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The Ethiopian heads to Berlin with hope and confidence after an outstanding record on track.
2016 1500m Rio Olympics silver medallist Genzebe Dibaba is looking forward to being back on the starting line at the Berlin Marathon.
The former 1500m world record holder who will be running on Sunday in only her fourth marathon since making a switch from track, is still working on going the distance.
The Ethiopian was outstanding on track, easily out sprinting opponents, but heads to Berlin with a lot of hope and confidence.
"My aim is to run an amazing race," she reveals to Olympics.com, as she aims to become an all-rounder both on track and on the road.
The marathon has been a stretch for the 33-year-old who was unstoppable on track and cross country as a junior, setting world records, indoors and outdoors.
Genzebe who raced to the 1500m world record of 3:50.07 in 2015, remains optimistic of better performance in Berlin as she aims to become a marathon great.
"It's such a challenging distance, but I am looking forward to being back on the starting line," she pointed out.
Dibaba made her marathon debut in 2022, mastering a second-place finish in Amsterdam in 2:18.05. She however, didn't finish her next race in London last year , but a sixth place in Chicago behind the winner Sifan Hassan restored her confidence that she could be a world class marathoner.
"My debut in Amsterdam was great, I made it to the podium in my first marathon. London and Chicago were more challenging for me. In Chicago, it was hard for me to run in the colder temperatures," Dibaba who trains in Adis Ababa remarked
The Berlin course is fast and flat and she admitted that she's primed for a podium finish in Berlin, a course Ethiopian women have ruled since 2019.
"Finishing the race in a great way. We'll see where that leads me to during the race," she answered cautiously.
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