Berlin (AFP)

"My age is not a problem!"

At 39, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele announced his intention to tackle Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge's world marathon record in Berlin on Sunday, nine months after recovering from Covid-19.

In 2019, on this same Berlin course where the best world brand has fallen seven times since 2003, Bekele missed the world record by ... two seconds!

In 2h 01 min 41 seconds, he had become that day the second man in the world to go under 2h 02 min in competition, but he had missed - literally - a breath to beat the record of Eliud Kipchoge, of 2h 01 min 39 sec (2018 in Berlin).

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, winner of the Berlin marathon, September 29, 2019 John MACDOUGALL AFP / Archives

In the absence of the Kenyan, reigning two-time Olympic champion and considered the greatest marathoner in history, Bekele appears to be the favorite of this race, the first leading marathon since the Games in which he did not take part. 'Ethiopian.

“Two years ago I just came to improve my personal best, but I was a little afraid to get on the pace of the world record. This time I am full of confidence and I will try to do my best. better ", promised the former king of the track, long holder of the world records of 5,000 and 10,000 m, and passed late on the 42.195 km.

- "I have a few years left" -

In June, the one many consider the greatest long-distance and middle-distance runner of all time (three-time Olympic champion, five-time world champion, eleven-time cross country world champion) celebrated his 39th birthday, but the age seems to have no effect on him.

And when asked if this race is his last chance to add a line to his legend, by seizing a legendary record, he pretends to be surprised: "A lot of people are worried about my age. , but not me, "he smiles," I have good energy and I don't feel age. I have a few years left to perform at my best and enough time to accomplish my goal. "

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, during the London marathon, April 23, 2017 Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS AFP / Archives

On paper, this pocket athlete (1.65 m, 56 kg) seems above the rest, the best performers after him being his compatriot Guye Adola (2h 03 min 46 sec in 2017 in Berlin) and the Kenyan Marius Kipserem (2h 04 min 11 sec, in 2019 in Rotterdam).

Insatiable, Bekele has also confirmed that he will also line up this fall in New York on November 7.

- "Sick of the Covid" -

“After two years without a marathon, I want to use this opportunity, and running twice in six weeks will be okay,” he says, happy to regain the adrenaline of racing after the long episode of the pandemic.

“I had a really tough time,” he admitted on Friday, “I was sick with Covid-19 nine months ago, it took me a month to recover but now it's okay (. ..) I haven't run a race for two years, but I'm well prepared, I did some timed tests in training and I'm happy with it. "

The arrival in Berlin, under the monumental Brandenburg Gate, Bekele knows it well: he triumphed there for the first time in 2016, in 2:03 and 3 seconds, the third fastest time in history at the time.

Before doing it again in 2019, the last edition of the event, since 2020 was canceled.

The joy of the Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, winner of the Berlin marathon, September 29, 2019 John MACDOUGALL AFP / Archives

Sign of a cautious return to normalcy, Berlin will be the first of the six "majors" of the marathon to reopen to the general public on Sunday after the pandemic, with 25,000 starters.

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