European Athletics (EAA) – News – Germany’s Mockenhaupt puts her name down for the European Cup 10,000m

Top German runner Sabrina Mockenhaupt has confirmed that she is going to be on the start line of the European Cup 10000m in Oslo’s famous Bislett Stadium on 4 June.

Mockenhaupt finished second at last year’s event in the French city of Marseille, crossing the line after 25 laps of running in 31:23.28, just over 10 seconds behind the Portuguese winner Inès Monteiro.

However, Mockenhaupt knows what it takes to win the Cup and triumphed in 2005, winning in what was then a personal best of 31:21.28.

It remains her second fastest time, only bettered by her current best of 31:14.21, which she set when finishing 13th at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

It’s that time that Mockenhaupt will have as her target in the Norwegian capital. “This is a very important race for me and I want to challenge my Beijing time there,” she said earlier this week.

The former SPAR European Cross Country became the 2011 German half marathon champion two weeks ago and showing that she was in good form when she clocked 1:11:20 in Griesheim.

However, her Oslo outing will not be Mockenhaupt’s first race over 10,000m this summer. She also plans to run at the German championships for the event in Essen on May 7.

Her long term target is to get among the medals in the 2012 Olympic Games marathon and she is using Great Britain’s marathon world record holder Paul Radcliffe for inspiration.

"It's all about 2012 – and I hope Paula will also be there," commented Mockenhaupt recently.

"I have a picture on the wall at home of her going past me (in the 2002 European Athletics Championships 10,000m, which Radcliffe won) and when I'm doing strength training or weightlifting, I look at the picture and it gives me motivation," she added.

Mockenhaupt finished sixth over 10,000m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and then fourth at the Berlin Marathon last September in a personal best of 2:26:21.

“But after Berlin I felt I was in a bit of a trough and sat down and thought about what I wanted to do next and get out of running,” she admitted.

Her deliberations saw her switch coaches and already she feels she is benefiting from the new advice being offered to her by Thomas Eickmann, himself a former marathon runner with a best of 2:13:24. "He has a calming effect on me," said Mockenhaupt.
 

European Athletics (EAA) – News