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TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHONOctober 31, 2014Geoffrey MutaiNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Q.  Talk about the Kenyans being so dominant, still being so dominant in this race. GEOFFREY MUTAI: For me about Kenyans, how they're dominant, for me I know myself it's about training. When you have training for the race, we don't have any other job. You focus on the race. As long as you are invited to a race, you must give yourself because that is the job, and you want to go and make it. Q. You said that you're going to go after the record previously, but the weather doesn't seem to be in favor of that. Is that still what you're setting your goals on? GEOFFREY MUTAI: For me, I could go after a course record, but it's not easy. Depends on the course itself and the weather, but it's not easy. So for me actually, I'm praying God that I will defend my title for that time. Q. You're not going for the world record here, but do you think, even with the weather on Sunday, you would still go for the course record? GEOFFREY MUTAI: For me, I'll do my best. Q. What do you think about becoming the first runner to be three times the New York Marathon champion? GEOFFREY MUTAI: It's easy to win the race actually, but to win twice and to defend the title three times, that's not an easy thing. So for me what I can say, whatever happens, but for me I prepare myself for this race. And I'm focused for it. So I know it's not an easy competition. Not easy. So for me, I'll try my best to see if I can do it. Q. You have run very well both here and also in Boston, which are championship style courses with no rabbit. Why have you done so well in both these races? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Maybe it's how I train. Most of the time I try to leave my boys and run alone. When you run with someone, it's not easy. They are looking at you, and you look at each other. It's something that's challenging. Everyone who use the race with the pace makers, you stay in the background. But when there's no pacemaker, you must use your energy from starting to end. Q. With the news about Rita Jeptoo this morning and the anti‑doping task force report earlier this month, are you concerned at all it could kind of cast a shadow over all the accomplishments of Kenyan runners and the world record that have come in the sport? GEOFFREY MUTAI: I'm sorry. What happened? Q. She had an "A" sample that tested positive. And there were a couple other athlete that's tested positive last year. GEOFFREY MUTAI: For me, I don't know anything about that. That's news you're giving me now. Q. Geoffrey, how concerned are you about the condition, the wind that's expected, the headwind that's expected on Sunday? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Actually, I don't know how the weather will be on Sunday. Again, it's not easy because last year was a windy course. To run when it's windy and cold is not easy. Q. You ran 2:08 last year? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Yeah, 2:08. Q. I don't know if that's slow for you. Was that slower? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Yeah, it was slower. At the beginning the pace was very slow because no one want to go. So when the race was run, it was not easy to run. When the athletes are not cooperating, you cannot run a good time, but when you cooperate together, you can run a very good time. Q. It's the same type of conditions as last year. Last year was windy as well. Do you think the race‑‑ is that any indicator of how this year's race will go given that the forecast is almost the same? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Come Sunday, we must run. I cannot say anything. We must run the race how it will be. For me, I'm not as worried. No matter what the conditions are, we must run. So I cannot say anything about that. Q. Geoffrey, you talked about the athletes working together. Is that something that you and Wilson have adopted as a strategy, to help each other out on the course during the early parts of the race? GEOFFREY MUTAI: During the race, all the athletes are running. In the race, when you see the athlete is pushing, you run against each other. But when you run and everyone stay in the pack, that is not easy. So for me, if we support each other, I think we can run whatever it will be. It won't be easy. Q. Have you been training for the marathon with Wilson, or have you been training alone with other people from your group? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Wilson sometimes he comes with us. Sometimes he comes from other programs to our place. We are friends, so we share. But most of the time other programs. Q. Most of the time you're training with some other people, not with Wilson? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Yeah. Q. Can you talk about being the winner, and is there added pressure on you to repeat what you did? Is there more pressure because of what you did last year? GEOFFREY MUTAI: It's a little pressure because‑‑ Q. Is there more pressure because‑‑ GEOFFREY MUTAI: Because when you are defending champion and you are there and you are course record winner, something that everyone wait for you to challenge again. For me, I will run my own race. I am keeping my mind focused. I know the course. I've run it several times. But depending on my colleagues, how strong it will be. And for me, my preparation is sure to come out during the race. Q. With the new world record in Berlin, people started talking about sub‑two hours again. There's been a lot of talk about it. Do you say 5 years, 50 years, 100 years, never? What's your feeling on sub‑two? GEOFFREY MUTAI: It's not 100 years. Our training is changing. When you see all the training now, the competition now, when someone reach a sub‑two, 2:02, you see everyone is targeting that because you are just the best. From half marathon, you want to adjust the days a little and then see from there. When someone run sub‑two, you'll see about five athletes by next year they will run again sub‑two. Q. So it will come down quickly in numbers as well? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Yes. I say sub‑two, we'll see about five athletes who run it the next year. Q. You mean 2:02? GEOFFREY MUTAI: 2:02. Q. With another positive drug test from a Kenyan athlete, can the fans and the media, can we trust those times, though? With Rita testing positive and other Kenyan distance runners. Obviously, those are the runners that are the fastest in the world, but can you trust that those athletes are playing by the rules and aren't getting these times without any assistance? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Well, it's very painful, but for me, that's other news. I don't know any of it. About Kenyan athletes, whether you can trust, it's difficult in my career. I know for myself I have suffered for my training. Sometimes I get injury. Sometimes you get hurt during the race. Because I'm training and I'm focused, I don't have any other things to use. For me, I use my strength. I only know myself. I don't know other athletes. For me I'm fighting, whatever I have in the race, that is mine. Sometimes you see another athlete broken because the course is troubling, but when the shape is not there, it's not there. For me, I don't know any other things about that athlete. I know myself. Q. How many times per year do you get tested for doping? GEOFFREY MUTAI: It's several times. Sometimes two times is common. So during our training we have positive test come. Q. Do you get tested during training or only competition? GEOFFREY MUTAI: During training and before. Q. Are the testers international? Where are they from? GEOFFREY MUTAI: We have a guy from Britain. Q. How was training this week? GEOFFREY MUTAI: My training was going very good. Q. And the volume this week, how many miles are you running? Are you tapering this week? GEOFFREY MUTAI: I was traveling, so less. Q. Are you running here today? GEOFFREY MUTAI: I'll run today. I'll go to training in the morning. Q. Wilson Kipsang, if he wins the race, he wins the World Marathon Majors, $500,000. He's going to want to win this race. If he goes, are you going with him? GEOFFREY MUTAI: He's strong, and he's well‑prepared. Even if he is my brother and I am his brother, I really want to win the race. I cannot say who must win. The strong one will win. Q. If he goes out front, if he goes for the win from the beginning, he goes out early, will you go with him? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Yeah, I'll follow him, yeah. There is no chance that we will leave each other. We're fighting together. Q. How have you helped each other out in training in this race? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Actually, for me and Wilson, we are not train all the time. The guys who we are training with like Dennis and others in my camp. So we train sometimes but not always. Q. You train with Dennis? GEOFFREY MUTAI: Yes, I'm training with Dennis. Q. So does that give you a lot of confidence? GEOFFREY MUTAI: I know myself, and I have confidence in myself. Q. When training, do you try to beat each other, or do you work together? You and Dennis in training. GEOFFREY MUTAI: Together. We fight together. Q. Geoffrey, there's no pace makers on Sunday. How do you think that will affect how the race is run? GEOFFREY MUTAI: For me, I'll be running this race without a pacemaker. I know it's a challenge. It's a challenge. Q. Do you have an idea of how you think you'll run the race? Do you have a certain period of race where you think you might attack? GEOFFREY MUTAI: No, it depends. You cannot plan anything before the race. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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