Nairobi, Sep 16 (IANS): Frankfurt Marathon champion Patrick Makau remains hopeful that his 2:03.38 world record will stay intact in Berlin.
The Kenyan has pulled out of the Berlin Marathon slated for Sep 29 because of injury, reports Xinhua.
"It is unfortunate that I will not be running in Berlin. I had put in a lot. I had pushed my body too much to get to perfect shape. But then it inflamed my knee and now I feel pain running," he said.
"It is not something too big, but running in a race of Berlin calibre requires full commitment and fitness. I wish those who will be running all the best."
Makau, who set the world record of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds in Berlin in 2011, says he wanted to attack it again. Makau also won the Berlin Marathon in 2010.
However, that will just remain a dream as the 28-year-old now targets to fully recover from this injury, an inflamed left knee, which he incurred while training.
Unlike other elite runners, Makau will not be travelling abroad for better treatment. He was diagnosed with the inflamed knee injury at Kenya's leading medical facility, Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
However, Makau will be glued to his television set to follow the race in Berlin which also has Wilson Kipsang and Eliud Kipchoge.
Kipsang will be eying his first gold at his second show over the Berlin marathon course, while it will be a debut for Kipchoge in Berlin after he gave his fans new imagination of how fast the 2003 world champion in 5,000m could go as he clinched gold over the Hamburg marathon course in 2:05:30.
Makau insisted that though it is possible to run under the two hour three minutes mark, he said it will require more than just a perfect weather condition to attain it.
"It requires a lot of teamwork. How long somebody has run and which races he has been involved in are all crucial to determine how one runs in a race that the world record is up for grabs," he said.
"I believe the record can go down, probably by a Kenyan. Because when you look at the field in Berlin it is classy and some elite runners have their management organizing them to have special pace makers. But it will be hard to them".
Makau said he will be out for about two months, though the doctors have encouraged him to continue with light training.
"I will be out for about two months, then I can return to full training and maybe see which races will be available. My season is not over yet," he said.
Eight world records have been set in Berlin, more than at any other marathon in the past 50 years, and in addition to Makau, everyone who has taken the classic event into new territory in Berlin will be at this year's race.