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World record holder Wanjiru set for Great North Run

Posted July 17th, 2007 at 12:45 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Samuel Wanjiru world record half-marathon The fastest man ever over the half-marathon distance, Samuel Wanjiru, has set his sights on Zersenay Tadesse’s course record at September’s Great North Run in Great Britain, organizers announced today.

“I don’t know about the course, but maybe when I come there, I intend trying to make a course record,” Wanjiru said through a press release, referring to Tadesse’s 59:05 course record set in 2005.

Wanjiru’s pending world record of 58:35 was set in The Hague on Mar. 17, an improvement over his own 58:53 set in Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 9. He is the only man to ever break the 59 minute barrier twice.

“I think I can go faster than Tadesse and maybe go 58-something,” Wanjiru added.

Wanjiru, who is only 20, lives and trains in Japan and has been in that Asian nation since he was a teenager. He is on the Toyota Kyushu team, competing for them in Japan’s famous corporate ekidens.

“Everyone is really supportive there and trains really hard,” Wanjiru said.

Wanjiru still uses his native Kenya for training, especially in the winter. He trains near Nairobi with marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat. Both athletes are managed by Federico Rosa.

“In January when it is winter in Japan and very cold, I go home and stay there until April,” he explained. “I go to Kenya’s central region which is great for high altitude training. It also gives me the opportunity to be with Tergat. He is just like my father because he gives me good advice. Paul is also fun to be with because of his vast experience of life travelling the world.”

The Great North Run, which is run on a point-to-point course from Newcastle to South Shields, is the world’s largest half-marathon. Last year’s edition had 36,264 finishers. It will be held on Sunday, September 30.