Sports43 FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014 Ultramarathon traces Berlin Wall, 25 years on BERLIN: More than 300 ultramarathon run- protective wall” which the former commu- Each runner who makes the full dis- Asisi depicting daily life along the Wall in ners will start a gruelling race tomorrow nist East Germany started building on tance will receive a medal with the image the 1980s. By remembering Germany’s along the 100-mile path of the old Berlin August 13, 1961. Designed to stop an exo- of Peter Fechter, who was 18-years-old painful division, “we can all help to ensure Wall, a quarter-century after it fell in the dus of people to the West, it cut through when he was shot dead by border guards that this doesn’t happen again, at least in heady days that brought down commu- city blocks, neighbourhoods, fields and during a 1962 escape attempt near the Germany,” said Eichner, for whom the Wall nism. Extreme athletes from around the forests and was shadowed by a heavily well-known border crossing Checkpoint evokes the ongoing division of North and world will join the third event of its kind in mined “death strip”, overlooked by watch Charlie. South Korea. the German capital, which will also be a his- towers and patrolled by soldiers and dogs. In all, 305 competitors from 24 coun- torical pilgrimage along the symbol of the Today the path of the Wall is a hiking ‘Running with our heads’ tries are set to join, reflecting the growing Cold War. “I was astonished by the size and and cycling trail, which takes a seasoned The race, called “100MeilenBerlin” popularity of such endurance contests that length of the Wall and the places it passed,” ultramarathon runner 16 to 30 hours to (100MilesBerlin), starts at 0400 GMT in include the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and said the oldest registered participant, Sigrid complete, depending in part on the weath- Prenzlauer Berg, which since Germany’s the notorious Badwater run in California’s Eichner, 73, of the 160-kilometre stretch. er. Weekend forecasts are for summer 1990 reunification has been transformed Death Valley. The Berlin woman, who has lived in the showers and temperatures up to 20 from an East Berlin working class district The foreign contingent in Berlin, led by city’s east since 1974, is a legendary veteran degrees C (68 degrees F). into a fashionable and gentrified neigh- Japanese star Tsutomu Nagata, has dou- of more than 1,800 running races around Promoted as a marriage of “sport and bourhood. bled since last year and includes athletes the world equal to or longer than the history”, the ultramarathon, like previous Runners will follow the Wall’s course from Australia, China, France, Italy, Spain, 42.195-kilometre marathon format. editions in 2011 and 2013, will be dedicat- clockwise, and also pass through a rotunda Turkey, the United States and Uruguay. For Eichner, the daunting quality of the ed to one of the “victims of the Wall” who near Checkpoint Charlie that houses a large Their ages range from 23 to 68 years for Berlin race echoes that of the “anti-fascist paid with their lives trying to escape. panorama installation by artist Yadegar men and 21 to 73 for women. —AFP N Zealand favors Smith at fullback against Australia Conrad Smith returns from injury WELLINGTON: Ben Smith has been pre- Conrad Smith returns from injury to re- good form,” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen ferred to Israel Dagg at fullback in the All establish his midfield partnership with Ma’a said. “But in the end we selected the group Blacks’ lineup for tomorrow’s Rugby Nonu. that we felt could get the job done. Championship and Bledisloe Cup opener Wyatt Crockett will start at loosehead “An example of that is Ben Smith. While against Australia. prop in the place of injured veteran Tony we have been very happy with Israel Dagg’s Smith started at fullback while Dagg bat- Woodcock. Dagg has played 38 tests at full- performances at 15, Ben has come in and tled a knee injury in the last two of New back and has been New Zealand’s first raised the bar to another level. The challenge Zealand’s test matches against England in choice in the position for the last three years. for Israel now is to get his performances - June but Dagg, now fully fit, had been wide- He started 13 of the All Blacks’ 14 tests last when he gets the opportunity - to an even ly expected to return to the starting lineup in season and 13 out of 14 in 2012, but his form higher level.” the team that was announced yesterday. has faltered recently while Smith has grown HOHENSTEIN-ERNSTTHAL: Honda rider Marc The selection of Smith left no place for into the fullback role while also playing at Test bebut Marquez of Spain pulls a wheelie after winning the Dagg in the 23-man squad for the Sydney wing and center. Prop Joe Moody has been included on MotoGP race of the Grand Prix of Germany at the match. Smith will combine with Cory Jane “It was a tough team to select in many the bench and will make his test debut if he Sachsenring Circuit on July 13, 2014 in Hohenstein- and Julian Savea in the back three, while ways because we have a lot of players in takes the field, while young center Malakai Ernstthal, eastern Germany. —AFP Fekitoa will cover the outside backs posi- tions. Veteran flanker Liam Messam has been Marquez set to tackle left out of a match 23, with Jerome Kaino starting on the blindside and Steven Luatua Agostini record in Brno returning to the bench. Dan Carter was not considered due to a PRAGUE: Spain’s Marc Marquez is one step from wiping out a broken leg, making way for Aaron Cruden to long-standing record as he eyes an 11th win in 11 races this start at flyhalf and Beauden Barrett on the season at the Czech MotoGP in Brno on Sunday. bench. The All Blacks will be bidding for a Italian legend Giacomo Agostini won the opening 10 races record 18th straight test win while also try- of the premier class season in 1968, 1969 and 1970 at a time ing to maintain their 12-year hold on the when he dominated the sport. Bledisloe Cup, which is contested in tests And Marquez, the 21-year-old reigning champion, equalled against Australia. that feat at Indianapolis last Sunday, when he also became the “We are really happy with our build-up first rider since Australian Mick Doohan in 1997 to win 10 and looking to put the finishing touches to races in a row. However, no one has ever won the first 11 races our game over the next few days,” Hansen of a season-in part because Agostini’s perfect season in 1968 said. “The Bledisloe Cup is an extremely comprised only 10 events. important trophy for us all and there is a After 10 of 18 MotoGP races this year, Marquez leads the strong desire within the group to begin the championship standings with a perfect 250 points, 89 ahead Rugby Championship on a positive note of his Repsol Honda team-mate, and fellow Catalan, Dani with a quality performance.” Pedrosa. Australia earlier this week named Kurtley Italy’s Valentino Rossi is third, four points behind Pedrosa Beale ahead of Bernard Foley at flyhalf in a and 40 ahead of Yamaha colleague Jorge Lorenzo of Spain. bold selection move. Beale played at inside Last year, Marquez won the Brno race to become the first center throughout the season for Super MotoGP rookie ever to win four successive premier class Rugby champions the New South Wales events. “The target is to fight for victory, like always,” he said Waratahs. about the race on the 5.4-kilometre circuit in the southern New Zealand: Ben Smith, Cory Jane, Czech city. At Indianapolis last Sunday, Marquez needed 10 Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea, laps to offset a lacklustre start from pole position. Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Then, like so often this season, he breezed past both Richie McCaw (captain), Jerome Kaino, Sam Lorenzo and Rossi in a single bend and raced ahead to gain Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, nearly two seconds on Lorenzo and more than six on Rossi on Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett. the finish line. Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, But Brno might turn out to be a different story. “Everyone AUCKLAND: In this Friday, June 20, 2014 file photo England halfback Joe Moody, Steven Luatua, Sam Cane, TJ knows that historically Yamaha are strong here so we’ll have Henry Taylor, is tackled by South Africa’s Handre Pollard during the Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Malakai to work hard from today to give ourselves the best chance on IRB Junior World Championship Final in Auckland, New Zealand. —AP Fekitoa. —AP Sunday,” Marquez told the crash.net website. —AFP.