Kenenisa Bekele winning the 2019 Berlin Marathon (© Organisers)
Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele will pursue a third BMW Berlin Marathon victory when he returns to the World Athletics Platinum Elite Label road race on 26 September.
The multiple world and Olympic champion first won in Berlin in 2016, setting what was then an Ethiopian record of 2:03:03. He returned in 2019 and won in 2:01:41, reclaiming the Ethiopian record and coming within two seconds of Eliud Kipchoge’s world record.
He has raced just once since then, winning at the Big Half in London in 1:00:22 last year. But despite his recent relative lack of racing, he is confident of producing another memorable run in Berlin.
“I’ll head back to the BMW Berlin Marathon with good energy and motivation,” said Bekele, who won the 2009 world 5000m and 10,000m titles in the German capital. “My last race in Berlin motivated me a lot, so I hope I will fulfil my plan this year.”
Organisers for World Athletics
