No world-championship marathon in 09 for Sabrina Mockenhaupt

February 18, 2009

The marathon at the world championships in Berlin (15.-23.0809) will take place without Sabrina Mockenhaupt. “I will run the 10.000 meter, like I did in the Olympic Games”, told the 29-year old a German running magazine. It is her aim to attack the German record of Kathrin Ullrich, which dates back to 1991 and stands at 31:03,62 min.
“Mocki”, as she is usually called, has a PB of 31:14,21 min, which she clocked in the final of the Olympic Games. With this time she is currently number 2 in the German record books. “In Peking I saw, that you can run great times in a major championship race; that’s what I’m also trying in Berlin now. Mocki even was quoted saying that she wouldn’t even want the place in the marathon team, if she would fail to qualify for the 10.000 meters. National coach Detlef Uhlemann saw the positive effect of this decision, stating that “now we [Germany] will probably have a female runner on the track”.
Mockenhaupts decision also means that there are now at least two more positions available on the German female marathon team. Currently under the entry standard of 2:32:00h were (besides Mockenhaupt): Irina Mikitenko, Melanie Kraus and Luminita Zaituc. Most chances to receive a place on the team are Ulrike Maisch, Susanne Hahn and Claudia Dreher.