Kenya's Makau hopes to recapture world marathon record

Nairobi, May 17: Fukuoka marathon silver medallist Patrick Makau of Kenya is hopeful his early return to fitness will push him forward to stage a fast race at the Berlin Marathon in September.

The Kenyan, whose last competitive race was in December in Japan, says he still has enough strength to chase the world title, reports Xinhua news agency.

Makua set a world record in Berlin in 2011, posting a time of 2:03:38, but has been helpless because of nagging injuries, as his mark has been shattered twice by compatriots Wilson Kipsang (2:03:02) and Dennis Kimetto (2:02:57).

However, commenting on Nike Corporation's attempt to break the two-hour mark with a controlled race in Monza, Italy, Makau said it was not right to stage a race like that and marathon running is all about altitude and focus and that to win in a controlled event is not good.

"Running in Monza by my friend Eliud Kipchoge was not about the spirit of running. Good running is when we consider the rules of IAAF. What he did can't be accepted. It was not correct and most fans don't support that," he said here on Tuesday.

Kipchoge, the Rio Olympics marathon champion, narrowly missed out the target of becoming the first man to run the marathon distance in under two hours with a time of 2:00:24.

Makau is not impressed and wants the Olympic champion to try and break the world record in a fast course like Berlin.

"In Monza, Kipchoge had a lot of short cuts and technology to help him. It was like in an experiment, where everything is controlled for certain outcome. That is not sport. Run in an open and certified course and see how much the human body can be pushed," he said.

On his plans for the season, Makau was happy to be back fit and said he eyes to win in Berlin in another fast time.

"The last two years have been tough for me. I was in and out of hospital with injuries. But I did well in Fukuoka last December and then again I got injured and had to pull out of Boston Marathon. You will now see a different Makau in Berlin," he said.

In April, Makau suffered an acute injury of the soft tissue surrounding his left knee that forced him to withdraw from the Boston race.

Makau hasn't been in top form for several years since he set the world record at the 2011 Berlin Marathon.