pays off on Sunday.”
Jan
Fitschen, European 10,000
m Champion 2006
“I want to
eradicate what happened in Düsseldorf from my mind as quickly as
possible. I want to show on Sunday that I can do better and run faster
and just draw a line under what happened. It’s true that my preparation
wasn’t ideal. I’d like to go out in 67:30 [for the first half]. I’d love
to run the Olympic qualifying time [2:12] and I’m not really at that point yet. However, I’d
like to make this another step in that direction and run well in the New
Year.”
Günther Weidlinger,
Austrian Record Holder
“Training went very well in the last few
months but I’m not going to consider attacking [my] national record
since it’s more important to get inside the Olympic qualifying time of
2:14. I’d like
to go through halfway in 66:30 and then see what happens. I don’t
understand why national federations make the qualifying standards
harder. The IOC or the IAAF work out the qualifying standards and the
national federations then make them harder without giving this matter
proper consideration. It doesn’t make sense and does the sport no
favours.”
André
Pollmächer, Germany’s best hope for Olympic Qualification
“You could hardly imagine a more
impressive finish [than here]. I still have something to settle with
this course because the man with the hammer hit me at
38 km in 2008 and I couldn’t enjoy the run-in to the
finish. I’ve prepared very well and in great detail. I’ve created a good
environment for myself and believe I can be optimistic when I’m on the
start line on Sunday. Elite sport is a risky business, you’re dancing on
a knife edge. You can take risks and end up flat on your face. I don’t
think much of just taking the easy option in races – I’d rather go all
out here and I’m going to risk that on Sunday. Preparation for this has
taken a whole year and the sessions have gone better than the last few
races.”
More information and press releases available
at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com
“I am very happy
and appreciate very much being able to return to the BMW
Frankfurt Marathon. The biggest change since last year is that I’ve
been able to run in higher profile races and, of course, the prize money
also transformed my personal life. I’ve prepared more intensively than
last year, did more running overall and more quality in the
speedwork.
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