Press Release - Frankfurt Marathon - 10/20/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

         Wilson Kipsang Heads Best Elite Field Ever at Jubilee Edition

The BMW Frankfurt Marathon will see its best elite field ever when it takes 
place on 30th October. Eight runners with personal bests of sub 2:08 will 
be competing, among them is the course record holder and defending champion 
Wilson Kipsang. In 2010 the Kenyan clocked an amazing 2:04:57 in Frankfurt. 
The women's race will see four athletes with personal bests of sub 2:25. 
Organisers of the race have done their best to prepare for a memorable 
jubilee race. Germany's oldest city marathon will see its 30th edition on 
30th October. It fits well to the occasion that the BMW Frankfurt Marathon 
has reached its capacity of 15,000 runners. This is a record for this race, 
which is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

"We are very happy that we have managed to continue our strong development 
of recent years, regarding both the elite race and the mass race. Now we 
are looking forward to an exciting race and hope that weather conditions 
will be fine," said Jo Schindler, the Race Director of the BMW Frankfurt 
Marathon. 

In the men's race 15 runners have been entered with personal bests of sub 
2:10 while three of them have been faster than 2:07. Besides the defending 
champion Wilson Kipsang the main competitors will probably be Kenya's 
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (2:05:52) and Ethiopia's Deriba Merga (2:06:38). 
Unfortunately Gilbert Kirwa (Kenya), who had won in Frankfurt two years ago 
with 2:06:14, had to cancel his start due to an injury.

The women's elite field has very good depth as well with 13 runners 
featuring personal bests of sub 2:30. Among them are four who have run sub 
2:25. These are Merima Mohammed (Ethiopia/2:23:06), Rita Jeptoo 
(Kenya/2:23:38), Agnes Kiprop (Kenya/2:24:07) and Mamitu Daska 
(Ethiopia/2:24:18). Germany's Sabrina Mockenhaupt, who had won the race in 
2008, and Ethiopia's Fate Tola, who had taken the Vienna City Marathon in 
April this year, could also be in with a fine performance.

The elite field of the BMW Frankfurt Marathon:

MEN:
Wilson Kipsang                 KEN   2:04:57
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot       KEN   2:05:52
Deriba Merga                   ETH   2:06:38
Philip Sanga                   KEN   2:07:10
Levy Matebo                    KEN   2:07:31
Wilfred Kigen                  KEN   2:07:33
Shentema Gudisa                ETH   2:07:34
Deressa Chimsa Edae            ETH   2:07:39
Siraj Gena                     ETH   2:08:39
Henry Sugut                    KEN   2:08:40
Chumba Dickson Kiptolo         KEN   2:08:45
Sila Toek                      KEN   2:09:09
Albert Matebor                 KEN   2:09:16
Raymond Kandie                 KEN   2:09:23
Lusapho April                  RSA   2:09:25
Tesfaye Eticha                 ETH   2:10:05
Henryk Szost                   POL   2:10:27
Duncan Koech                   KEN   2:10:27
Damt Kuashu Taye               ETH   2:10:31
Dino Sefir                     ETH   2:10:33
Günther Weidlinger             AUT   2:10:47
Meftah Abdellatif              FRA   2:10:53
André Pollmächer               GER   2:13:09

WOMEN:
Merima Mohammed                ETH   2:23:06
Rita Jeptoo                    KEN   2:23:38
Agnes Kiprop                   KEN   2:24:07
Mamitu Daska                   ETH   2:24:18
Sabrina Mockenhaupt            GER   2:26:21
Fate Tola                      ETH   2:26:21
Liz Yelling                    GBR   2:28:33
Alena Samokhvalova             RUS   2:28:47
Lisa Weightman                 AUS   2:28:48
Aniko Kalovics                 HUN   2:29:04
Kirsten Melkevik               NOR   2:29:12
Susanne Hahn                   GER   2:29:26
Beata Rakonczai                HUN   2:29:54
Tatyana Borisova               KIR   2:30:35
Andrea Mayr                    AUT   2:30:43
Volha Dubovskaya               BLR   2:31:41
Flomena Chepchirchir           KEN   Debut

More information is available at: www.bmw-frankfurt-marathon.com

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