Kenenisa Bekele exclusive: “I haven’t reached my peak yet in the marathon”
It’s not easy being Kenenisa Bekele.
For nearly 25 years, his name has been synonymous with running.
A long journey of pushing himself and setting ambitious yet achievable goals.
The five-time Olympic medallist was the ultimate competitor, practically unbeatable across various surfaces, earning 19 global titles on both the track and in cross-country events.
A decade into his marathon career, he continues to contend with significant expectations every time he steps up to the starting line, despite not quite being able to replicate his track and cross-country success on the roads.
“I never achieved my maximum effort in the marathon. I've been struggling for a long time with injury,” he shares in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.
“I train hard, but I have never finished all my trainings in a good way because of injury.”
The Ethiopian believes that he could have secured another victory in a World Marathon Major, in addition to his two wins in Berlin. He feels he could have also broken a world record, becoming the holder for the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon simultaneously, solidifying his iconic status.
While he acknowledges that he's faced some challenges in the marathon, he remains committed, working diligently to reach the 'Bekele level'.
“My mind tells me that I can still do better in the marathon… I have so many goals. The Olympics is in front of us…maybe [Paris] will be my last Olympics.”
After setting the masters world record of 2:04:19 at the Valencia Marathon where he finished in fourth place.
His Olympic dream now hinges on his performance at the upcoming race in London on Sunday 21, April.
Kenenisa Bekele destroyed his opponents with his trademark finishing kick on track.
Kenenisa Bekele on the long struggle with persistent injuries
Kenenisa Bekele’s success on track serves as a source of inspiration for many runners, including himself.
During his prime, he would dominate his opponents with his trademark finishing kick, memorable performances that earned him the distinction of being the first athlete to hold the titles of Olympic, World, and World Cross Country Champion.
For Bekele, running was not only a means to secure a better life but also a form of personal expression. Even though he seldom interacted with the media, he preferred to communicate in his native Amharic.
He diligently worked on improving his proficiency in the English language, driven by his aspiration to be the best in all aspects of his career. This determined mindset played a crucial role in propelling the five-time Olympic medallist to legendary status in long-distance running, culminating in Olympic victories in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, along with five world outdoor titles.
When he switched to the marathon after contending with a persistent knee injury in his final track years, Bekele's relentless pursuit of greatness remained unwavering.
His debut marathon time of 2:05:04 in Paris in 2014, which currently places him towards the bottom of the list of the 100 fastest marathoners, was quicker than marathon greats such Haile Gebrselassie, Paul Tergat and the late Samuel Wanjiru did on their first attempt.
Kenenisa Bekele's debut at the 2014 Paris Marathon was faster than that of marathon greats Haile Gebrselassie, Paul Tergat and the late Samuel Wanjiru.
But what followed was a season clouded by a myriad of injuries that has characterised most of his marathon career. There was the old Achilles pain, a back issue, calf, hips, hamstring.
“The injuries have moved from one place of the body to another. It has been a disaster,” he admitted.
His body took in a lot. It was amazing how much his mental side was able to take in while coping with the injuries.
Bekele always bounced back, making it to the start lines of several top races, including finishing in third place behind Eliud Kipchoge at the 2016 London Marathon.
That season was possibly one of the few good periods he trained and ran nearly pain-free, and and he was understandably bitter about not being selected for the Ethiopian marathon team for Rio 2016.
A month after the Games, he won the 2016 Berlin Marathon but fell short in his attempt at the world record.
Another watershed moment in his career was in the German capital in 2019 when he painfully missed the world record by just two seconds. What followed were long, gruelling training sessions and runs in pursuit of his mythical past.
“I've been struggling with injury…,”the 11-time World Cross Country champion tells Olympics.com as he continues his preparations for his first run in nine months in Spain.
“Marathon training is really difficult… Every day you train, go for long runs…very hard challenging training and not to no to finish in a good way is hard.”
