Press Release - Marathon Niedersachsen (Hannover) - 5/5/13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                     Lusapho April and Olena Burkovska 
               Break Course Records Despite Warm Temperatures

Despite warm weather conditions both course records were broken in the TUI 
Marathon Hannover: South Africa's Lusapho April clocked 2:08:32 while 
Ukraine's Olena Burkovska crossed the line in 2:27:07. While temperatures 
climbed to over 20 Celsius during the final part of the race both winners 
ran the second half faster than the first and improved their personal 
bests. Adding races at shorter distances a record total of around 16,000 
athletes took part in the TUI Marathon Hannover. The event is an IAAF 
Bronze Label Race.

The men's race started with a much slower pace than planned. A 10 k split 
time of 30:54 indicated a finishing time of just under 2:11 - that was well 
off the targeted course record of 2:08:52. It was only after the 15 k mark 
when the pacemakers finally started to run according to schedule on the 
very flat Hannover course. 16 runners then passed the half way mark in 
64:48 minutes. 

Four kilometres later Lusapho April made a serious attack with the help of 
pacemaker Frederick Ngeny (Kenya), who was originally scheduled to go only 
until half way. "I asked him if he could continue until 30 kilometres. That 
was very helpful and I thank him for that," said Lusapho April. At 30 k 
(1:31:17) the 30 year-old, who had won the TUI Hannover Marathon in 2011 
with a personal best of 2:09:25, was 39 seconds ahead of a group of four: 
Wesley Langat, David Kisang (both Kenya), Mekuant Ayenew and Samuel 
Getachew Demie (both Ethiopia). Defending champion Joseph Kiptum (Kenya) 
had already lost contact shortly before and later dropped out with a hip 
problem.

For several kilometres it looked as if Wesley Langat (Kenya) might be able 
to catch Lusapho April, but in the later stages the Kenyan faded and 
finally had to be content with seventh place in 2:13:49. In contrast the 
South African continued to run strong despite very warm sunshine and 
increased the gap, although running alone for the final 12 k. "I was 
confident. And I knew I could break the course record," Lusapho April later 
explained. 

"It was the first time in my career that I started a marathon race fully 
fit and without any problems," said Lusapho April, who had been unlucky 
when he fell at the 30 k refreshment station during the Olympic Marathon in 
London. He then limped in the final lap and finished 43rd. As his coach 
Karen Zimmerman explained they decided to have a longer break after that 
and then started the build-up for Hannover. It was worth being patient for 
Lusapho April since he now has establisehd himself as South Africa's number 
one marathon runner. It is four years ago that a runner from this nation 
has last run faster than Lusapho April today: Hendrik Ramaala clocked 
2:07:44 in 2009. "With a faster pace in the first part of the race and in 
cooler conditions I could have run sub 2:08 today," said Lusapho April. 
Such a time will be a next goal in the future. 

Luspaho April was more than one and a half minutes ahead of second placed 
Mekuant Ayenew (2:10:05). Fellow-Ethiopian Samuel Getachew Demie took third 
(2:12:38) while Kenyans Jonathan Yego (2:13:18), Isaac Arusei (2:13:23) and 
Wilfred Kigen (2:13:41) followed in fourth to sixth places. 

After a number of unsuccessful attempts by the organisers they finally got 
their first sub 2:30 performance in the women's race. Olena Burkovska 
(Ukraine) improved the course record of 2:30:17 by more than three minutes 
with 2:27:07. The 31 year-old, who had a personal best of 2:28:31 from the 
Berlin Marathon 2010, passed the half way mark in 1:13:49. She was running 
together with Marta Megra (Ethiopia), debutant Edinah Kwambai and Agnes 
Cheserek (both Kenya). Megra then lost contact and when Burkovska increased 
the pace shortly before the 30 k mark (1:44:34) the other two could not 
cope. "At that point I knew that I would run a course record and a personal 
best. To break both records, that was my aim coming to Hannover," said 
Olena Burkovska.

Edinah Kwambai ran a fine debut in warm conditions with 2:29:49 and took 
second. Marta Megra was third in 2:31:05 while Agnes Cheserek was suffering 
in the final stages and clocked 2:39:36 for fourth.

More information about the TUI Marathon Hannover is available online at: 
www.marathon-hannover.de

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