Bekele to target World 3000m mark in Birmingham

Birmingham, UK - The reigning two-time Olympic champion over the 10,000m, Kenenisa Bekele, will have his sights set on Kenyan Daniel Komen’s 3000m World record in Birmingham in February.

Bekele hopes to add yet another World record to his impressive collection at the National Indoor Arena (NIA) at the Aviva Grand Prix on 20 February, the ninth IAAF Indoor permit meeting of the 2010 season. Three of his five personal best times on the indoor circuit have all been set at the NIA.

“Five years ago (2004) I broke the world record in the 5000m at the NIA and I also broke the 2000m and two-mile* records at the same arena, so it is definitely a track I enjoy running on,” said Bekele.

“Now I hope to break my fourth* world record there, this time in the 3000m, however, it will be a tough record as it’s a very quick time to beat.”

The mark he’ll be chasing is Komen’s 7:24.90, set in Budapest in February 1998. Bekele has made several attempts on the mark but has thus far come up well shy. His indoor 3000m PB is 7:30.51, set in Stockholm in 2007.

“I’m delighted to be returning to the National Indoor Arena to run in the Aviva Grand Prix. It is always a great event to be part of as the crowd are very knowledgeable of their athletics.

“There is always a lot of noise in the arena which makes it so great to run in and I hope the people of Birmingham will get behind me as I look to break my fourth world record in their city.”

Organisers and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF