Catherine Ndereba is one of two female runners I admire. When I had the chance to interview her this spring, I fell in love. What a woman! She will be back in the city for the half next week. RunnersWorld found out what she's up to these days:Catherine comes into a late summer racing season having declined to defend her World Championships title. She also has no solidified plans to run a fall marathon, and, looking ahead, aspires to work for the Kenyan Olympic Committee. She does have August 16 plans to run the NYC Half-Marathon, which she won in 2006 and 2008. We spoke with Ndereba in Bogota, Columbia, where she was preparing to run The Bogota International Half Marathon (she would finish fifth in 1:16:07; the race is run at 8,000 feet of altitude).
What’s your training been like? Have you been doing anything specific to get ready for a half marathon?
Catherine Ndereba: Nothing much. I am just trying to gather my speed back, and maybe get ready for a fall marathon. I have been training for this race since June.
Will you employ any specific strategy to run the Bogota International Half Marathon? You won the race in 2006.
CN: No, I will not employ much of a strategy, but I will try to run my best and hope to win.
You have decided not to defend your World Championships marathon title. What were your thoughts behind that decision?
CN: What I decided was that I was not ready for it, and I don’t like to go to a race where I am not ready. I better not try to attempt it. Plus, I would like to give a chance to the younger athletes, let them be there and represent the country.
In two weeks you will be running the NYC Half-Marathon against Deena Kastor and Lornah Kiplagat, running legends like yourself (subsequent to this interview, Kiplagat withdrew). How do you feel about that?
CN: What I am thinking about racing those two women is that it would be great. It’s always great to have a good field in the race because I always feel that when you have a great field you have a chance of having a good time. It’s not like when you run just by yourself.
You have aspirations to join the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. How is that going?
CN: It’s progressing well. In that committee, working with that Olympic Committee is going to be great, to be able to be there and represent all of the athletes and learn how the leadership of the sport will go in the country.
What other races do you have in your late summer, fall racing schedule? And will you run a fall marathon?
CN: I haven’t decided on a fall marathon yet, but I will run the Philadelphia Distance Classic (a half marathon in September).
It seems like a good time to recap your illustrious career. I am going to name a race and you give me your thoughts on that race.Boston Marathon 2000, your first marathon win.
CN: It was my best race ever in my marathon career because that is where I won my first marathon.
Chicago, 2001, your then-world record.
CN: It was one of the greatest achievements of my life. It had been my dream to have a world record in my marathon career.
Paris, 2003, your first IAAF Gold.
CN: It was one of my greatest dreams achieved - to go out and represent my country in a big championship. It was very great. I can’t forget the joy I had in Paris in 2003.
Athens, 2004, your Olympic silver medal.
CN: That medal was special because I waited from 2000 when I didn’t make the team because my federation thought my time in Boston in the spring was not fast enough for me to have a medal in Sydney. So, I had to wait for four more years to get to Athens. So, to have my silver medal in Athens was quite wonderful.
Osaka, 2007, your second World Championships gold.
CN: It was like another achievement, but not just an achievement but a great one because to be a gold medalist once, and then you repeat after a couple of years, it is something to achieve.
Beijing, 2008, your second Olympic silver medal.
CN: It was great. I don’t even have the words to express it. Because to have a medal and then you repeat the same thing after four years, it was a very great blessing from the Lord.
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