SM
Real Madrid vs AC Milan: 6 hrs 22 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Kenenisa Bekele pulls out of London Marathon through injury

:Headline: Kenenisa Bekele pulls out of London Marathon through injury: ID:416917: from db_amp
Kenenisa Bekele has a calf problem.

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, the second fastest marathon runner in history, has withdrawn from this Sunday's London Marathon.

Bekele, who was due to race for the first time since he clocked two hours 01.41 minutes to win the 2019 Berlin Marathon, has a calf injury.

His withdrawal means there will be no showdown with Kenya's four-time winner and world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Bekele said: "I am very disappointed that I cannot race on Sunday.

"It has been a tough preparation time with lockdown when I couldn't have my team around me. I was in good shape, but then I picked up a niggle in my left calf after two fast training sessions too close together in the last weeks of preparation.

"I have been having treatment every day since then and I truly believed I would be ready, but today it is worse and I now know I cannot race on it.

"This race was so important to me. My time in Berlin last year gave me great confidence and motivation and I was looking forward to show that again, I have worked so hard for it.

"I know many people around the world have been looking forward to this race and I am sorry to disappoint my fans, the organisers and my fellow competitors. I will take time to recover and become fit again and I hope to be back in London next year."

World record holder Eliud Kipchoge will compete on Sunday (Handout/PA).

This year's race is restricted to elite athletes, with the usual 45,000 runners unable to take part due to the coronavirus pandemic, and will be run behind closed doors rather than along the traditional street route.

Britain's Jonny Mellor, who ran 2hrs 10.05mins in Seville in February, feels the new course – 19.7 laps around St James' Park – could be conducive to some quick times.

"It could be one of the fastest marathons you get to run," said the 33-year-old.

"There's no elevation on the course, it's nice and sheltered in the park, you can see other people ahead of you in the race. I'm looking at the positives.

"If you are having a good day it could be really good. But if it's a bad day it could be quite tough out there. It should be interesting, a bit of a novelty, and something to look forward to.

“It could be one of the fastest marathons you get to run. There's no elevation on the course, it's nice and sheltered in the park, you can see other people ahead of you in the race”
- Jonny Mellor

"We've done a little bit more on the track to prepare for it but at the end of the day it's still 26.2 miles. If I can get under 2:10 I'll be delighted."

Mellor already has the Olympic qualifying mark of 2:11.30 under his belt and fellow Brit Chris Thompson is desperate to join him.

"That's the aim and hopefully I can be in the mix," said Thompson, 39.

"Along with all the Brits everyone is looking for that Olympic standard. It feels like a free hit at it, because two or three months ago this opportunity wasn't there."

Sir Mo Farah will act as a pacemaker in the men's race.

amp_article__416917 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-10-02 16:21:20:
html db last update - 2020-10-02 16:21:20 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Kenenisa Bekele

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .