Edith Masai en route to her 1:07:16 victory in the 2006 Berlin Half Marathon (© Victah Sailer)
The elite field entered into this Sunday’s Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon (1 April) is the best ever. The 27th edition of Germany’s biggest, top quality race of this kind will see five men with personal bests of sub-61 minutes.
Additionally the women’s race should provide a great duel between the defending champion Edith Masai (Kenya) and Benita Johnson (Australia).
Taking into account that last year’s race had been the best one in the history of the event expectations can be high for Sunday. In 2006 both course records were broken with Paul Kosgei (Kenya) clocking 59:07 minutes and Edith Masai finishing in 67:16, which remained the fastest time of the year.
A record number of about 21,500 athletes will have entered in the event by Saturday evening when registration closes. That includes half marathon runners, walkers skaters, wheelchair athletes etc…as well as children and beginners who will run shorter events. The number of registered runners for the half marathon itself is expected to climb well above 18,000.
MEN
Anything else than another Kenyan victory in the men’s race would be a huge surprise on Sunday. Kenyans have dominated the event for years. Since 1998 there was only one year when a non-Kenyan runner took the race. That was in 2001 when Fabián Roncero clocked 59:52 minutes, which still stands as a European record. In the past three years Kenyans did not only take all places on the podium but the first ten as well.
Patrick Makau will be the fastest runner in the field. The 22-year-old Kenyan had shown great form earlier this year, when he finished second behind Sammy Wanjiru at the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in the United Arab Emirates on 9 February. It was on that occasion when Wanjiru ran a World record of 58:53, which he meanwhile further improved to 58:35 (Both times are pending official ratification). When Makau finished second he clocked a personal best of 59:13, which is just six seconds slower than the Berlin course record. Since weather conditions are expected to be very good on Sunday another fast race is likely.
Another one who ran well in Ras Al Khaimah and now turns to the flat Berlin course is Francis Kibiwott. The Kenyan was fourth in February with 60:07.
Evans Cheruiyot’s advantage on Sunday will be that he knows the Berlin course. A year ago the Kenyan finished second behind Kosgei with 59:26. “I am in fine form and should be as strong as last year,” Cheruiyot said and added: “For me this half marathon is the main race this spring.” While Kosgei will not return to Berlin last year’s third place finisher does: Wilfred Taragon (Kenya) ran a personal best in the German capital in 2006 as well with 60:46. At the end of February he won the Suwon half marathon in Korea with 61:08. For him as well as for Francis Kibiwott Berlin could provide a fine chance of breaking the hour. Pace making will be arranged accordingly.
Carsten Eich is the fifth runner in the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon with a personal best of sub 61 minutes. He also had achieved this time of 60:34 in Berlin. It was in 1993 when he sensationally took the race in what was then a European record. Actually that was the finest international performance of his career. The time is still untouched as a German record. For 37 year-old Eich this will be one of his last races of his professional career which he intends to end later in spring this year. But he will not be in contention for victory on Sunday.
WOMEN
A year ago Edith Masai had not been the big favourite to win the race. But she did, beating America’s Deena Kastor. Masai, who will turn 40 three days after Sunday’s race, clocked 67:16. She will need a similar performance to repeat her victory since she will meet another great long distance runner. The Berlin Half Marathon will be Benita Johnson’s dress rehearsal for the London Marathon three weeks later. She is said to be in fine form and will probably aim to improve her personal best of 67:55 as well as targeting the Australian record of 67:48 set by Kerryn McCann.
And there is said to be another reason why Johnson has chosen Berlin for her final London test. The 27-year-old, who arrived here yesterday evening from London, wants to get an idea about the course of the Berlin Marathon. Large parts of the half marathon course are identical with parts of the marathon route.
Both Edith Masai and Benita Johnson have had extraordinary success at the World Cross Country Championships in earlier years. It was in Brussels three years ago, when they won the two gold medals: Masai took the short course for the third time in a row while Johnson sensationally snatched the long course gold medal.
Apart from these two outstanding long distance runners the Berlin women’s field boasts four of Germany’s best runners at present. Irina Mikitenko (personal best: 70:03), Luminita Zaituc (69:35), Claudia Dreher (71:55) and Susanne Hahn (74:03) will all be running.
“We have the German championships here on Sunday”, said Race Director Mark Milde. In fact the women’s race of recent national half marathon championships has by far been not that strong. “It is my aim to break 70 minutes”, said Irina Mikitenko. It will be very interesting to see how much better than that she can run. A great track runner Irina Mikitenko has great potential for this distance.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
