Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 4/18/07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                  Contact: Andreas Maier
                                           Press Officer
                                           +43–650 350 1488
                                           

  Bernard Barmasai chases first marathon victory in Vienna on 29th April

As a 3,000 m steeple chaser Bernard Barmasai was the number one in the 
world, when he broke the world record in Cologne back in 1997 with 7:55.72 
minutes. Today he still is the third fastest steeple chaser of all times 
with this result. But nowadays the Kenyan is chasing success in a different 
event: the marathon. It is the 24th Vienna City Marathon on 29th April 
where he wants to step up to another level in the classic race. Featuring a 
personal best of 2:08:52 so far which he ran in Paris a year ago Vienna's 
course record could be well under threat. That stands at 2:08:20 and was 
established by Lahoucine Mrikik (Marocco) last year. Additionally Bernard 
Barmasai will be aiming for his first marathon victory in Vienna. 

Organisers of Austria's biggest and most prestigious road race are 
expecting a field of more than 24,000 runners on 29th April. That includes 
other running events besides the marathon which are staged parallel to the 
marathon. "We are happy with the entry figures and I am especially 
delighted to welcome such a prominent athlete as Bernard Barmasai", said 
Race-Director Wolfgang Konrad, who himself was an international steeple 
chaser. He did not held a world record but a noticable national record of 
8:17.22 minutes which he ran in Berlin in 1982. With that time he was 
number three in the world season's list of that year.

After a marathon debut of 2:14:49 three years ago in Rotterdam Bernard 
Barmasai improved to 2:10:52 in 2005 and then to 2:08:52. In October last 
year he just missed out on winning Amsterdam where he was beaten by fellow 
Kenyan Solomon Bushendich by two seconds. Additionally he missed his 
personal best by the same margin, clocking 2:08:54. There was some wind in 
Amsterdam last year so if conditions are fine in Vienna next week there 
should be room for improvement.

Similar to Amsterdam there will be stiff opposition at the Vienna City 
Marathon as well for Bernard Barmasai. It is Luke Kibet who has exactly the 
same personal best as Barmasai. The 24 year-old Kenyan clocked his 2:08:52 
in Eindhoven two years ago, where he finished third. Frederick Cherono so 
far is 14 seconds quicker than his two fellow countrymen. He won the Torino 
Marathon in 2004 with 2:08:38. Additionally he is the winner of the Rome 
Marathon from 2003 (2:08:47). There was more recent success for William 
Todoo, who took this year's Dubai Marathon in January in 2:09:53 and now 
aims for further improvement in the Austrian capital. Another Kenyan, Abel 
Kirui, could be someone to watch. He recently won the Paderbon Half 
Marathon in 61:32 after a slow first part of the race.

In comparison the women's field will not be as promising as the men's. This 
is also because organisers had to take a setback since the defending 
champion Tomo Morimoto had to cancel her start in Vienna. The Japanese 
suffers of an ankle injury which unfortunately did not heal in time to 
resume training. At least for the Austrian spectators this might be good 
news since local hero Susanne Pumper could now be in with a chance. The 36 
year-old ran her marathon debut in Vienna last year. Coming in fourth with 
2:32:21 she broke the Austrian record. In 2005 Pumper had won the silver 
medal in the 3,000 m final of the European Indoor Championships. But the 
favourite will probably be Romania's Luminita Talpos, who enters the race 
with a personal best of 2:27:32.
 

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