Bekele to attempt marathon world record

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 […]

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.