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'A close race and a world record would be lovely,' says Bedford
Elite race coordinator Dave Bedford is hoping for a world record at this
Sunday's Virgin Money London Marathon when some of the greatest male
marathon racers of all time go head-to-head through the streets of the
British capital in pursuit of one of the biggest prizes in global running.
Bedford has been assembling the event's world class fields for more than
two decades and believes this year he has a near perfect blend of record
breakers and race winners that could produce one of the classic finishes in
36 years of London Marathons.
Bedford's line-up for 2016 pitches last year's in-form winner Eliud
Kipchoge, recently crowned the Series IX Abbott World Marathon Majors
champion, against the speed of former and current world record breakers,
Wilson Kipsang and Dennis Kimetto, plus the racing nouse of world champion
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, the emerging talent of New York champion Stanley
Biwott and the unpredictable brilliance of track great Kenenisa Bekele.
It all adds up to a marathon mix to match the men's race of 2002 when
Khalid Khannouchi outsprinted distance running legends Paul Tergat and
Haile Gebrselassie to not only take the title but break the world record
too, the only time the men's world mark has been set in London.
"The ideal circumstances is a fast race and what you really want is people
being competitive," says Bedford. "And of course in 2002 you had that
amazing race and the world record too.
"So, another close race and world record would be lovely."
As for who will come out on top if such a race unfurls in five days time,
Bedford has no hesitation in picking Kipchoge as the man to beat.
"His win last year, and in Berlin last September, indicates that whenever
he runs he is ready," says Bedford. "He's not had a bad one yet, so he will
be the odds on favourite with the bookies without any doubt."
Kipsang should again be his closest challenger, Bedford predicts. The 2012
and 2014 London Marathon champion was second last year when Kipchoge beat
him by just five seconds, but he dropped out of the World Championship race
last August and could only finish fourth in New York in November.
"He'd have to be on sparkling form to win," says Bedford. "And it would
almost be an upset if that happened."
Following his New York win, Biwott may be the other man to watch. Bedford
describes the man who was second here in 2014 and fourth last year as "one
who's been coming through steadily."
"Now I think we'll see him at his best and on a good day he could also be a
contender," he says.
World champion Ghebreslassie, on the other hand, is "a dark horse" whose
win in Beijing showed he has the talent to do well in a tough field.
"The fact that Kipsang and Kimetto were in that race too and didn't finish
shouldn't worry us," he says. "But it was a great win for him and you can't
be a world champion and mug at the same time.
"But whether he can match it with these guys running 2:03:30 to 2:04 pace
remains to be seen."
Kipchoge, Kipsang, Kimetto, Biwott, Bekele and Ghebreslassie will all
appear at a press conference at 12:00 at the Tower Hotel, London, on
Wednesday 20 April.
Click here for a list of all 2016 Race Week press conferences.
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