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[quote=Gordon Gekko]Super time for first time out. However in two years he might be too old to get the record. Like I have always said, modern marathon records are broken in Berlin, he has to time himself for Berlin. He was very strong in the last 10, shows mental strength as he ran alone.[/quote]

I think he might make a shot at it this year. Berlin is in September so he has 5 months to prepare and am sure Berlin Marathon organizers would pay anything to have him.

GG, early to mid 30s is about the peak age for marathon runners, Paul Tergat was 34 when he broke the record, Haile Gabrselassie also won it at 34. Kipsang won it at 31. The youngest of the recent record holders was Patrick Makau at 26. Kenenisa is 31 so he still has a two or three year window of time on his side. He also loves Olympic glory, so can you imagine World record 2014, IAAF World Champion 2015 and Olympic Gold 2016. If there is one man in the world who can pull this off to become the greatest the world has ever seen it is Kenenisa Bekele. Having watched him run, I am convinced he is still the greatest ever even if he doesn't do it all but it would be nice for him to prove it and actually do it.

[quote=Wakanyugi]If anyone can break Kipsangs record, Bekele is top of my list.

Then again, as we have often learned, the Marathon is the Marathon. So many things have to line up on that particular day - a runners pedigree is just one of them.[/quote]

Let's wait for Berlin this year, that us where the records fall!!!!

[quote=madollar][quote=Wakanyugi]If anyone can break Kipsangs record, Bekele is top of my list.

Then again, as we have often learned, the Marathon is the Marathon. So many things have to line up on that particular day - a runners pedigree is just one of them.[/quote]
The pacesetters have also to run perfect splits with most of them being kenyans i dont see them doing that for bekele.Ulimately it may come down to how mo farah perfoms this sunday in london then the 2 might attack the world record next year in berlin pushing each other until one of them breaks it most likely bekele [/quote]


I used to bet with a good friend of mine that if Lel and the late Wanjiru run the Marathon together, they would push each other to the world record. They did. It never happened.

I doubt that Farah and Bekele can do it either.

Every record set in the Marathon recently has been largely a lone effort. The hares take you to a sub 60 first half...followed by a lonely push from 30K where the only thing that matters is the will to run.

If Bekele breaks the world record, I expect it will be a repeat of the Paris performance, but with more even splits.

But I seriously doubt his mental fortitude.

[quote=Wakanyugi][quote=madollar][quote=Wakanyugi]If anyone can break Kipsangs record, Bekele is top of my list.

Then again, as we have often learned, the Marathon is the Marathon. So many things have to line up on that particular day - a runners pedigree is just one of them.[/quote]
The pacesetters have also to run perfect splits with most of them being kenyans i dont see them doing that for bekele.Ulimately it may come down to how mo farah perfoms this sunday in london then the 2 might attack the world record next year in berlin pushing each other until one of them breaks it most likely bekele [/quote]


I used to bet with a good friend of mine that if Lel and the late Wanjiru run the Marathon together, they would push each other to the world record. They did. It never happened.

I doubt that Farah and Bekele can do it either.

Every record set in the Marathon recently has been largely a lone effort. The hares take you to a sub 60 first half...followed by a lonely push from 30K where the only thing that matters is the will to run.

If Bekele breaks the world record, I expect it will be a repeat of the Paris performance, but with more even splits.

But I seriously doubt his mental fortitude.[/quote]

You are very right Wakanyugi how you run a marathon depends on how you feel that day, the weather, how fast everyone else runs etc. But have no doubts about Bekeles mental fortitude. I have never seen a tougher, more controlled and confident runner than Bekele. I remember watching him in a race where he was running with Haile Gabrsellassie and another Ethiopian. They were doing the surges where they run fast and then slow down to break down the group of runners following them. At one time he realised they had dropped Gabrsellasie. He slowed down allowing other runners to pass him waited for Gabrsellasie, they talked a bit, I think Haile telling him that he was getting tired and that he should just go and then he just took off again overtook everyone and won the race. That is confidence.

Another telling sign is in the Paris Marathon the guy had been running alone for a big part of the second half of the race. As he comes to finish he sees the clock and realises he might miss his target of running under 2:05 so he pushes it a little for an almost sprint finish. To be able to summon a sprint finish at will at the end of a marathon is testament to being in control of his run. He is not exhausted and is capable of upping it as needed.