bekele star attraction for marathon with royal touch
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Sports » Run

Bekele star attraction for marathon with Royal touch

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Bekele star attraction for marathon with Royal touch

Ethiopian elite runners, Kenenisa Bekele
London - Arab Today

Ethiopian track legend Kenenisa Bekele believes he is in the sort of form to break Eliud Kipchoge's fastest ever time in the London Marathon on Sunday.

Should the 34-year-old -- who still holds the 5,000 and 10,000 metres world records -- manage that it would be a fitting end to a week that has seen the great race receive even more advance publicity than usual.

That has been thanks to Britain's Prince Harry revealing earlier this week he had sought help from mental health professionals four years ago to resolve the issues arising from the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997.

Indeed the Heads Together campaign -- which is led by Harry, Prince William and the latter's wife Kate and aims to remove the stigma surrounding mental health -- is the official charity for the race this year and it has a particular interest in ten runners with mental health issues running as the 'Mind Over Marathon' group.

"A great man, and a beacon of how to speak out if you're suffering in silence," one of the ten runners Jake Tyler remarked on his Instagram account about Harry and his frank admissions.

Bekele, a three-time Olympic champion (the 10,000m in 2004 and 5,000/10,000 double in 2008), will not face either of the Kenyans who beat him home in London last year with Kipchoge setting a new race record of 2hr 03min 05sec.While those ten will not only raise awareness for the mentally fragile but also badly needed funds, Bekele will be seeking to rake in the cash himself and produce an eye-catching performance.

Bekele, who is also a five-time world track champion, responded later in the year by running the fastest marathon of 2016 in Berlin and he feels he is in that sort of shape for Sunday's renewal.    

"I am in just as good shape as I was in Berlin last year," he told the official race website.

"I think I can improve my personal best, that would be perfect for me.

"Of course, in a marathon anything can happen, but I can say I am ready and full of confidence."

- 'Exiled' -

"I was angry about not going to Rio," said Bekele.Bekele, who seamlessly replaced iconic compatriot Haile Gebrselassie as the king of distance running, says being snubbed for the Olympics last year made his blood boil and motivated him to prove a point to the Ethiopian selectors.

"But because of that I am motivated now all the time to run well.

"Every time I run a marathon now I am excited because each one is really challenging and all the time you are facing different competitors and a different pace."

The selectors may have wished they had opted for Bekele in Rio as one of his compatriots silver medallist Feyisa Lilesa caused a scandal back home after crossing his arms over his head in protest at the Ethiopian crackdown on political dissent.

Lilesa -- who has relatives in prison in Ethiopia -- is now living in exile in the United States but will oppose Bekele on Sunday, the first time he has competed in London since 2014.

"It has been very difficult for me since the Olympics," the 27-year-old told the race website.

"I stayed in the US alone for five months before my family joined me, but I am still exiled from my people. They are still dying and being put in jail.

"I am hearing all the time about what's happening in Ethiopia and when I run I am remembering what's going on.

"It is a very difficult situation. Life is good for me but for my family life has completely changed."

In the women's race all eyes will be on Kenyan legend Mary Keitany bidding for a third London Marathon win after 2011 and 2012 to emulate her feat in New York.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

bekele star attraction for marathon with royal touch bekele star attraction for marathon with royal touch

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

bekele star attraction for marathon with royal touch bekele star attraction for marathon with royal touch

 



GMT 09:51 2017 Sunday ,19 February

Belgium train derailment: One dead and many injured

GMT 23:10 2018 Sunday ,21 January

Air Arabia adds Izmir to Turkey network

GMT 12:42 2016 Wednesday ,10 August

Champs Leicester face renewed challenge

GMT 02:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Masdar, DoT sign MoU

GMT 03:38 2017 Thursday ,28 December

says refs missed three late Durant fouls, one by LeBron

GMT 11:18 2017 Wednesday ,15 February

Reveals plan to get out of financial crisis

GMT 02:13 2017 Wednesday ,04 January

Aerial Attacks Kill 13 Daesh Militants in Iraq

GMT 01:39 2017 Wednesday ,11 January

Mauritanian President Partially Reshuffles Cabinet

GMT 22:11 2017 Saturday ,09 December

HRH Crown Prince meets Lockheed Martin delegation

GMT 12:00 2017 Saturday ,01 April

Philippines' Pacquiao eyes July 2 Horn fight

GMT 05:39 2016 Wednesday ,21 September

Flood destroys at least 4,000 houses in Nigeria

GMT 23:09 2017 Wednesday ,06 December

Mubadala set to reinvent Industry 4.0

GMT 21:36 2016 Wednesday ,01 June

March 20 - April 19

GMT 14:53 2017 Monday ,04 December

NATO chief hails Tillerson role on N.Korea

GMT 05:58 2017 Wednesday ,16 August

Ban Ki-moon Calls on All Egyptians to Stand United
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday