FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kenyans Target Course Record Again,
the Marathon Could be "Su gut" Once More
It was a year ago when the Vienna City Marathon was simply "Su gut!". Henry
Sugut clocked an Austrian allcomers record of 2:06:58 to win the race.
Asked if the marathon had been a success the answer in Austrian dialect was
simply: "Su gut!", meaning "So good!". When the 30th edition of the
nation's biggest and best quality road race will take place this Sunday it
could even be better. Kenya's defending champion will return to the Vienna
City Marathon. In total ten runners are on the start list with personal
bests of sub 2:10. Among them is Jafred Kipchumba (Kenya). With a PB of
2:05:48 he is the fastest runner ever entered into the Vienna City
Marathon. The women's field looks strong as well. Half a dozen runners have
achieved times of sub 2:28 so far. Adding other events - among them a half
marathon with Ethiopia's superstar Haile Gebrselassie - a record total of
40,957 runners have entered the Vienna City Marathon, which is an IAAF Gold
Label Road Race.
"When I come back to Vienna it gives me a good feeling. I feel confident,
because I have won here twice. I know the race well," said Henry Sugut in
Friday's press conference. The 27 year-old first took the Vienna City
Marathon in 2010 with 2:08:40. His second marathon in 2012 did not go as
well. In Amsterdam he clocked 2:09:07 for ninth place. "The course was good
in Amsterdam, but the problem was the wind," said Henry Sugut. Regarding
Sunday's race, when the pacemakers are expected to pass the half way mark
in around 63:30 minutes, he said: "That pace is okay for me. I am in good
form. I have not raced since Amsterdam. Instead I fully concentrated on
Vienna."
One of Henry Sugut's training partners, Gilbert Yegon, is also expected to
do well on Sunday. "It is always a good feeling if you are running in the
leading group and you see a training partner in there as well," said the
defending champion Sugut. However this is also a revenge for 2012. A year
ago Gilbert Yegon was second in Vienna behind Sugut with 2:07:38. This is
the joint second fastest time ever run in the history of the race. But
Gilbert Yegon had been faster before. Running his debut marathon in
Amsterdam in 2009 he won with 2:06:18. "After that I had problems with my
hamstring for a long time. But now it is fine. So on Sunday I hope for a
personal best in Vienna," said the 24 year-old Kenyan.
Jafred Kipchumba has good memories of Vienna as well. It was back in 2009
when he had participated in a unique debutants only race in the Austrian
capital. In his marathon debut he achieved 2:10:42 for sixth place. "The
Vienna Marathon changed my life, because I was earning much more prize
money from then on. For example I was able to build a house in Kenya," said
Jafred Kipchumba, who won the Milan Marathon in 2010 (2:09:15), improved to
2:08:10 for second place in Toronto in 2010 and then made a major step by
taking the Eindhoven Marathon in 2011 with 2:05:48. "After Eindhoven I had
an injury. This is the reason why I did not compete last year. But now I am
in good shape and I have concentrated fully on the Vienna City Marathon. So
I did not run any other races recently," said Jafred Kipchumba.
The women's field looks stronger than in recent years as well with a
handful of athletes featuring personal bests of sub 2:27. Ethiopia's
Kebebush Haile is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 2:24:09.
She ran this time in 2011 when she won the Shanghai Marathon. A
disappointing performance in Duesseldorf a year ago, where she finished
fifth with 2:29:02 came because of an injury. "I had a hip problem so I did
not run after Duesseldorf," said Kebebush Haile. On Sunday she hopes to
improve to a time of sub 2:24. "With such a performance I hope to have a
chance for selection for the World Championships in Moscow. Of course I
will have to wait and see what my fellow Ethiopians will run in London next
week," the 27 year-old said. But she will also have strong challengers from
Ethiopia on Sunday in Vienna. Among them is Assefa Meskerem, who ran a fine
debut in Houston earlier this year with 2:25:17. May be on Sunday the 13
year-old course record from Maura Viceconte (Italy/2:23:47) will finally be
broken.
Elite fields of the Vienna City Marathon
Men:
Nr. Name Surname Nation PB
1 Sugut Henry KEN 2:06:58
2 Kipchumba Jafred KEN 2:05:48
3 Yegon Gilbert KEN 2:06:18
4 Kamais Peter KEN 2:07:37
5 Kiptoo Solomon KEN 2:08:30
7 Kibor Willy KEN 2:08:32
8 Kamzee Josphat KEN 2:08:41
9 Sokolov Aleksey RUS 2:09:07
10 Bushendich Ishmael KEN 2:09:09
11 Sitkovskyy Oleksandr UKR 2:09:26
12 Mamo Edeo ETH 2:10:31
14 Rahautsou Stsiapan BLR 2:12:04
15 Shutov Fedor RUS 2:12:09
16 Mohamed Mustafa SWE 2:12:28
Women:
Nr. Name Surname Nation PB
F2 Kebebush Haile ETH 2:24:09
F3 Assefa Meskerem ETH 2:25:17
F4 Console Rosaria ITA 2:26:10
F5 Haftu Goitetom ETH 2:26:21
F6 Samoei Emily KEN 2:26:52
F7 Glok Olga RUS 2:27:18
F8 Ptikany Mary KEN 2:29:45
F9 Nonata da Silva Cruz BRA 2:32:46
F10 Cheyech Flomena KEN 2:34:13
The race starts at 9 am on Sunday (local time) and will be shown live on
the internet at www.vienna-marathon.com
For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com.
###
|
