STORYLINE:

Top marathon runners Eluid Kipchoge, Wilson Kipsang and Zersenay Tadese joined Tirunesh Dibaba, Glady Cherono and Edna Kiplagat in the shadow ot the famous Brandenburg Gate to look ahead to the Berlin Marathon in Germany on Friday (14th September).  

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Two days before there 45th Berlin Marathon takes place in the German capital, some of the favourites for the men's and women's races were invited to the famous Brandenburg Gate to promote the event.

The Berlin marathon has adopted the nickname 'the fastest marathon in the world' on the back of ten world record having been set on the course over the years.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, the current men's Olympic champion and Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic 10,000 metres champion, will both start as favourites in the men's and women's races.

However, it will not be a stroll for either on Sunday.

While he might carry the favourite's tag with ease, the pressure is on Kipchoge to break a world record that was set in Berlin four years ago by his compatriot Dennis Kimetto at 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds.   

Kipchoge has got as close as 2:03:05.

He has also won his last eight marathons in a run stretching back to Berlin in 2013.

Lining up against Kipchoge will be fellow countrymen Wilson Kipsang, Eliud Kiptanui and Amos Kipruto, plus Abera Kuma of Ethiopia.

Kipsang ran well at Tokyo in 2017, taking first place ahead of compatriots Gideon Kipketer and Dickson Chumba in a time of 2:03:58, but he dropped out of the Berlin run last year.

Kiptanui and Kipruto are experienced campaigners both with personal bests around 2 hours and five minutes.

Kuma has also been on the circuit for several years, though his personal best came just this spring, a 2:05:50 time in Rotterdam.

The women's race is more evenly balanced.

The main threat to Dibaba is likely to come from her fellow Ethiopians Aselefech Mergia and Ruti Aga, and Kenyan pair Gladys Cherono and Edna Kiplagat.  

Cherono won the Berlin marathon for the second time last year and, along with the other prominent names, will be hoping that their greater experience can be brought to bear on Dibaba, who will be competing in only her fifth marathon.   

However, that might just mean that the best of Dibaba is yet to come.

Her personal best of 2:17:56 places her behind only Paula Radcliffe and Mary Keitany on the all-time list.

Hotel Intercontinental and Brandenburg Gate Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 14th September 2018.

1. 00:00 Rio Olympic marathon champion Eluid Kipchoge (right) is greeted by a firend prior to the press conference

2. 00:07 Eluid Kipchoge (left) sitting with Wilson Kipsang (centre) and Zersenay Tadese (right) at the beginning of press conference

3. 00:11 Kipchoge, Kipsang and Tadese walk onto stage

4. 00:17 SOUNDBITE (English): Zersenay Tadese, Eritrea:

"Yes I hope so, because I have prepared well and I will try my best."

5. 00:27 Cutaway camera

6. 00:31 Kipchoge, Kipsang and Tadese in profile

7. 00:36 SOUNDBITE (English): Eluid Kipchoge, Kenya:

"My last race was in London in April and after going back to training, all has been well, up to the last of my training sessions at the beginning of this week and I can assure you that we will have a good race on Sunday..."

(Q: So you're only focused on Berlin, you're not doing any other races?)

"No. Absolutely my full focus is on this race."

8. 01:04 Cutaway camera

9. 01:09 SOUNDBITE (English): Wilson Kipsang, Kenya:

"For me I think my last race was, in which I did very well, was last year in New York, but this year running in New York wasn't well (doesn't fit the schedule), but all true, I've just been training and preparing for Berlin."

10. 01:22 Wide shot of stage

11. 01:29 SOUNDBITE (English): Wilson Kipsang, Kenya:

"I think all has really been going very well. I'm really focusing so much, I think what is left for me is to secure it on Sunday."

12. 01:40 Tadese and Kipchoge in profile

13. 01:45 SOUNDBITE (English): Wilson Kipsang, Kenya:

"If I try to look back to 2013 when I broke the world record, I ran a negative split so that is... basically my plan run under 6130 (one hour, one minute and 30 seconds), which is a world record pace, but run a negative split in the second half (of the race)."

14. 02:02 Wide of press conference.

15. 02:06 SOUNDBITE (English): Eluid Kipchoge, Kenya:

"Its already in the back of my mind... I will try my best to run in Tokyo."

16. 02:15 Wie shot Kipchoge and Kipsang on stage

17. 02:19 SOUNDBITE (English): Eluid Kipchoge, Kenya:

(on his experience of Japanese marathon runners)

"Oh, I met two of them last June when I visited Tokyo and they are preparing very well towards 2020 Olympics."

18. 02:30 Cutaway photographer.

19. 02:35 SOUNDBITE (English): Wilson Kipsang, Kenya:

(on the 2020 Olympics and Japanese marathon runners)

"I think for me 2020 is too far (away at the moment). A lot of things can happen in between, but I am looking forward. By that time that I should still be in top shape that I may qualify and be selected as one of the representatives from Kenya for the 2020 Olympics."

20. 02:57 Cutaway press taking photographs

21. 03:01 Kipchoge, Kipsang and Tadese on stage

22. 03:06 Pan up to Kipchoge, Kipsang and Tadese holding their name tags

23. 03:11 Wide of marathon runners and press

24. 03:18 Kenyan marathon runner Glady Cherono waves to the crowd at Hall of Fame venue in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

25. 03:22 Close up Cherono

26. 03:25 Cherono holds up her nname tag to the crowd

27. 03:29 Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) waves to the crowd

28. 03:35 Close up Dibaba

29. 03:38 Dibaba walks to wall of fame to find her name

30. 03:47 Three elite female favourite runners for Berlin Marathon for 2018 on stage together, Tirunesh Dibaba, Glady Cherono and Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)

31. 03:54 Close up Kiplagat

32. 03:59 Wide of Hall of Fame stage

33. 04:02 Kipchoge signs autographs for fans

34. 04:09 Kipsang signs autographs

35. 04:15 Kipchoge and Kipsang in the crowd at Brandenburg Gate

36. 04:20 Tadese waves from Hall of Fame to the crowd

37. 04:26 Kipsang waves to crowd from stage

38. 04:32 Kipsang shows name tag to crowd

39. 04:36 Kipchoge waves to crowd from Hall of Fame stage

40. 04:45 Kipchoge points at his name on wall of fame

41. 04:51 All the athletes at wall of fame together

42. 04:56 Close up Dibaba

43. 04:59 Wide shot of athletes

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 05:18