Gebrekidan sets sights on Course Record in Berlin

The women’s race at the Berlin Marathon set for Sunday 26 September, is looking increasingly like an attack on the course record. The best time to date was set three years ago when the Kenya Gladys Cherono ran 2:18:11. 

Half-a-dozen women will be on the start line who have run under 2:25 and among them is the Ethiopian Hiwot Gebrekidan, the fastest woman in the world this year thanks to her personal best of 2:19:35 in winning the Milan title in April.

She will be making her debut in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series. In the light of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, the number of starters for this year has been considerably reduced. Around 25,000 runners are expected on the starting line on Sunday. 

"I have been preparing for Berlin for a long time and want to run my personal best on Sunday, “said Gebrekidan on Thursday 24 September in a pre-event press conference in Berlin. 

When pressed as to what pace she would like, the 26-year-old said “I would actually like to hold back in the first half. But I nevertheless plan to go through halfway in just under 69 minutes.”

Such a split at halfway would put Gebrekidan not only in contention for the course record but also the Ethiopian national record, currently held by Worknesh Degefa with her time of 2:17:41 set in Dubai in 2019. 

Her fellow Ethiopian Shure Demise also has a personal best in her sights. She is a highly experienced marathon runner, having run a dozen of them.

"I have spoken with other women runners and know what a fast course Berlin is. I have high expectations for myself and want to break my personal record,” said Demise, whose best currently stands at 2:20:59 and could well go under 2:20 which remains a breakthrough target for women in the marathon according to race director Mark Milde.

A woman who has been a late addition to the elite field in Berlin but is capable of a surprise is Fancy Chemutai. The Kenyan has a best of 2:24:27 and will be running only her second marathon. If she were able to convert her enormous potential to good effect in the classic distance she may well be in contention for the win. 

Chemutai's half marathon best of 64:52 makes her the seventh fastest woman at the distance of all time. No other woman on the Berlin start list has such a fast half marathon performance.

Meanwhile, home runner Rabea Schöneborn will be running a marathon for the first time in her home town. The 27-year-old improved her best to 2:27:03 in April in her second race at the distance, missing selection for the Olympics by just nine seconds.

This inadvertently created the opportunity of turning that preparation to potentially good effect at Sunday's event. 

"Berlin is definitely a highlight, I am really looking forward to Sunday. Up to now I have only had the experience of elite marathons but now I can see and feel what it is like to be part of a big city marathon. Having spectators will definitely give me a lift,” said Schöneborn. 

The Berlin athlete hopes to take advantage of the fast course and what looks likely to be excellent weather conditions to improve her best time. 

“I always try to hold back a little so I can run the second half faster. That is also the plan on Sunday,” explained Schöneborn. 

Nevertheless, she is still looking at a fast halfway split: “Something between 73:10 and 73:20 is the plan.”