Felix Limo

By Geoff Decker

Felix Limo, 27, of Kenya, is one of the all-time great marathon competitors, having won three of the World Marathon Majors: Berlin (2004, 2:06:44), Chicago (2005, 2:07:02), and London (2006, 2:06:39). He recorded his personal best of 2:06:14 in windy conditions when he won the 2004 Rotterdam Marathon. Despite his success, he has never represented Kenya in Olympic or IAAF World Championship competition, due in part to the strength of that country’s marathoners.

Limo began his career as a track runner and achieved world-class times of 7:40 for 3000 meters and 27:04 for 10,000 meters before beginning to focus on road racing in 2003.

So far in 2008, Limo’s road races have been disappointing. Plagued by stomach and back ailments at the Flora London Marathon in April, he finished eighth in 2:10:35. Two weeks ago, at the Utica Boilermaker 15K, he ran 44:59 to finish seventh. Limo said his back has been an issue since he initially injured it in 2006.

NYRR spoke with Limo in New York City two days before the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE, where he finished a disappointing 15th in 1:05:22. He discussed his 2008 season, his plans for a fall marathon, the state of Kenya’s rivalry with Ethiopia, why Beijing’s pollution won’t be a problem for the Olympic marathoners, and Ryan Hall’s threat to the supremacy of Kenyan distance running.

New York Road Runners: How would you evaluate your performances at the London Marathon and Boilermaker? How is your preparation for Sunday’s half-marathon?

Felix Limo: I had so many challenges during London. I had this back injury and I had stomach problems the entire time. Before Utica, I arrived from Kenya on Friday and on Sunday I was racing. I sat too much on the plane and was stiff. Boilermaker was very hot. The first 10K, I was flat, but after the 10K, I started picking guys off. If it were a half-marathon, I would have caught all of them.

I’m okay now. I’m alone in my training in Denver [Boulder]. I was running with Ben Maiyo and Stephen Kiogora, but they went back to Kenya. It’s okay because they showed me all the routes and I can run on my own. I prefer training with people. When you are training alone, you are thinking of so many things, but when you are with other people you usually can focus better.

NYRR: Why did you choose the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE as your next race? The first half of the course is very hilly and, overall, considered challenging. What are your thoughts on the course and how do you think the heat and humidity will affect the race?

FL: I’ve never been to New York City. Sometimes knowing the course can be distracting because in the race when you are tired you start asking, “Where’s the finish line?” and maybe I will lose hope sooner than I need to. People say it’s a tough course. I always like challenges. What I don’t mind and I’m not worried about are the hills because everybody is running the same course.

How I am affected by the weather depends on the response on that particular day. On a certain day, you might not mind the weather. I remember when I ran my personal best in Rotterdam in 2004, there was a very strong headwind. That was tough, but I ran well.

NYRR: The field is stacked with many world-class marathoners, including Patrick Makau, William Kipsang, Hendrick Ramaala, and yourself. Do you have any expectations for how the race will be run?

FL: I do not know. It will depend on how I feel that day. Hendrick Ramaala is a very funny character. He runs 200 meters and then relaxes. If he tried to break the group, it will be good because sometimes it is easier to run with a small group instead of a big group.

NYRR: What are your plans for the fall marathon season?

FL: I haven’t decided yet on which fall marathon I will do. On Sunday, I will make a decision. I’ve never done New York, but after Sunday, maybe. New York would be the greatest of my majors to win.

NYRR: Do you think anyone will ever break 2 hours in the marathon?

FL: With certain technology and certain training it can happen, but it will take time.

NYRR: What are your thoughts on the high level of competition that comes out of Kenya? You’re one of the very top marathoners in the world yet you’ve never made an Olympic or World Championship team. Is that frustrating, or does it drive you more?

FL: In 2004, they were choosing the Olympic team and we wanted to take six of us, but [the Kenyan Olympic Committee] said who ever is going to run faster among us will go. They chose [Paul] Tergat automatically because he was the world champion and record-holder, so it would be the fastest two of these six runners. I ran the fastest of them but I was not chosen.

I’m really interested in running for my country, but I should not be too obsessed by ambition to run there because, for marathoners in Kenya, there are no trials. They just decide based on results and performances from previous marathons. And it also depends on who it is. So if I become obsessed about it I might lose my focus. If I make the Olympic team that way, I will focus for that race.

NYRR: What are your thoughts on the recent success of some of the young American marathoners? Do you think they could challenge the Kenyan dominance?

FL: There’s one guy, who is he? He is a rising star who is coming to the Olympics. He’s going to be a threat to the Kenyans.

NYRR: Ryan Hall?

FL: Yes. He’s rising. He’s going to be a threat.

NYRR: Haile Gebrselassie will be running the real,- Berlin Marathon again this fall and has announced his intention to once again break his own world record. Do you think he can do it?

FL: Yes, I think he can do it because he did it last year and knows what kind of training it took to be there last year. But you never know.

NYRR: What is the state of the distance-running rivalry between Kenya and Ethiopia? Is it a friendly rivalry? Do you take pride in beating each other?

FL: With the men, we are good. With the women, Ethiopians are good. Because it is only three guys in Ethiopia who are good: Haile, [Kenenisa] Bekele, and Sileshi [Sihine]. Nobody else. In the marathon, there is nobody. But in women, we are lagging behind. It is a rivalry. You see, if you consider it friendly, then it not a rivalry. And rivalry is also about challenging. And that is what we are doing. We are thinking about a way of training that is very different that can give us more power.