Kenenisa Bekele: Pushing himself to the limits
Bekele’s personal best of 2:01:41 from Berlin 2019 still stands as the third-fastest time ever recorded, trailing behind the Kenyan pair of Kiptum, the new world record holder, and Kipchoge.
This achievement continues to inspire, countering a prevailing sentiment in the running world that his moments of brilliance have dimmed.
“Of course, this keeps me going,” the 41-year-old agrees. “My mind also tells me that I can still do better in the marathon.”
“I know my potential,” he continues, addressing the persistent question of why he continues to persevere, even in the face of recurring injuries, as exemplified by his most recent race at the London Marathon in April.
“I still have more better runs ahead for maybe a few more years.” Kenenisa Bekele to Olympics.com.
He was fired up and eager to maintain that momentum when he made his debut at the 2023 Valencia Marathon, won by compatriot Sisay Lemma.
“I know that the course is very fast. And [on the entry list] there are many strong competitors from different countries, so the expectations are very high among the fans and also from people who follow the sport. For me, it's not going to be an easy challenge after injury.
“But of course, I want to be a strong competitor. I'm not going just for participation. I will use my maximum effort to do anything possible. At this time, it's a really difficult to talk about [running] my personal best, that’s a big challenge, but I will try my best."
Since his first Olympics in Athens, where he secured the 10,000m gold and a silver in the 5000m, Bekele has consistently been in contention for various achievements, a mindset that continues to drive his motivation.
“I have so many goals still,” he says.
“I want to try the [Masters] world record in the future. At this moment, the Olympics also in front of us. I really want to participate in the marathon at the Olympics.
“I'll try my best, but it’s not going to be easy.
“[Qualifying for the] Olympics in Ethiopia is a big challenge. There are many athletes, who qualify for the Olympics. They are fast and strong, because we have many athletes at the same level who qualify for selection.”
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation is anticipated to announce its provisional marathon teams for Paris 2024 based on athletes' performances in 2023 up to the London Marathon.
Kenenisa Bekele: A sub 2-hour marathon now possible
The track star made a comeback to the roads at a time when runners are edging ever closer to achieving what was once deemed impossible in marathon running.
Bekele believes it's now only a matter of time before the sub-two-hour barrier is shattered in an official marathon race.
“I didn’t think someone will be running 2:00 hours, or 2:0 something this soon… It surprised everyone,” Bekele says of the new mark, which only Kipchoge had beaten in 2019 in a time trial in Vienna.
“No one expected Kelvin Kiptum, a newcomer, to run 2:00 in his third marathon… nobody expected it. But after running like that, maybe he himself can run under two hours next time, or maybe somebody else will come and surprise us.”
Bekele expects the marathon finishing times to get even quicker, not only because of the improved shoe technology, but with the influx of younger athletes stepping up to the marathon.
“Marathon really training is very difficult. Every day you train long runs in the hard training, so when you are 24 years and when you are 40 years, it's not the same. Recovery wise, the body will not recover easily. When I was 24 years old, I didn’t feel any tiredness and my body after one or two hours felt fresh. Now I need more recovery time.”
Nevertheless, Bekele remains steadfast; he has unfinished business.
He recently inked a new deal with the Chinese brand Anta, parting ways with his longtime partner Nike, as well as the NN Running team, the management group he had been associated with alongside Kipchoge.
“Anta are not only sponsoring me as an individual, but they also want to sport my sport centre and the younger generations that use this track daily.”
Running has not been the sole focus of his life; he's one of the East African athletes who have adeptly balanced their sports careers with business pursuits.
He is the owner of a hotel and track in Suluta, located just 10km from the capital Addis Ababa. This facility currently accommodates approximately 200 athletes daily for training.
“I always remember my past, how challenging it was to find some sports track for training. For athletes who train for track races, track is very important for them. Anta came to visit my camp, and they saw athletes running on the track despite part of the running track being damaged. And they were willing to help in that too.”