Kannouchi joins sceptics over Gebrselassie's target

World marathon record holder Khalid Khannouchi has joined the sceptics who believe Haile Gebrselassie is asking for too fast an opening time in Sunday's 22nd London event.

Twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion Gebrselassie has set 15 world records on the track and is the overwhelming favourite to win Sunday's race in his first serious attempt at 42.195 kms.

He is hoping for an opening half of 62 minutes 30 seconds but Moroccan-born Khannouchi, who is now a U.S. citizen and holds the current world record of two hours five minutes 42 seconds, said he believes a conservative start is necessary to run a successful marathon.

"I believe the right way to do it is not to go out too fast and build up," he told a news conference on Friday. "You have to run a comfortable time."

Gebrselassie's great rival Paul Tergat, who has won five world cross country titles but finished second to the Ethiopian in two Olympic and two world 10,000 metres finals, said he also believed 62-1/2 minutes was too fast.

The 32-year-old Kenyan Tergat made his marathon debut in last year's London race, finishing second to Moroccan Abedelkader El Mouaziz.

"There are two sides to the marathon," Tergat said. "I really believe it's very challenging to go that fast."

PACE RESERVATIONS

On Thursday El Mouaziz and three times London champion Antonio Pinto of Portugal both expressed reservations about the pace Gebrselassie intended to set and pointed out his lack of knowledge of London's twisting streets.

Khannouchi said he had completed the best winter's preparation of his career, including altitude training in Mexico.

He named El Mouaziz as one of the athletes he had the most respect for on Sunday. Tergat praised Gebrselassie's iron will. "He is one of the toughest rivals we have in the competition," he said.

For the first time at a major marathon, blood and urine dope testing will be carried out on all contracted athletes.

Race director Dave Bedford said about 20 athletes in all were being tested in the build-up to the race.

Although the results will not be known until after the race, Bedford said anybody who was subsequently found to have taken banned drugs would be disqualified and their prize and appearance money confiscated.

"This is just a step," he said. "The next step is for all other marathons to follow the same procedure."