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TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHONOctober 30, 2015Geoffrey KamwororNew York City, New York Q. Geoffrey, a couple years ago, you ran a couple of 2:06 marathons. Since then, you've become a World Half Marathon Champion and a World Cross Country Champion and a Silver Medalist on the track. Do you think there's an overall improvement in your running that would make us think that you would be better than 2:06 this time? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me actually, it's a stepping stone. Running a half marathon and on the track is like doing speed. So running a marathon, I don't see any problem because what I've been doing is endurance. Q. Since the World Championships? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. And have you been doing all your long runs with Eliud and Kiprotich? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: With Kipchoge and Kiprotich. Q. Tell us about your long runs. How far have you been going? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I've been doing long runs maybe twice a week. That's all I'm concentrating on since the World Championships. Q. Did you take any time off between the World Championships and starting the marathon training? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, I took like a week for rest, and then I resumed training. Q. When you're running your 40Ks, what kind of time do you do? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Sometimes I go with 3:30 pace. Q. And where are you training, in Iten? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Kaptagat. Q. With the success that Eliud and Stephen Kiprotich have had in the marathon, does that give you confidence seeing them race fast and run fast? Seeing Eliud win, does that give you confidence? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Training for the marathon gave me a lot of morale and a lot of confidence to run my own marathon. And I'll do the best I can. Q. What was the hardest part of transitioning from track to a marathon training? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Mostly the hardest part is the long runs, the endurance part because long runs‑‑ I had the speed and the endurance, so the real work was the long runs. Q. And that was going faster and harder than you did than when you were preparing for Beijing? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: During long runs, I had to reduce the speed so I can be go farther. Q. But upped the distance? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. Q. How long were you doing preparation for Beijing? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I did preparations for ten weeks. Q. When you were getting ready for Beijing, your long runs you said, for New York, were 30 to 40 kilometers. For Beijing, how long were they? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: After Beijing‑‑ Q. No. Before Beijing. GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I never did any long runs. Q. What was the longest run? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Longest run was 30 kilometers. Q. So were you the pacesetter for Haile's world record in Berlin and Makau's world record in Berlin. Do you recall what distance? Did you stay through 30K or 35K before you dropped out? Do you recall? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I recall it was 2:11 and 2:10 pace. I dropped out at 35 kilometers. Q. And did you think at that time that you would ever become a great marathon runner yourself? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. It give me morale, and I knew I would become a good marathon runner. Q. What do you think of your marathons that you've run in your career so far? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: So far I've been running marathons with good times, 2:06, but I've never won a marathon. But I'm really working hard to win a marathon. Q. Do you feel different going into this one? Do you feel better prepared or in better shape than you were for the other ones? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. This one I feel better prepared, and I feel better because I prepare well and I train hard towards this race. Q. Do you feel that your buildup for this race has been better for when you ran the Berlin Marathon in the past? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, it was good because the place where I train normally it's like hilly place. So the way I plan and the thing I know about the New York course, I know I will be ready. Q. Why do you think you haven't run faster than 2:06 before? Is there a reason why you haven't run under 2:06? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No. Because I think I never prepare to it. Maybe I have to do some endurance. Q. So you didn't do enough endurance beforehand? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Do you think New York is a better fit for you than Berlin because of the hills and because there's no rabbits? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, I think New York will probably fit me because it's more like the place I train. Q. New York is kind of like a cross country course on asphalt, on tarmac, because it's a lot of up and downs and bridges and hills. GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. For me it's fantastic because I'm a hill runner, and I train the same way every day. Q. How do you plan to approach the race? Do you want to see a fast first half? Or would you rather it's slower and then picks up the second half? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No, I think I have to kick from the second half. From the start I'll see how the group will go and then once there, we shall see. Q. Have you driven the course? Have you seen the entire New York course? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Not yet, but I started to look at the map. Q. Why did you decide to do this marathon? You had a great track season. You could have just called it quits, but you decided to run here. Why? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, it's been my dream to run here in New York. After the World Championships, I said, let me focus to run the marathon. I wanted to run here because I want to run better course. I'm pretty happy. I made my dream to come here. Q. Because it was just strictly the course, the way the course was? Is that's why you wanted to come here? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I wanted to run a New York Marathon. Q. You always wanted to run the New York Marathon? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. I always wanted to run a New York Marathon. Q. Why New York? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I really want to run for the people of New York, to enjoy the City of New York. Q. Have you been to the United States before? Is this your first time? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No. I've been in Eugene. Q. Prefontaine? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Did you watch New York on television? Did you watch New York City Marathon on television before? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. I've been watching the New York Marathon. Q. You trained with Eliud Kipchoge, maybe the number one marathon in the world. Did you train right with him, or slightly behind him, or in front of him? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No. I've been training with him, and I always work together with him. The same way he has been doing, I did. Q. So you did the same training he did. Patrick Sang is your coach? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Did Eliud give you any advice? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, he always give me advice to train hard and work hard in the race and to focus on the win. Q. Is it best for you, being a first time marathoner with many veteran marathoners in the race‑‑ Desisa, Kipsang, Tsegay, many guys‑‑ do you sit and wait, sit and wait, sit and wait, or push, push, push? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, I think I am going to work together with the guys to work together and the last part of the race. We'll see. Q. Did you run New York in 2011? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No, it was Diamond Lake. Q. 10,000 or 5,000? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: 5,000. Q. How did you do? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I was No.7 at 13: 12. Q. Did you change your training before? When did you know you would run the New York City Marathon? How long ago? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I just knew when I finished running the World Championships in Beijing, that's when I knew I wanted to run the marathon. Q. Did you increase your kilometers per week, your volume of training? Did you change your speed training? How did you change your training for the marathon distance? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Really I had to do a transition from track speed to endurance. And I had to do the long runs. Q. How long? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: 40 kilometers. Q. How many times? