Jos Hermens: Bekele isn't done. "[For his] next race, he wants to be top [fitness] and show something special"

Keep the paychecks coming via hype as long as you can, Jos, but nah he's done.

There's no shame in going for the masters world records. That's where his focus needs to shift to at this point.

Predicted this would happen, also predicted and doubling down on Galen being near done in terms of world relevance (if he isn't already). Can we please stop pumping the Bekele train

Why? He hasn't retired.

Bekele has 1 great performance ever 3 years

-2013: Beats Mo at Great North run

-2016: Rages all over Wilson Kipsang, nearly breaks world record

-2019: Enter super-shoes: 2:01:41 - second fastest time ever

-2022: ????

He should definitely give Berlin another shot this year, especially if he feels close to retiring, as that’s the venue where he’s most likely to go out with a bang.

Agreed. If he ran 2:04:41 at age 40, sure it would be a 3 minute slowdown in 3 years, but it would be a huge masters WR and another feather in the cap of one of the true all-time greats. 7:30 3k at age 19, 2:04 marathon at 40, not to mention everything in between.

Jos Hermens is representing his runner the best he can, trying to keep his price up. The truth is Bekele's best is WAY in the rear view mirror.

At this rate, I'll believe it when I see it. His best days are clearly behind him.

Prediction : Bekele smashes the world record this year, and all the twerps on here who doubt him/sh!t-talk him go home DEVASTATED just like they did in 2019

Didn't he hyped up Bekele for Berlin? Then had the excuse of not sleeping enough? What will the excuse be this time? Ate too many burritos?

We all know Bekele can get the WR this year. I would say he has had more than the above great performances since 2013(2017 Calcutta 25k win, Paris 2014, London 2017 which he won despite having blisters on feet, Daniel Wanjiru doped so he doesn't count, that 10 miller in 2018 in Switzerland to name a few. But yea the ones mentioned by this poster are his best obviously. I believe he will get the WR this year and I believe it could follow a trend of 3 years ago. In 2019 he decided not to run Tokyo in the spring and that paid off well when he ran Berlin. No point runner Boston against a weak field against people we have never heard of.