By Ben EFE
Running banker, Esther Obiekwe will on Sunday flex muscles in Berlin, Germany with world record holders Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie who lead a field of 40,963 runners at the Berlin marathon.

Obiekwe is the sole Nigerian representative at the 38th Berlin Marathon. And as she breathes down on the course on Sunday she has one wish, and that is to run sub 3.30 and qualify for the London 2012 Olympics.

She would be the first non professional athlete to achieve the feat if she does hit the qualifying standard. The IAAF qualifying standard for women is 2.37.00, 2.43.00 A and B standard respectively.

Her confidence zoomed after she received a boost from Park and Shop, Spar a retail conglomerate in Nigeria.

Obiekwe said before departure that she has prepared herself well for the mission to earn herself reputation in the world of marathon running.

“My goal is to maintain a continual improvement. I want to shave off 10 minutes off my best time.

“The aim is to run a sub 3.30mins for the entire 42km and be in the top 100 of the women race,” Obiekwe enthused.

She submitted that apart from running in the five major marathons, she hopes to raise Nigerian runners to become world champions. One of such is 15 year-old Bukola Pereirra.

“Nigeria has abundant talents. The Kenyans are dominating today because they started as early as ten years.

“If we can start training our grassroots talent as early as that we would overshadow the Kenyans.

I have my eyes on Bukola Pereirra, she is an athlete I want to see mature to be a world champion.”

Commenting on their support for Obiekwe, Park and Shop, Spar general manager operations and marketing, Hammesh Shenoy stated that their support of Obiekwe was part of their social responsibility to Nigeria.

“We are happy to associate with Esther Obiekwe aspirations. She is representing Nigerians and Park and Shop, Spar,” Shenoy said.