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Three times. Q. Before that, what was the farthest you had ever trained in one run? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: 30 kilometers. Q. Before did you like‑‑ some people like the longer distance. Somebody like Kenenisa Bekele, he did not like long distance. He found out. Did you like the extra kilometers? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, I really liked it because I knew it was part of my endurance coming from track. Because I knew I had to have a good endurance. Q. What is your hope? In your heart, can you win the race? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I always say train hard and always run to win. That's always my hope. Q. How old were you when you began running? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: When I was young, 15. Q. And then you went to Scandinavia? You went to Europe? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, that was in 2010. Q. And that's when you first began like you ran 5,000 and some other races? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Next year for Rio‑‑ now, if you do very well in this race‑‑ I mean, right now you are‑‑ are you set in stone in 2016 in Rio you're a 10,000 meter man, or are you possibly a marathon man? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For Rio, I'm really going to go and run the 10,000. Q. For sure, no question? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For sure. For sure. Q. You came close to beating Mo Farah this time. What is the secret to beating him in that 10,000? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, I know the only way to beat him is to increase and work hard towards my sprinting speed. Q. Final 400? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. Q. In Beijing, you tried to push him early, right? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. Q. Maybe you have to push him harder at the beginning? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, maybe if I started from the beginning. Q. Where in Kenya do you train? What town or village? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Eldoret. Q. So when you were‑‑ you said you didn't start running competition until you were 15? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. But when you were young, must have gone to school running as well? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, sure, running when I was in school. Q. When you were a young boy and you saw the great Kenyan runners, who was your favorite Kenyan runner? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I used to see people like Paul Tergat, Kipchoge. I used to see them running. Then I was inspired. Q. What's your hometown? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Eldoret. Q. How many times have you been in New York, and why did you decide to come to New York this time around? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I was first here in 2011 when I was running Diamond Lake, and I saw New York was a nice place, a nice city, nice people, and I always wanted to come back to New York. So I want to come and run the New York Marathon. Q. So the New York Marathon track, is it different than any other tracks that you train on? Is it difficult? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, I can say that I trained for it and I prepared for it. So hopefully, I will be up to it. Q. How are you right now physically? Ready for Sunday? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, I'm really ready, and I'm looking forward to Sunday. Q. So you were the World Champion half marathoner? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. So going from half marathon to the marathon, how do you train differently? And how hard is it for your body? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, from half marathon to marathon, need to train hard and do a lot of long runs to prepare for the marathon. Q. Why did you decide to become a runner? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Since when I was young, I was inspired by athletes like Paul Tergat. I used to watch him run. And I was inspired. I have the passion for running. And it was good I had the talent to run, and I did. Q. Who do you run for when you were on the track? Is it for yourself? For your country? What do you think of when you're running? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Mostly, in the World Championships, I'm running for my country. Q. What do you need to do to get that goal next year? You came so close? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, I have to work on the sprinting speed. Q. There is a lot of pressure on you in Kenya to beat Mo Farah? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes, really want Kenya to win. Q. Not just him. It's been a long time since anybody won the 10K from Kenya. GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. 40 years? 1968. When did you know you were good at this? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: After cross country, I knew. After running track races in Kenya. Q. How old were you? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I used to run 5,000, and I was really good. Q. How old were you when you thought I could maybe do this for a career? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Since when I was young. Q. Just right from the beginning. GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. Q. What age did you start racing? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: 17. Q. 17 for your first race? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Cross country? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Did you win? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No. No, I didn't win. Q. Where did you finish? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I finished seventh. But I really enjoyed running. Q. Your first international experience, when was your first race? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: In London, 5,000 meters. Q. You said you want to do the 10,000 in the Olympics, but if you win Sunday, there will be a lot of pressure to run a marathon? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Of course there will be a lot of pressure, but for me I will be training to run the 10,000. Q. Do you think maybe next year you'll try something different to beat Farah? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, next year I'll try my best to beat Mo Farah. Q. Will you try a different tactic? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No, I will use the same tactics, but I need to work more on speed. Q. How fast do you need to run that last lap to beat him? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: 50 to 52. Q. Will we see you run 5,000 or 1,500 meters next year? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, for sure. Q. How many kilometers a week are you running in preparation? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: 200. Q. And that's with Eliud. How is Patrick Sang as a coach? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: He's really a nice coach. He has given us a program. He has given us advice. He's been there for us all through the workouts and training. Q. I saw what happened to Eliud's shoes. How are you going to make sure your shoes are okay on Sunday? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: My shoes are really okay. Q. Do you know how you're going to run the race, what tactics? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: The tactics will come itself inside the race. Q. Is there a big motivation to get that first marathon win? You came so close in Berlin. GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: It will really be the happiest moment in my life. Q. And New York is a course with a lot of hills. It's more like a cross country course. Do you think that might be to your advantage? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me, I run the hills in training. I think I'll enjoy it. Q. Outside of running, what are your big interests? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: My big interest is to become maybe a coach and assist the young athletes that come and to mentor them. Q. You'd make a good coach? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. Q. Eliud tells me you study the sports too, that you know all about the sport, everybody's races? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: I know all about sports, and especially running. Q. Do you watch race videos? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah. Q. Do you watch your own races? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, mostly YouTube and sometimes live. Q. Were you watching Eliud in Berlin? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yes. Q. Have you ever run a marathon without a rabbit? GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: No. Q. Are you excited about that because cross country there's no pacemakers. You're very good at that. GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: For me it's okay. Normally we have no pacemakers. We just run. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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