On target

In a previous column, I wrote about the possibility of breaking two hours in the marathon.  Then in another column,I mentioned Nike and Adidas racing for a sub 2 marathon.  In 2014, Dennis Kimetto of Kenya registered a 2:02:57 in the Berlin Marathon ( Berlin is the ideal venue to break records because of its flat route and sometimes perfect weather).  In last week’s Berlin Marathon, Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge ripped the marathon record held by Kimetto when he won in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds. Kipchoge’s run was the biggest improvement on the marathon mark since Derek Clayton of Australia took almost two and a half minutes off the 1967 record. Kipchoge won the gold in the Rio De Janerio Olympics and also won in Berlin in 2015 and 2017.  In the Nike Breaking Two Project last year, Kipchoge ran two hours  and 25 seconds (2:00:25) but it was  unofficial as he ran with the aid of “illegal” in and out pacemakers.  At age 33, Will Kipchoge still get a crack at a sub2 marathon? Well, the world record has fallen from 2:55:18 to 2:01:39.  I’m pretty sure somebody will come along and shatter the two-hour barrier in the marathon.

Chess olympiad begins

A record 332 teams (185 men and 151 women) will be competing in the 43rd Chess Olympiad which unwraps in Batumi, Georgia. And would you believe the Russians are no longer the heavy favorite to win the crown? Yes sir, the Americans are now the top seed, what with World Chess championship challenger Fabianio Caruano, our former player, Wesly So and Hiraku Nakamura, world’s number 9 and 14 respectively, Sam Shankland rated 27th and Sam Robson as reserves.  The Russians are fielding former champion Vladimir Kramnick (I met Kramnick as a 17-year old in the 1992 Chess Olympiad held in Manila). Kramnick is now rated No.8.  Also suiting up for Russia are No. 12 Ian Nepomniachtchi, No 15 Sergey Kariakin and No. 18, Demitre Jakovenko.

Did you know?

PIPPA MIDDLETON sister of Prince William’s wife Kate, is a dedicated marathon runner and has finished the Great Wall Marathon in China in 4:54,  placing 13th in the women’s division.

WILLIE NELSON said he and Merly Haggard, although they lived hard, they tried to be healthy”. We used to go jogging a lot, we’d burn one down and run two miles in cowboy boots”, said Nelson.  In 2013, I visited Willie’s souvenir shop in Nashville, Tennessee.

PAUL PILKINGTON The designated “rabbit” in the 1994 Los Angeles Marathon hit the halfway split on the requested 1:05 but with nobody around him.  Pilkington opted to stay in the race and to the surprise of his pursuers, who assumedthat he will drop out, won the race in2:12:13.