International Runners Arrive for Seoul International Marathon

“The weather is fine, the course is good...I think I can expect my time to be within 2 hours and 6 minutes,” said Dmytro Baranovsky (28, Ukraine), ranked number two in the 2007 Seoul International Marathon/78th Dong-A Marathon to be held on March 18. He showed confidence about his chances in the race when he arrived in Korea on March 13.

Baranovsky, who also entered the race last year, said, “I was not able to do my best because the weather was very cold last year. But this year, the weather is great and all conditions are good, so I am feeling good about the race.”

Baranovsky set a personal record of 2 hours 7 minutes 15 seconds at the Fukuoka Marathon last year. “The Seoul course is flat and there is lots to see. It is perfect. I took care of my body condition, so I will win with a good record.”

Araya Haregot (26, Ethiopia), who came in third in last year’s race, was also set on winning. “I will win the race this year.” Haregot’s record last year was his personal record of 2 hours 11 minutes 56 seconds, but he said, “I have been training hard for this race since last December. I am confident of setting a better record.”

There is a good chance that the record for the race will be in the 2 hours and 6 minutes range, since this marathon has many athletes who can run in that range. Last year’s fifth-ranked runner in the world, Paul Kiprop Kirui (27, Kenya), who finished the 2006 Rotterdam Marathon in 2 hours 6 minutes 44 seconds, and Jason Mbote (29, Kenya), whose record is 2 hours 8 minutes 13 seconds, will also run.

Meanwhile, Kirui, ranked number one in the race, and other athletes from Kenya will arrive a day later due to an accident at the United Arab Emirates airport in Dubai. The Kenyan athletes planned to leave from Nairobi, Kenya, transfer at Dubai, and land in Korea on the afternoon of March 13, but an airplane accident suffered by a Bangladesh air carrier delayed the flight, and the runners will arrive in Korea on the morning of March 14.

yjongk@donga.com