2008 ING New York City Marthon champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos held a press conference today in leading up to Sunday's race. Richard Finn, spokesman for New York Road Runners, helped mediate and ask questions during the press. Below is the transcript:RICHARD FINN: We're going to ask Marilson to make a couple of opening comments about returning to New York, then we'll open it up for questions. Marilson?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: I'm very prepared, physically and mentally for this event. The champions, the media for now is much more. My priority now is the marathon.
RICHARD FINN: Can you talk about is there anything special about New York?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: Well, I think it's very special because it's very different than my country. It's bigger than anything. It's more beautiful every time.
RICHARD FINN: Questions for Marilson.
Q. Can you talk about how you felt about your World Half Marathon performance? And what that told him about what he needed to do for this race?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: I don't change much about everything I've been doing to the past marathons, basically my training and nutrition and everything else.
RICHARD FINN: Did the Half Marathon performance, did it give him confidence coming in?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: Every marathon and every tournament I go to gives me much more confidence and opens my mind, and makes me be more prepared for the next one.
Q. I'm wondering about last year's race. A lot of us watching figured well, Goumri's won this thing and he had a pretty sizeable lead. I'm just wondering how Marilson felt? Could he see that Goumri was in fact running out of gas in front of him? Or did he think that maybe the race was lost?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: I feel very good because the second ‑‑ because the first I feel like a little bit more ‑‑ to the first part I'm not there, but in the second part is when I really feel like my body pushing and I feel much better to the second part. And I feel the second parts much more faster than the first one.
Q. But did he at any time think that Goumri's lead was too big to catch?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: No, I'm very confident.
Q. When Marilson looks at the athletes he has to beat this year to win for the third time, what does he think? Mary described the field as the strongest ever. Does he feel that if he can win this year it would be his best win in New York?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: Well, for the event, I have to their level, we never know. But I'll be very prepared for a win.
Q. What does he think about the quality of the field? When he looks at the names of the option, what goes through your mind?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: It's a very strong group. I think it's going to be like a big, big, big race. I think anything can happen.
Q. Is it the strongest field he's ever run against?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: I think every single one is the same feeling. It's not a difference if you're in New York or if you're in another country or another state. Every single event is the same feeling, the same rush.
Q. He's in such a unique position having already won it twice. I wanted to know if he won twice and went home, what was his recognition in South America? And what parties and what happened to him when he was so honored to win twice? I mean, that's really fantastic. What happened?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: It's not only in my country, but everywhere in south America. And I see myself equal and a not an athlete. It's because of the two, you know, championships that I won, the two marathons that I've run, so...
Q. I wonder if you've thought about whether you might still be running the marathon for the 2016 Olympics when they're in Rio?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: I'm going to try very hard. There's going to be a big, big party for me. It's the first Olympics and running in Brazil is ‑‑ can't be bigger than that for me.
Q. Have you seen any evidence that because of your victories and because you've won and gained some fame, has it had much of an effect on young people in Brazil? Is there more interest in running now?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: Yes, of course. Of course I see this every day, and everywhere I go. The new athletes always mirror themselves after me right now.
Q. Who are the other athletes in the elite field that you regard as your main challengers? Maybe just two or three athletes that you think are your main challengers?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: I think it's very difficult that I mention any names because it really is not just two. It's a large, you know, very strong athletes. And he I don't want to mention any names because I don't want to be unfair.
Q. In this book here you've been named the marathoner of the decade for the New York City Marathon. What do you feel about that honor?
RICHARD FINN: Marilson is one of the eight athletes that have been named one of the Marathoners of the Decade as part of on our 40th Running celebration. Marilson is for the decade of 2000.
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: Well, I'm always dreaming highly about this. Now I see myself in a really conquering what I really work so hard and dreaming of.
RICHARD FINN: We'll have Marilson here with several other athletes, Bill Rodgers, Grete Waitz, Tegla Loroupe and German Silva tomorrow to be formally presented with their Marathoner of the Decade honor.
Q. Do you prefer to train alone on or in a group and why?
RICHARD FINN: The question is whether Marilson trains or prefers to train alone, or do you train with a group, other athletes?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: The big part of my life I train by myself. But when you're in a group, I feel more easy, and I feel ‑‑ well, I think, again, I love to be in a group, but I feel more benefits for me if I train alone.
RICHARD FINN: Coach, is there anything you'd like to add to that?
COACH DOMINGUEZ: It's different who I train with, too. In Brazil, there are very few athletes that I can train with. So it depends for me who I train with.
Q. For our Brazilian audience in Brazil, where do you train following you up on the coach's question? Where do you train when you're training in Brazil? What is your favorite place to train and practice in Brazil?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: Campo of Jourdan. It's a city one hour and a half from Sao Paolo. It is 700 meters, and that's my favorite place to train. Campo de Jourdan.
Q. Where is that in Brazil?
MARILSON GOMES dos SANTOS: It's an hour and a half from Sao Paolo.
COACH DOMINGUEZ: And the climate is very, you know in favor of my training. It's a mountain climate.
RICHARD FINN: How much time did he spend there before coming to New York?
COACH DOMINGUEZ: After Berlin, I went back to Campo de Jourdan for training. And I only left after the Half Marathon, and get back to competition.
RICHARD FINN: So he went there after Berlin. And the only time he left after Berlin was to run the Half Marathon in Birmingham. Thank you.
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