Posted: January 10, 2009  :

(RRW) Athletics: Burka Targeting World Indoor Mile Record In Karlsruhe

From David Monti © 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com By Bob Ramsak Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka will be targeting the world indoor record in the mile at the 25th BW Bank Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, on Feb. 15, organizers announced today. The 22-year-old Burka, who lowered the African record in the mile outdoors in Rieti, Italy, last September, clocking 4:18.23, is aiming for Romanian Doine Melinte’s 4:17.14 mark set in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1990. Last March, Burka finished third in the 1500m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia and will likely be elevated to the gold medal spot when the Russian doping case involving Yelena Soboleva and Yulia Fomenko is finally resolved. Burka’s 3:59.75 performance in Valencia was also an African indoor record. Burka, a former junior and senior short course world champion in cross country, produced the fastest indoor 3000m run a year ago, clocking 8:31.94 to become the seventh fastest ever. The Karlsruhe program will also include a men’s 800 or 1000m race and a 1500m, along with a women’s 800m. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest