Press Release - Berlin Marathon - 9/15/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                 Tough Challenge For World Record Holders 
   Haile Gebrselassie And Paula Radcliffe At The BMW BERLIN MARATHON On  
                            September 25th

The Marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie faces one of his 
toughest ever challenges in the BMW BERLIN MARATHON on September 25th. With 
Patrick Makau at the starting line Gebrselassie is facing the fastest 
marathon runner of 2010. Last year the Kenyan won the Rotterdam Marathon in 
April, clocking 2:04:48, and ran 2:05:08 at the BERLIN MARATHON last 
September in a tactical race beset by heavy rain. At the Virgin London 
Marathon last April Makau fell near the halfway mark and finished a close 
third (2:05:45). Both runners want to qualify for the Olympic Games next 
year and have to run fast in order to achieve that goal since competition 
for the three spots in their respective countries is stiff. "I'm sure he 
will run fast in Berlin," Makau said. "But I will try to concentrate on my 
race. If we are still together at the end the stronger one may win."

With Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe (GBR) on the starting line of 
the BMW BERLIN MARATHON this is only the third time in history both 
marathon world record holders are in the same marathon. It happened in 1989 
in New York City (Belayneh Dinsamo, Ingrid Kristiansen) and 2005 in London 
(Paul Tergat, Paula Radcliffe). Strongest competition for Paula Radcliffe 
in Berlin should come from the German Irina Mikitenko (2:19:19, Berlin 
2008) and the European Champion Nayla Yulamanova (2:26:01, RUS) with Kenyan 
Florence Kiplagat also posing a potential threat, although the world cross 
country champion of 2009 and world half marathon champion of 2010 failed to 
finish her marathon debut in Boston last April. Also running is Lidia Simon 
(ROM) who wants to qualify for her fifth Olympic Games.

The BMW BERLIN MARATHON will be broadcasted live in more than 150 
countries.
          
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