FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Renowned Coach Renato Canova says new German marathon Record Holder
Arne Gabius has the mind to excel in the next two Championship years
Renato Canova knows a thing or two about preparing athletes for the big
time in the marathon – and big time in more than one sense, not only fast
performances but also the pinnacle of championship excellence. The Italian
had therefore double reason to reflect with pleasure upon the success of
Arne Gabius in Sunday's Frankfurt Marathon. Gabius had run 2:08:33 to break
the German record which had stood for 27 years, having been a regular
recipient of Canova's wisdom since the former's thoughts had turned to the
marathon and then his impressive debut in 2:09:32 in Frankfurt last year.
What Canova witnessed in this year's race was an athlete capable of making
an impact on the Olympic and World Championship marathons.
Looking every inch the eminence grise behind dark glasses and leaning
nonchalantly against a table in the crowded lobby of the race hotel, Renato
Canova explained the path of discussion between adviser and athlete in the
last ten days or so before Frankfurt: "We had two possibilities for the
race, either for Arne to have personal pacemakers and go through halfway no
faster than 64 minutes and then try to run under 2:08 or, and this is what
we chose, for him to run in the lead group which was going through halfway
in 63:30 or 20. We did this because Arne is not so young, he is 34, and,
with a view towards the Olympic and the World Championship marathons over
the next two years, he would have the chance of developing a better
understanding of what happens up front in a race."
The new German record holder's time puts him 12th in this year's list of
leading performances worldwide if you take into account that only three
runners per nation are able to compete in the Olympics. But when you
consider championship prospects, other factors take on far greater
significance than the plethora of fast times we have come to expect from
the talented runners of East Africa in the big city marathons. Arne Gabius
is as much aware of this as Renato Canova: "I'll have a chance of being up
there in the Olympics. There can be surprises in the marathon, anything is
possible. It's very rare [in championship marathons] for the first half to
be run under 65. The American Meb Keflizighi won tactical races in Boston
and New York and won an Olympic silver medal in 2004. It shows surprises
can happen and those kind of stories motivate me."
Gabius still had energy enough several hours after his record to visualise
the ultimate scenario: "If I have a really good day in Rio, I might finish
inside the top 10 and that would be fantastic. My experience of track races
could help me because of the tactical aspect of championship races and that
a lot of super fast marathon runners never run races without pacemakers."
Renato Canova agrees that Gabius has gained crucial insight from the way he
ran here in Frankfurt in his second marathon, ie, being in a large leading
group for much of the race rather than being down the field with his
personal pacemaker: "It was 100% more important that he did this and
learned from it rather running faster but in a competition which was not a
race. I can believe he will improve still further in the marathon and
achieve a high placing in the Olympics but probably his best chance will be
at the World Championships in 2017. All the top Africans want to run the
Olympics but that's not always the case with the World Championships."
While believing that it will be important that Arne Gabius continues to
include fast track sessions in his marathon preparation, pointing to the
German's retention of track speed with a 13:27 for 5,000m indoors this
year, Canova explained his nuanced approach to the marathon: "I believe you
can reduce the volume of running progressively for each marathon because
the body has profited from what you have done before. It's different with
the Africans, they take long breaks after a marathon and many times they
lose what they have. This is not a problem with Arne, he will be "tranquil"
for fifteen days or so and then be back in training."
"Tranquil" might not be the description Arne and Anne might choose as they
prepare their wedding and honeymoon, both to take place in the USA shortly.
Let the marathon sage Renato Canova have the last word on Arne Gabius's
potential for championship success in the marathon: "By 2017 he should have
run five or six marathons and will have a better understanding of tactics.
He has the brain, the mind to manage the competition which is completely
different to one with a rabbit or pacemaker." For all the fascination of
fast times and world record attempts, how refreshing to contemplate
tactical demands as the ultimate test in the marathon.
More Information is available at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com
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