Rio Olympic champ sets sights on ADHM crown

New Delhi: World and Olympic 10,000 metre champion Almaz Ayana started her professional career as a steeplechase runner.

The Ethiopian came fifth in that event at the 2010 junior world championship. It wasn’t till her switch to long distance events that she started to flourish.

And now, Ayana is set to make her road debut in Sunday’s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

“When I started I ran flat out. Then I was introduced to the 5,000m and 10,000m races and I excelled in them. And now I am ready for the half marathon. The training is same but I need to adapt to the distance. For the ADHM I underwent strong training,” Ayana told this paper here on Thursday.

Ayana, who broke the 10,000m world record — set in 1993 — by clocking 29 minutes 17.45 seconds at the Rio Games, said the lucrative prize money was also a reason behind her debut in the event. The ADHM offers an overall purse of $275,000 as prize money. “The decision to take part in half marathon came after considering the money involved, which can be used for better training for future track races.”

Asked whether she would continue road running, the 25-year-old said, “Let me run my first half marathon on Sunday. Currently, I am only focussed on the ADHM and have trained hard for it,” she said.

Ayana is on her first visit to the country but was all impressed with facilities here. “I am returning home on the night of the event but if I get time I will see a few places here. I hope I will come again to India as a tourist. I liked the country very much. I would love to run again here next year.”

‘Pollution no problem for us’
Unfazed by the city’s pollution levels, elite athletes have come out in support of the event.

“Pollution is a problem for people who live here. But for us athletes, because we are coming here for a short while and then going back to our countries, I think it will not be a problem for us. The overall timings will not be affected by the pollution,” world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui said.

Ayana echoed the same view as other athletes.

On his chances of winning, after a sixth-place finish in 2015, the Boston Marathon champion said, “There is no athlete here who can beat me when I am in form. I have prepared very well to come here and run. Everything depends on the weather on Sunday. If the weather is good, I will run a fast time.”