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TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHONOctober 31, 2014Gebre GebremariamNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Q.  It's going to be windy for the marathon. How is it going to affect you and affect the race itself? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: The wind is very affected for the race. With athletes, we're traveling in different areas, windy area and flat area. You know, you have to expect that kind of weather in the race. So for me, it's time. Q. Can you talk about your strategies for Sunday. GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: It's not new, but for that race it's a little bit difficult to make faster. Q. You've had experience on this course, and one of the favorites, Wilson Kipsang, has never run this course before. Do you think it will be hard for him to try to win the race the first time he's running it? How do you think he'll be affected by the difficulty of this course? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: If you go out, whether it's new or not does not matter. It does not matter in performance. He's smarter in performance. Wilson Kipsang is now in good shape. So it's not difficult to win. You know, if you didn't know this course, this course can be tough. In the middle of the race, if it's fast in the middle of the race, you can't push to finish. So if he's taking this one, it's easy. Q. In the last couple of years, the ledger between Kenyans and Ethiopians winning majors has gone in the way of Kenyans a little bit more, in the direction of the Kenyans a little bit more. Obviously, Lelisa won Boston, Kebede won, you won New York. Do you think that it's been in the balance, or is it just a cycle? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: New York and Boston, it seems like cross‑country races. So they are up‑and‑down races. And most Kenyans compete in those races, the cross country, and they compete with each other. I think it's very, very similar in those two countries. So someone win in Boston and someone win in New York. So I think it's like parallel. Q. But it's a little bit harder on the fast, flat courses. The Kenyans do a little bit better on that, you think? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yeah, the Kenyans are fast. Q. What do you think about your fitness? You won this race a few years ago. Do you think you're at that place again, or do you think there's some ways to go to get back to that level? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Well, I prepared very well. I'm not sure. I prepare for this year. I came from injury, from my hip injury. Q. Which hip, the right or left? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: The right. So I came from that injury. So I prepare very well. It's not very‑‑ I'm in the top preparation, but 75 percent I'm good. Q. So if these guys, Wilson and Geoffrey go out in 2:05 pace, are you planning to go with that pace? Or are you planning to maybe sit back and see if they come back to you? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Well, you see, this course is not easy. It's not like Berlin and the Frankfurt. New York is New York. So one day he did. Geoffrey Mutai, he did one year 2:05. I think in this year they cannot push like that pace. Even if no wind. This year it's a little bit windy. Even if no wind, it's magic. They can't push 2:05 pace. Q. How many weeks‑‑ when was your hip injury? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Two years. Q. Two years ago? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Two years, yeah. Q. So when did you begin serious preparation, with no problem and do full training? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Every day I do my best when I was in the long training, I have my hips problem. So I didn't do speed training because of my hips. But I did full endurance training. So I think initial problem in that area when we go just like long runs, it's no problem for my body. Q. But you know where the problem is not to cross over. You know what the danger zone is. GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yeah. Q. You seem to always enjoy New York. What does the city mean to you? Do you think knowing the course will help you? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yeah, New York, I know from the beginning, New York. From 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters on track. So I run 10,000 meters on the road. New York, this is parallel to my life. So I really enjoy not only to run, but even to come. To come here, when I'm thinking about New York, I'm very happy, and I really enjoy coming here. Q. What would make you happy? What would be satisfying for you on Sunday? Knowing the condition you're in, what would be a good performance for you? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: You mean the pace? Q. At the end of the day, you look back and say, "No, that was good. I was happy." GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Exactly. I have a plan. Q. What would make you happy? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: My plan is just to run under 2:10. Under 2:10, whatever the position is, if I run under 2:10, I'm really happy. Q. And is it important to have a goal like that? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Exactly. Q. Do you think it's important to have a goal, not just go to the race and see what happens? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Exactly. Q. Do you expect that you will run under 2:10? Do you have that expectation to do so? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yeah, I have a plan to run that. And I'm fit for that time. I can run, and I can finish that time. Q. Is it important for you to have an even performance and not get caught up in surging? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yes. Q. Is it more important to forget them, stay inside myself, run my race? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Exactly. I run my own race, and I will listen to my body. Q. Is that part of what your experience gives you is the ability not to get emotionally caught up? It's not track. This is marathon. GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yes, absolutely. Q. You've probably been over this. Can you talk about what New York means to you? How special is the New York Marathon? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: New York means for me, I start here in the old days. I run 3,000 meter in track and 5,000 meters in track. I start from here. My manager is from here, and when I came to U.S., totally I'm very happy. When I came to New York, I won 3,000 meter here and 5,000 meter here and 10,000 meter here and marathon here. So when I come to here, it's a little bit bright in my race life. So I'm thinking only thing in the race is for me it's bright. Q. What does moving up to marathon distance, how does that differ from your track experience? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: You know, marathon is different than the others. You have to think during the race. Marathon is different than other races, than the cross country, than the track. You have to think equal to this distance. Q. The conditions on Sunday, it's forecast to be kind of cold and quite windy. How do you think that will affect your race? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Well, it's the same for all. So I'm not afraid with this weather. I have to compete, and I have to follow the people, and I have to see what's happening in the race. Q. And New York is obviously a race with no pace makers. How do you think that will make the race? How do you think that will play out? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: It's different than the others. They didn't have the pacemaker because the course area is actually different. So I think is the best. Q.  So you prefer races with no pace makers? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yeah, I prefer. Q. And do you have a plan for your tactics on Sunday? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Yeah, I have. I want to be behind. I want to run my own race because of my hip and my body. I want to listen to my body. I want to run my own races. Q. Do you know at this stage your own body‑‑ what pace is too fast for you early in the marathon? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: I know very well. Q. Would you prefer to go through the first half slightly slower and then pick it up? Or you like to run a marathon fast? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Exactly. If the first half is 1:04, 1:05, it's good for me. So the second half is 1:03, 1:04 easy, very good, yeah. Q. And how is your shape coming in? How does training look? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: It's not 100 percent, but it's very nice. Q. Can you summarize for someone who it takes to win the New York Marathon, what it feels like. GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Be happy because the journey is hard. Q. How hard a race it is to win. You have to be in perfect shape? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Exactly. Q. What's it feel like? Do you have a memory? GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: Here in New York? Q. Yes. GEBRE GEBREMARIAM: It's a fond memory I have. It was my first time here, and I won marathon, and the marathon is different than the others. The New York Marathon is different. So I have a big memory, and it's just brightness in my mind. Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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