04.11.2009

Marathon man to launch world record bid in Melbourne this month

Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru has outlined his plans to break Haile Gebrselassie's world marathon record next year and will commence his campaign on the streets of Melbourne this month.

The 22-year-old Kenyan is just weeks away from touching down in Melbourne to take on the Great Australian Run on November 29, a 15km road race that will launch his world record bid.

Well aware that Gebrselassie plans to attack his own world mark of 2:03.59 set in Berlin last year when he lines up in the Dubai Marathon on January 22, Wanjiru believes he has the ability to succeed his great Ethiopian rival as the world's ultimate marathon man and is adamant it will happen next September over the same course in the German capital.

"I want to defend my London Marathon title in April and then my plan is to break the world record in Berlin," said Wanjiru, who turns 23 next week.

"I feel very positive that I can do it and will be concentrating and making it my main target for next year. It is a hard record but I feel I am capable of doing so."

Wanjiru was this week crowned winner of the World Marathon Majors series, receiving a cheque for US$500,000 for his 2008 Olympic success and victories in this year's London and Chicago events.

"My next race will be at the Great Australian Run (November 29) in Melbourne," Wanjiru said.

"It's a 15km race and I want to do well on what will be my first trip there.

"I'm not predicting what sort of time I will achieve as I have not yet started training properly since my victory in Chicago three weeks ago and breaking records isn't in my plans."
 
Germany's Irina Mikitenko claimed the women's World Marathon Majors purse for the second successive year.