PUBLISHED 04/14/2007
Most USA road races know the name James Koskei, and mainly because he has won the Bay to Breakers four times, which is more than any other person. From the 5k to the half-marathon he's had a slue of wins, but nothing yet in the marathon. Koskei hopes this will change on Monday, and points to fellow Kenyan, Phillip Manyim, who started his marathon career with a 2:18 before dropping it to an impressive 2:07. "Anything can happen in the marathon!"
You're really good at the shorter races so why are you taking on the marathon?
JK: My coach encouraged me to try the distance because of my age.
You started to run in the army, right?
JK: "Yes, in Kenya if you run well in the Army you get less duties. We had several races and I started to win them, so they pushed me to running. I liked being in the army because it gave me the opportunity to travel to places like America, which I feel is my second home.
Do you have a race day plan?
JK: Yes, my plan is to try to stick with my teammates and hold on for as long as I can.
Is there one person, on your KIMbia team, in particular that you feel is in better form than the others?
JK: No one person stands out in my mind. We are all strong, and even in training there weren't any noticeable differences. We're all ready and that's what matters.
How have your long runs been in training?
JK: We did two 38km long runs and the first one hurt, but by the second one I felt good. By the second long run I was in the rhythm of my training and that helped a lot.
What is the best tactic for a runner like you?
JK: I'm not a leader in the marathon so I know I've got to just hang on. If I can make it into the last 5k in the lead pack I know I can use my road racing experience to put in a final, fast kick.
