FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympic Qualification Looming Large At the 22nd Volkswagen Prague Marathon
The question posed to Biruktayit Degefa Eshetu was straightforward and yet
so complex. How fast do you need to run in order to qualify for Ethiopia's
Olympic marathon team?
After a moment's pause, no doubt taking in to consideration the notoriously
fickle nature of team selection in East Africa, Eshetu came up with a lofty
goal for Sunday's Volkswagen Prague Marathon.
"I think I would need to run 2:21 or 2:22," she said through her
interpreter, a response which drew applause from Carlo Capalbo, President
of the Prague International Marathon Organizing Committee.
Why? Should Eshetu achieve that lofty goal, not only would she break the
course record but she would land in in the Top 55 all-time, two
achievements which should grab the attention of Ethiopian officials.
While Rio selection has been an underlying theme to every marathon during
this spring racing season, it is foremost on the minds of elite runners in
the Prague Marathon, which will serve as the last realistic chance for many
to qualify for the Games.
With a relatively flat layout – there are only about 150m lost in elevation
– and ideal weather forecasted (58F/14C) for the start, dozens of runners
have entered the race with the explicit goal of achieving Olympic
qualification.
"For almost 40 runners from the elite field, this race is not only for the
podium but it is a run for Rio," Jana Moberly, elite athlete coordinator
for PIM, said. "This race is extremely important for Olympic selection to
the national teams in Ireland, Greece, Eritrea, Brazil, Mongolia,
Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Italy, Finland, Slovakia, and Portugal. It's their last
chance."
For Eshetu, the road to Rio selection will be difficult as four of the five
fastest times run in 2016 have been by her fellow countrywomen. That is why
the focus of her training since winning the Houston Marathon in January has
been on increasing the speed of all her workouts.
"My goal for Sunday is to run faster than my PR of 2:23:51," Eshetu, who
trains in Albuquerque, N.M., said. "I have to run a fast time."
If Eshetu's odds of making an Olympic team are long, the chances for Felix
Kandie are otherworldly as Kenya has seen seven athletes just this year run
under his personal-best of 2:07:07, and that doesn't even count Dennis
Kimetto and Wilson Kipsang, the current and former world record holders in
the marathon.
But that hasn't stopped Kandie from thinking about running a fast enough
time in defense of his men's title to legitimately throw his hat into his
country's already-overloaded ring of Olympic candidates.
"Based on past performances, with hard work a time of (under) 2:05 is
possible," Kandie said. "I will try and see what I can get for a time. This
is the last chance that we have to make the team. It is really hard but I
will try my best. I have given everything I have in preparation, and it has
been very good. I prepared hard last year and I won last year. I came back
for the half-marathon, and I am ready again this year now."
Runners from the Olympic host nation of Brazil will be jockeying for final
Olympic positioning throughout this 26.2-mile run through the Czech
capital.
Based on time, Marilson Gomes Dos Santos (2:11:00 Hamburg, 2015), Paulo
Paula (2:11:02 Fukuoka, 2015) and Solonei Silva (2:13:15 Milan, 2015) stand
to be chosen to Brazil's men's team. But Sunday's race is a final
opportunity for those three to solidify their standing and for a runner
like Damiao Anselmo DeSouza to crack the top three and earn a spot. On the
women's side, Adriana Silva (2:35:28 Nagoya, 2015), Marily Santos (2:37:25
Seville, 2015) and Graciete Santana (2:38:33 Seville, 2016) will be looking
to solidify their top-three standing.
In Eritrea, achieving the qualifying standard of 2:13:00 is no guarantee
for selection considering Ghirmay Ghereslassie (2:07:46, London, 2016),
Amanuel Mesel (2:08:18 Warsaw, 2015), Kibrom Ghebrezgiabhier (2:09:36
London, 2015), Stifanos Tewelde (2:09:16 Frankfurt, 2015) and Yared Asmerom
(2:09:41 Tokyo, 2015) have all gone way below the standard.
For Asmerom (2:07:27 PR), Beraki Beyene (2:08:27 PR), Yohannes
Ghebregergish (debut) and Samuel Tsegay (2:07:28 PR), ending the Sunday in
the top three on the national list is all that matters.
Among local running fans, all eyes will be on a group of Czech runners
looking to achieve their country's qualifying time in their last
opportunity to do so. Eva Vrabcova, a three-time Winter Olympian in
cross-country skiing, will be making her marathon debut in a bid to become
the 35th athlete ever to compete in the Summer and Winter Olympics. The
30-year-old finished 10th in a personal-best 71:06 in last month's Prague
Half Marathon and needs to run 2:35 or faster to punch her ticket to Rio.
On the men's side, Jan Kreisinger, Jiri Homolac, Vit Pavlista and Petr
Pechek will all be in pursuit of the Czech Athletic Federation's qualifying
standard of 2:15.
Joe Battaglia for the Organizers
National Olympic Qualifying Times Of Note
Men
Brazil: 2:19
Czech Republic: 2:15
Eritrea: 2:13
Finland: 2:16
Greece: 2:19
Ireland: 2:14:30
Kyrgyzstan: 2:19
Mongolia: 2:19
Portugal: 2:14:30
Slovakia: 2:19
Women
Brazil: 2:45
Czech Republic: 2:35
Ireland 2:37
Italy: 2:30:30
Kyrgyzstan: 2:45
Mongolia: 2:45
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