Irina Mikitenko wins the 2008 Flora London Marathon (© Getty Images)
Irina Mikitenko ran a superb 30:57 at the German 10 Km Road Race Championships in Karlsruhe on Saturday (13). With this time she improved the world lead of Dutchwoman Hilda Kibet by four seconds.
Even more significant for Mikitenko was that she became the eighth fastest 10 km runner ever and broke her own German record by 31 seconds. She had run 31:28 back in 2003 in Paderborn. Today it was also announced that Mikitenko will run the real,- Berlin Marathon on 28th September. A year ago she placed second in her debut at this race (2:24:51) and then she went on to sensationally take the Flora London Marathon in April (2:24:14). Then, back problems stopped her from competing at the Olympic marathon in Beijing.
“It was sad to miss that one,” the 36 year-old said. “Though I was able to train I could not do any speed sessions because of my back. Running in Beijing would have made no sense.”
“My aim in Berlin will be to further improve my personal best. And as always when I start a race, I want to win.”
Ethiopia’s Askale Tafa, who has a personal best of 2:23:23 from Dubai in January, looks like Mikitenko’s strongest opponent. But Kenyans Rose Cheruiyot (PB 2:25:48) and Helena Kiprop (2:26:27), who had placed third in Berlin in 2007, might also be in with a chance.
Mikitenko could become the sole leader of the World Marathon Majors (WMM) series 2008 – 2009 in Berlin. She is the only German runner so far to have collected any points in the five race series. “I have always run well in Berlin and I am in good form now. So that is why I decided to run this marathon again.”
Running in Karlsruhe, Mikitenko ran her own pace right from the start.
“I wanted to test myself regarding a marathon start,” she said. In the first of four laps Sabrina Mockenhaupt went with her, but afterwards Mikitenko was all on her own. It was her first race after the London 10,000, which she had won in May.
“There were no split times until the 5 k mark. And when I saw the clock showing 15:27 minutes I thought, ‘Wow that is pretty fast. I then thought I should just try to keep the pace, which went very well. I had no problem.” Conditions were not ideal though with cool temperatures, rain and slippery roads.
Though way back behind Mikitenko, Mockenhaupt still ran a great race as well. Preparing for the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon on 26th October she clocked 31:50 for second place. Susanne Hahn was third with 32:53. Falk Cierpinski, the 30- year-old son of the double Olympic Marathon champion Waldemar, took the men’s race with 29:14. He also will run the Berlin Marathon. Steffen Uliczka (29:17) and Alexander Lubina (29:19) took next places.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
