Press Release - Berlin Half Marathon - 3/28/14

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

            Leonard Komon Goes for World Half Marathon Record 
                        at First Attempt in Berlin 

Leonard Komon hopes to make his half marathon debut one to remember. 
Speaking at a press conference two days prio to the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF 
MARATHON the Kenyan said he wants to break the world record at his first 
attempt. Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) is the current record holder with a time 
of 58:23 from Lisbon 2010. Ethiopia's Tadelech Bekele is the favourite in 
the women's race while Germany's Sabrina Mockenhaupt could do well. 30,028 
runners have entered the nation's biggest and best quality half marathon. 
The race will be shown live on the internet at: www.scc-events.com

Although Berlin has seen plenty of road running world records in the past 
the half marathon distance does not feature on that list yet. Leonard Komon 
now wants to change this. It is an ambitious project for someone who has 
not run further than 10 miles in competition. But his world records at 10k 
and 15k suggest that the 26 year-old is capable of doing it. With his 10k 
time of 26:44 Komon still is the only runner who has broken 27 minutes on 
the road. At 15k his world record stands at 41:13.

Regarding the world record the Kenyan said during a press conference in 
Berlin: "I have this time in my mind. If the pacemakers are doing well I 
think it will be possible for me to break it." 

Breaking the course record on the flat and fast course would be some 
achievement as well. It was back in 2007 when Patrick Makau (Kenya) clocked 
a world-class time of 58:56. Komon already holds one course record in 
Berlin. In 2010 he won the 10k race Asics Grand 10 with 27:12, which is 
also a German allcomers' record. Actually the Kenyan won this race four 
times in a row, from 2010 to 2013. So when he now returns to the German 
capital he will be on familiar territory. This should be an advantage for 
Komon. "I am happy to be back in Berlin and compete here for the fifth 
time," Komon said. 

With Komen likely to run at world record pace he will probably only be 
surrounded by a couple of pacemakers. For the other elite runners this pace 
should be too fast. There are two Kenyans on the start list who have run 
sub one hour times already. Lucas Rotich  has a personal best of 59:44 
while Daniel Chebii ran 59:49. Ethiopia's Abera Kuma (60:19) and Abraham 
Cheroben (Kenya/60:38) could also be in contention for a place on the 
podium. 

Tadelech Bekele is the fastest runner entered into the women's field. The 
Ethiopian has a personal best of 68:38. But more significant is her 
improvement at the 10k distance last autumn in Berlin. She was second in 
the Asics Grand 10 with 30:38, moving up to seventh in the alltime list at 
that distance. This clearly shows that she has the potential for a much 
faster half marathon as well. 

Sabrina Mockenhaupt is the second fastest on the start list with a time of 
68:45. When she clocked this PB back in 2009 she won the Vattenfall BERLIN 
HALF MARATHON. In 2010 she came back to this race, taking third with 69:57. 
But there was a less good experience for her in 2011. Mockenhaupt had 
entered the race as the favourite, but dropped out. "With the exception of 
that race three years ago I have always done well when I ran in Berlin. So 
I am looking forward to Sunday. I believe this year can be a good one for 
me," said Sabrina Mockenhaupt, who also clocked her 10k best of 31:49 and 
her marathon PB of 2:26:21 in Berlin. "I hope to run sub 70 minutes on 
Sunday." With such a result she could make the podium. Apart from Bekele 
two Kenyans will be her main rivals: Agnes Mutune has a PB of 70:05 while 
Alice Kibor has run 71:13. 

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