Press Release - Frankfurt Marathon - 10/1/14

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

         Defending Champion Vincent Kipruto Returns to Frankfurt

Defending champion Vincent Kipruto will return to the BMW Frankfurt 
Marathon on 26th October. The 27 year-old braved stormy conditions a year 
ago and still clocked a time of 2:06:15. Kipruto is the most prolific 
runner from Kenya in this year's race. However he will have to overcome a 
strong challenge from Ethiopia if he wants to have a chance of taking a 
second consecutive victory in Germany's financial capital of Frankfurt. As 
organisers announced earlier the field will include marathon shooting star 
Tsegaye Mekonnen and Getu Feleke. 

Around 15,000 runners are expected to take part in the 33rd edition of the 
BMW Frankfurt Marathon with online race entry still available. The event is 
an IAAF Gold Label Road Race and offers one of the most distinctive 
finishes anywhere in the world, as the runners head for the finish line 
inside Frankfurt's Festhalle.

Last year the last 100 metres or so was the only section of the course 
where the runners could shelter from the wind. The weather was a big blow 
for the elite runners, who were orginally targeting a 2:04 time. "I will 
come back to Frankfurt next year to achieve my goal and run a personal 
best," said Vincent Kipruto after his victory. He kept his promise and with 
hopefully far better conditions will attack his PB of 2:05:13 on 26th 
October.

The man who surprisingly chased Kipruto right to the line in Frankfurt's 
Festhalle last year will also come back. At the age of 37 Mark Kiptoo 
clocked a PB of 2:06:16 in 2013 and finished just a second behind Kipruto. 
Another sub 2:07 runner showed that he is back to his best this spring: 
Gilbert Yegon. Winning the Duesseldorf Marathon in driving rain he missed 
the course record by just 18 seconds with 2:08:07. Back in 2009 Yegon won 
his marathon debut in Amsterdam in 2:06:18 but it was not till Duesseldorf 
this spring that he was able to produce a similar marathon performance 
again. "I wanted to run 2:06, but it was not possible in these conditions. 
I will try again in the autumn," he said. Now he chose the BMW Frankfurt 
Marathon as his next major race.

Adding Ethiopian stars Tsegaye Mekonnen, the winner of the Dubai Marathon 
in January with an unofficial world junior record of 2:04:32, and Getu 
Feleke, who smashed the Vienna course record this spring in 2:05:41 and has 
a PB of 2:04:50, there are five runners on the start list who feature sub 
2:07 times.

Meanwhile Francis Bowen, who will turn 41 next week, intends to attack the 
world master record which stands at 2:08:46. Mexico's Andres Espinosa ran 
this time in Berlin in 2003. Bowen has a PB of 2:08:01. Last year the 
Kenyan missed the record by only seven seconds when he was third in 
Chunchon (Korea) with 2:08:53. 

A couple of debutants want to use the fast Frankfurt course for a fine 
start of their marathon careers. Among them are Daniel Wanjiru of Kenya - 
no relation to the late, great Sammy Wanjiru, the 2008 Olympic Marathon 
champion - who was third in the Prague Half Marathon in April with 59:58 
and Ethiopia's Adugna Takele. He placed ninth in the World Half Marathon 
Championships this spring in 60:14. National interest in the men's race 
will focus on Arne Gabius. After running a fine half marathon debut in New 
York this March where he took 8th place with 62:09, Gabius is confident for 
his marathon debut. The German is aiming for a time towards 2:10.

The men's elite field for the BMW Frankfurt Marathon including personal 
bests:

Tsegaye Mekonnen     ETH 2:04:32
Getu Feleke          ETH 2:04:50
Vincent Kipruto      KEN 2:05:13
Mark Kiptoo          KEN 2:06:16
Gilbert Yegon        KEN 2:06:18
Kirui Jacob          KEN 2:07:46
Francis Bowen        KEN 2:08:01
Deribe Robi          ETH 2:08:02
Tebalu Zawude        ETH 2:08:20
Mike Kigen           KEN 2:08:24
Daniel Chepyegon     UGA 2:08:24
Paulo Roberto Paula  BRA 2:10:23
Dawit Wolde          ETH 2:10:42
Jordon Chipangama    ZAM 2:12:21
Edwin Kemboi         AUT 2:12:58
Adugna Takele        ETH Debut
Solomon Deksisa      ETH Debut
Allan Kiprono        KEN Debut
Daniel Wanjiru       KEN Debut
Arne Gabius          GER Debut
Philipp Pflieger     GER Debut

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

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