Athlete Amanal Petros recently wrote history in Berlin and set a new German record in the half marathon. Now the 29-year-old wants to attack at full distance.
In front of the major marathon in London on Sunday (April 27) and in the middle of the last training phase, Amanal Petros has had time for an interview with sport.de taken and explained his record plan. And why he fell into a hole after the Olympic Games.
First of all, congratulations on the German record in the half marathon! They were the first German runner in Berlin to stay under an hour, and even clear that with the time of 59:31 minutes. So far, only three Europeans have been faster. The response in Germany was correspondingly huge. Have you been able to process all of this?
Amanal Petros: Thanks! That was a huge challenge. A time of 59:59 minutes was planned. I changed my training plans and brought new structures into a new nutritional plan. I train completely differently. I have changed so many things and I am now at a different level. I notice that I’m on the right track. This is a new challenge. So I was already surprised, 59:31 minutes is a bombing time and I even had energy. There was still air.
What was the trigger for the change in training? Did that have to do with the Paris Olympic Games when they couldn’t end the race?
After the Olympics I had a long break, I didn’t train for two months. I had a very, very difficult time. I hadn’t seen my mother and sister for more than eight years because of the violent civil war in our homeland Tigray, you couldn’t make calls. It was very difficult for me. I actually wanted to win a medal in Paris because I was in a very good shape. Even third place (Benson Kipruto, editor’s note), who also trained with me, had never had a chance. Unfortunately, an infection caught me exactly three weeks before the competition. I was healthy while running, but I couldn’t call up my performance. There was also hip pain so that I couldn’t finish.
The disappointment was huge. I had been preparing for the Olympics since December. I not only lost the strength and energy, but also the whole financing that I have taken over myself. It was also difficult mentally, it was not an easy situation. But: I am a professional runner and already gained a lot of experience, learn from my mistakes. That made me very mentally strong, I pulled a lot from it. I am now even more disciplined than before, I have also improved the diet. I didn’t get back, I got better. I got so much attention to Berlin, I am very happy and bring me forward. Now I’m highly motivated for London!
You have already mentioned the major marathon in London. Your record is 2:04:58 hours. Do you attack them now?
Yes, definitely. My plan is to run into the top three in every competition. When I go into a competition, I want to get something better out. And personal best in my case also means the German record, because there are only two seconds difference …
… because her colleague Samuel Fitwi grabbed your record in Valencia last December. Is that an additional motivation?
First of all, I was very happy for him. I can still remember very well, as it was in Germany in 2010 or even in 2014. At that time you got huge attention when you ran 2:13 hours. That was something special. Behind Arne Gabius, who ran the marathon in 2:08 hours in 2015, was a big gap. They were all at 2:12 hours. After I ran 2:10 hours for the first time, many were highly motivated. You thought: ‘The amanal trains just like me. There is no reason that it is better. ‘
Due to the high competition, the motivation was great. We have continued to push ourselves in recent years, only at 2:09, then to 2:07 hours. And where are we now? At 2:04 hours! It is part of the story of the marathon that we push each other together. But again: I treat it to Samuel Fitwi, he deserves attention.
Jacob Kiplimo also starts in London, who ran the half marathon in under 57 minutes in Barcelona. Is it automatic one of the favorites?
It is an outstanding and successful athlete. But: marathon is different. Marathon is nasty. This is not comparable to 10 km or 21 km, that’s a different level. He is a favorite and he wants to crack the world record. But there are others too. There have probably never been so many top participants, not even at the Olympics. That is the strongest group ever.
Is it fully on the tactics, precisely because it is a major?
No, I pay zero on the tactics. I just attack the best time.
What does your preparation look like now? When we spoke in Rome last year before the European Championship, they said that they trained until the last second. So again this time?
Yes, I returned to Kenya right after the race in Berlin. I currently don’t have a training partner in Germany, but here I have a very strong group.
Do you already know where you will start in London?
The big goal is the World Cup in Tokyo in September. Until then there is still some time and I will surely run somewhere. But I don’t know where yet.
One question at the end: in Berlin you started with glasses. What was it all about? Does it always stay in the big races?
Yes, it worked well (laughs). In the case of cold, I always have small problems on my forehead. When it is cold and the wind comes from the front, my forehead tenses. I can’t see properly, especially on the last three or four kilometers. So I carried the glasses – and that worked out well.
The conversation conducted Gerrit Kleiböhmer