Posted: April 1, 2005

Athletics: Bewag BERLIN-HALFMARATHON Press conference Highlights

Luminita Zaituc
About her shape:

"It is a little bit difficult to tell if I am in a good shape. If you would have asked me five weeks ago, I would have said yes, I am in good shape. I was in a seven weeks’ Training camp in Spain at this time. We had really good weather, about 20 degrees every day, and training was good. Then I came back to Germany and the temperature was minus 10 degrees. This is a difference of 30 degrees. It was really difficult for me and I lost a little of my feeling for running. I hope on Sunday the weather will be good because then I will have a good chance to break my personal best of 69:35 minutes. I never ran in Berlin before, but I heard that it is a fast course. So I am looking forward to it. It will be a test for the Düsseldorf Marathon on 8th May. My aim is to break the qualifying time for Helsinki.“

Patrick Ivuti
About his shape:

"That’s hard to say. It is my first half marathon of this year. Surely, I hope that I can run well but it is important how the weather will be on Sunday and how strong my competitors are. In the trainings group of Dr. Rosa, I have strong compatriots such as Paul Tergat or Titus Munji. In any case I will run my first marathon in fall. I don’t know where yet.“

Bong-ju Lee
About his shape:

"The half marathon is above all a preparation for a marathon in fall. I don’t run the half marathon this often. My last one was ten years ago in 1995. In between I only ran the marathon. I think I will run fast on Sunday, and I will try to run a time of 62 minutes. Maybe I can also beat my personal best of 61:04 minutes. In fall I want to break my personal best in the marathon – but I don’t know yet which race I will run.”

You run for Samsung-Electronics.

"Yes, I run for Samsung-Electronics. We have a similar system as in Japan. But in Korea you normally also work for the company. So when I retire from running, I will work for them.”

When you were young you were boxing and later you began running – why did you switch?

"I love boxing, but I didn’t have the physical abilities for boxing. I then switched to running. My school was about 12 k away from my home which was outside the city. That was how I started running and it definitely helped me to be a good runner.”