FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kipchoge sets his heart and mind on Sunday's title defence
The quartet of world class Kenyans tipped to tussle for the men's title in
the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon claim to be in peak physical shape
for the challenge this Sunday, but it could be "hearts and minds", not
legs, that make the difference according to defending champion Eliud
Kipchoge.
That's what it took for the 31-year-old to win the Berlin Marathon last
September, when he ran virtually the whole race with the insoles of his
running shoes flapping around his ankles. Kipchoge not only won the race
but clocked a personal best of 2:04:00, missing the world record by a
fraction over one minute.
"It was a big demonstration that we don't only run with our legs; we run
with our hearts and minds," he said today, four days ahead of his title
defence in London.
"I convinced my conscious mind I could forget about the insoles and focus
on running.
"I think it was very unfortunate that the insoles came out, but I managed
to finish the race, and being number one without the soles – that's a big
signal that this shoe is good."
It may have been his heart and mind in Berlin, but it was talent and guts
that gained Kipchoge the crown on his London Marathon debut last year, when
he out-fought two-time champion and course record holder Wilson Kipsang in
the final half mile of the race after shrugging off world record holder
Dennis Kimetto just a few miles earlier.
Those back-to-back wins in London and Berlin earned the 31-year-old half a
million US dollars as the Series IX Abbott World Marathon Majors champion
and his record of five wins from six marathon races makes him an odds-on
favourite to retain the title on Sunday – aided by six months hard training
… and new shoes!
"The last six months have been good, the training has been hard but I am
happy with how everything has been going," he said.
"My group is very good. We say preparation is more important than winning.
If you prepare well, then you win. We are focusing our minds all on
training."
Kipchoge is coached by former world steeplechase medallist Patrick Sang, a
man he describes as "more than a coach".
"He's an athletics coach, he's a personal life coach and he's a business
coach. I really lack an English word for him," he said.
Kipchoge's customary confidence is hardly misplaced, but he knows that
winning two in a row is a rare feat, achieved only twice in London – by
Mexico's Dionicio Ceron in 1995 and 1996, and Kenyan Martin Lel in 2008,
both three-time winners.
The three men who followed him home last year are all back to take him on
again, including Kipsang, the former world record holder, who is seeking to
become only the fourth three-time champion in the event's history after
missing out by five seconds last year.
Kipsang was top of the marathon tree in 2013 when he ran 2:03:23 to claim
the world record, but 2015 turned out to be a year of defeats for the
34-year-old who dropped out of last year's World Championship marathon in
Beijing and relinquished his New York Marathon crown last November when he
was fourth.
"Last year was not really good to me," said Kipsang. "It started maybe at
the World Championships and went on till the New Year. It's part of life,
you always have your ups and downs.
"My physical strength was very good. I have had time to do a thorough
analysis of what really transpired and try to make sure I prepare very
well, to come back to my normal position.
"Basically, I had to prepare differently for a warmer race and it cost me
so much," he explained.
"But for a race like this I find what I change most of all is to just have
different training sessions, different training areas for the body, just to
give it a different signal for it to respond, which I think is important.
"So I think at the moment, for the last few months I have prepared very
well. This year has passed injury free and I'm feeling good."
The man who took Kipsang's New York title was Stanley Biwott, who was
fourth in London last year after finishing eighth in 2013 and runner-up
behind Kipsang in 2014 when he clocked his best time of 2:04:55.
Biwott took huge confidence from his first AbbottWMM victory, and now hopes
to mark his 30th birthday on Thursday with victory in London three days
later.
"This time I've trained very well and I've focussed on the London Marathon
for the last six months," he said. "I'm confident in training and preparing
for this race.
"I've run the London Marathon over the last few years and know the course.
I have a lot of experience. First, I was eighth, then second, last year it
was fourth place so I'm gaining more experience each and every year."
Kimetto also believes he is back to his best. The 30-year-old has not won a
race since he set the historic figures of 2:02:57 in Berlin in September
2014. Like Kipsang, he also dropped out in Beijing and a knee injury forced
him to abort the Fukuoka Marathon last December.
"In October I had a knee injury, but now I am good," said Kimetto.
"Preparation has been good."
So good, in fact, that he claims to be in the sort of condition that took
him to the world record 18 months ago.
"If you compare it with then, it's the same," he said.
As if winning in London wasn't incentive enough, the four Kenyans who fill
the first four spots on the men's elite start list are also competing for
selection to this summer's Olympic Games in Rio.
The Kenyan federation is due to announce the team on Monday or Tuesday next
week, but the quartet insist their sights are set first and foremost on
Sunday's race.
"First we are going to be focusing on London," said Biwott. "That's my
inspiration and my focus now. After, the federation decides and then we'll
see if I am in the team. But first I'm focusing on Sunday."
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