Press Release - Frankfurt Marathon - 9/30/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                Teimet, Keitany, Mandago and Kipsang Among 
                    Six Sub 2:08 Runners in Frankfurt

With half a dozen runners featuring personal bests of sub 2:08 and another 
eight runners having achieved sub 2:10 times so far the Commerzbank 
Frankfurt Marathon promises to produce yet another thrilling and high-class 
men’s race. If weather conditions are suitable on 31st October the course 
record of 2:06:14, which was established by Gilbert Kirwa (Kenya) a year 
ago, will be attacked. Germany’s oldest city marathon, which is an IAAF 
Gold Label race, could well see its first sub 2:06 result. A record field 
of around 13,000 runners is expected to take part in the race. Online entry 
is still available at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com

The two men that could be the strongest in a deep field are Kenyans 
Sylvester Teimet and Wilson Kipsang. 26 year-old Sylvester Teimet broke 
into world-class this March, when he won the Seoul Marathon in 2:06:49. It 
was a close race until the final two kilometres, when Teimet finally was 
able to leave behind Gilbert Kirwa. The Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon 
course record holder was second in 2:06:59. For Sylvester Teimet it was 
already the second time he won a marathon in Seoul. In 2008 he had clocked 
2:09:53, which was his personal best until this year.

Wilson Kipsang, whose start had been announced earlier by the organisers of 
the Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon, is reported to be in good shape. The 28 
year-old ran a great marathon debut when finishing second in Paris in April 
with 2:07:13 and features a superb half marathon best of 58:59 minutes. He 
belongs to the same training group as Geoffrey Mutai, who ran 2:05:10 for 
second place in the Berlin Marathon last Sunday.

Four more runners signed for the Commerzbank Frankfurt-Marathon have sub 
2:08 times. The fastest in the field will be 27 year-old Elijah Keitany. 
The Kenyan has a personal best of 2:06:41, which he achieved in Amsterdam 
in 2009. Keitany was second in this race. David Mandago is just twelve 
seconds slower so far. The 32 year-old clocked 2:06:53 in Paris last year, 
but since this was an extraordinary strong race he finished only sixth. 
However David Mandago has achieved some remarkable placings in major 
marathons. Two years ago the Kenyan was second in the Chicago Marathon with 
2:07:37, in the same year he won the Hamburg Marathon (2:07:23) and he also 
took the Rome Marathon in 2006 (2:08:38). 

While the three-time winner of the Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon Wilfred 
Kigen (2005 to 2007 / PB: 2:07:33) had been announced earlier a new 
addition to the field is Francis Kiprop. The 28 year-old Kenyan was second 
behind world record holder Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) in the Berlin 
Marathon 2009. He clocked his personal best of 2:07:04 in this race.

At least four more runners could be in the race for victory at the 
Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon: Elias Chelimo (Kenya/2:08:15), Yared 
Asmerom (Eritrea/2:08:34), Siraj Gena (Ethiopia/2:08:39) and Henry Sugut 
(Kenya), who won this year’s Vienna City Marathon with 2:08:40.

For more information and online registration visit: 
www.frankfurt-marathon.com

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