Kenya’s marathon star has eyes set on world record

Nairobi, Oct 5 (IANS) Kenya's marathon sensation and Olympic champion, Eliud Kipchoge on Thursday said his sights were still on the world record despite failing to better the mark during the Berlin Marathon two weeks ago.

Kipchoge told a media briefing in Nairobi that the outcome in Berlin gives him yet another opportunity to push hard for the world record, blaming his miss there to bad weather, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It was very difficult for the world record to fall under the inclement weather in which the race was run. The rain stiffened the muscles and made it hard for one to give it their all. However, I am still happy to have won the race," Kipchoge said.

The world's leading marathon runner entered the race as hot favourite to win the event with a world record to boot, but missed the mark in spite of winning the race in a time of 2:03:32 after shaking off his last surviving Ethiopian rival, Guye Adola, after 41 kilometres.

Kipchoge was one of the top three marathon runners in the world who included countryman and former world record holder, Wilson Kipsang and the second fastest marathoner, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia who lined up for an onslaught on Kenya's Dennis Kimetto's world mark that stands at 2:02:57.

"I believe in aiming at one target at a time. If you go to the forest to hunt for rabbits, concentrate on what took you there because if you diverge you will miss your goal. I am yet to strategise but I am prepared to break the world record anywhere in the world," he said in response to questions on when he will make the next world record-breaking attempt.

"I pushed my body to the limit. As for now I just want to go home and relax with my family and strategise for next year," he added.

The third fastest marathoner of all time said it was a battle of wits because he did not know how to handle the runners-up, Guye Adola because the Ethiopian was running his debut marathon and he did not know what sort of tactics he possessed.

"Whereas I did not have a problem with the other runners, Adola posed a dilemma but I was able to handle it and cross the finish line first," he noted.