FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Berlin, Friday, Sept. 28, 09.30gmt
FAMOUS PACERS
It's getting so that the pacemakers are as famous as the performers. And
when you have Haile Gebrselassie and Gete Wami defending their titles in
the real_Berlin Marathon on Sunday, that's saying something. When news of
Sonia O'Sullivan's impending retirement from international athletics was
announced earlier this year, few expected her to pop up in a marathon at
the eleventh hour and 59 minutes. But, if she was going to have a last
fling at the 42k, this was the one to do. Berlin has the flattest fastest
course in the world, as the 2.04.55 world record of Paul Tergat here in
2003 testifies to. But if Sullivan's name on the start list raised the
eyebrows a fraction, the same eyebrows shot up into the scalp when the name
of her pacemaker was added to the list. For it's none other than Craig
Mottram, former world bronze medallist at 5000 metres, and multi-Australian
record holder.
What's more, Mottram is competing in the Great North Run 3000 metres in
Newcastle, in the north-east of the United Kingdom on Saturday afternoon.
And the Berlin Marathon begins at 9am on Sunday. "It's going to be a bit of
a rush," said Mottram, by phone from his London base. "I've got a 3k road
race, go straight to the airport, have to change flights, and get into
Berlin at 11 o'clock at night. Then I have to be up early, so it's not
ideal. And I'm flying back to Australia on Monday. But Sonia's given me a
lot of help over the years. This is a way of giving a bit back, and
hopefully she'll continue to help me in future".
"I wish I was up to taking advantage of a superstar pacemaker," said
O'Sullivan, who herself arrived in Berlin late Thursday evening. The
Irishwoman - who also has Aussie nationality after marriage to Nic Bideau,
who coaches both her and Mottram - admits that her marathon career didn't
quite measure up to her high expectations. A twice world cross champion on
the same weekend in 1998, a world gold in 1995, and an Olympic silver medal
in 2000, both at 5000 metres, she has run no faster than a 2.29.01 in
London 2005. And at 37, does not expect to be anywhere near that on Sunday.
Bideau had said earlier in the week, he thought she would do between 2.35
and 2.45 in Berlin. To which O'Sullivan responded, "If I do 2.35, I'll be
overjoyed.
I ran Dublin (Marathon) in 2000, after Sydney, without any long distance
preparation, and did 2.35. So after training hard for New York in 2002, I
expected to do much better, and in fact, I only did 2.32. So, it didn't add
up. I expected to be ten minutes faster. I never announced my retirement
this year, it was sort of done for me. I went to the Great Irish Run in
April, preparing to say it would be the last time I ran seriously in
Ireland, and I got injured, and didn't do well, so sort of forgot the
retirement 'thing'. But it got announced for me. I intended to come here
two years ago, but got injured again. So I'm just here 'collecting' things
I didn't do during my career. This is one of the famous courses, that's why
I'm running.
"If anything, Craig is looking forward to it more than me. It was mostly
his idea (to pace to 30k). We train together all the time, and we ran the
Great North Run together last year, in 75 minutes, which was a half decent
time. So he said he'd do the same thing for me here. He's really excited.
He's never been in a major marathon field, and I think he wants to see what
it's like".
Mottram picked up a hamstring injury two weeks before the recent World
Championships, and although it was healed before Osaka, the lost training
resulted in a 13th place in the 5000 metres for the Aussie, who had won
bronze at the same distance in Helsinki two years ago. But after Beijing,
he says he'll consider running a marathon properly. "I'm doing the 5000
metres in Beijing, I've got some unfinished business there. But between
Beijing and London, I'll try a marathon, and if it works out, I may run the
marathon in London 2012".
Mottram isn't the only famous name on the list of pacemakers in Berlin. One
of the men taking Gebrselassie through 30 kilometres is Rodgers Rop of
Kenya, another 'superstar,' by dint of his victories in the Boston and New
York marathons in 2002. He also won Hamburg earlier this year. But unlike
Mottram, who is helping out a pal, pacing Berlin is a means to two ends for
Rop. "I'm doing my preparation for New York (November 4), so this fits in
well. I want to come here (to race) next year, so I thought it would be a
good idea to take a look at the course. But it's my ambition to win New
York again first, and I think I'm capable of doing that".
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