Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 4/14/13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                 Henry Sugut Wins Vienna For a Third Time
				  
                    Flomena Cheyech Takes Women's race, 
           Hat Trick For Haile Gebrselassie in OMV Champions Race

Defending champion Henry Sugut produced a result at the Vienna City 
Marathon that fitted to the occassion. It was the 30th edition of Austria's 
biggest sporting event and the 27 year-old Kenyan added a piece of history 
to the event by becoming only the second athlete to win for a third time. 
Back in the 80ies it was Austria's Gerhard Hartmann who triumphed even 
three times in a row, from 1985 to '87. But of course the quality of the 
fields in those times can not be compared with today's standards. 
Hartmann's best time in Vienna was 2:12:22 while Sugut needed to run around 
four minutes faster today. He clocked 2:08:19 in fine but warm weather 
conditions. In a race dominated by Kenyans Solomon Kiptoo was second with 
2:08:34 while Geoffrey Ndungu took third in 2:08:42. 

In the women's race Flomena Cheyech improved by almost ten minutes in 
Vienna. The 30 year-old Kenyan won with 2:24:34 and produced one of the 
biggest winning margins in the race's history. She was streets ahead of 
Ethiopians Assefa Meskerem (2:31:18) and Eyerusalem Kuma (2:32:24). Kenya's 
Emily Samoei followed in fourth place with 2:32:48.

But there was of course an Ethiopian winner as well on Sunday: Haile 
Gebrselassie took the OMV Champions Race with 61:14. This half marathon was 
staged parallel to the marathon and it was Gebrselassie's first race this 
year. The 39 year-old was well ahead of Hosea Kipkemboi (Kenya/62:01) and 
Mekuant Ayenew (Ethiopia/62:21) in a race he won for a third time in a row. 

A record number of 41,326 runners had entered the various events of the 
Vienna City Marathon. 10,588 of them were marathon runners. The event is an 
IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Men's race: Kiptoo and Ndungu challenged Sugut

After a very fast beginning with a 5 k split of 14:46 minutes the pace of 
the men's leaders soon dropped significantly. Once the leading group of 
eleven runners had reached half way the clock showed 64:05. By that time 
the fastest man in the field, Jafred Kipchumba (2:05:48), had already lost 
contact. The Kenyan later dropped out. When eight runners passed 30 k in 
1:31:15 Henry Sugut's course record of 2:06:58 from 2012 was well out of 
reach. 

It was the defending champion Sugut who then increased the pace and broke 
up the leading group. Among those dropped was his training partner Gilbert 
Yegon, who finally finished fourth with 2:10:40, and Josphat Kamzee. The 
Kenyan held on to a sub 2:11 finish in fifth place (2:10:49). But Solomon 
Kiptoo and Geoffrey Ndungu managed to stay right behind Sugut. "Between 36 
and 37 kilometres I had a look at the other two. They seemed strong and I 
thought: I need to put in more energy to win this," said Henry Sugut. But 
it was only with around two kilometres to go when he finally was able to 
move ahead and leave Kiptoo and Ndungu behind. "I am very proud to have won 
this for a third time," said Henry Sugut. "It was a bit too warm for fast 
times."

Women's race: Flomena Cheyech comes from behind

Ethiopians were favourites for the women's title, but in the end victory 
went to Kenya. Temperatures were still comfortable at the start (12 Celsius 
in the shade) so the Ethiopians opted to run fast. Passing 5 k in 16:43 and 
then 10 k in 33:55 they were well within the 13 year-old course record of 
Italy's Maura Viceconte (2:23:49). It was soon after the 10 k mark, when 
Eyerusalem Kuma slowed and Meskerem Assefa was the only one who followed 
the pacemaker. At 15 k (50:58) the former 1,500 m runner was well ahead of 
Kuma (51:45) and Cheyech (52:31). But at half way (1:12:28) the situation 
had changed. While Assefa slowed Cheyech ran faster. The Kenyan had already 
passed Kuma and was only eleven seconds behind the leader. Soon afterwards 
she reached Assefa and when she made her move at 27 k the Ethiopian could 
not respond. In the final third of the race Flomena Cheyech build a big 
lead.

Finishing in 2:24:34, the third fastest in the history of the Vienna City 
Marathon, she was almost seven minutes ahead of Assefa Meskerem (2:31:18). 
Only on three occasions (1984, 1993 and 2005) there was an even bigger 
winning margin in Vienna's women's race. "I did not expect to run that fast 
today. But I knew I was in good shape because I trained well in Kenya," 
said Flomena Cheyech, who had come to Vienna with a marathon PB of 2:34:13. 
However she had indicated that she would be in contention for victory when 
she won the Rome Ostia half marathon in March with 67:39. In Kenya she 
trains with the group of Mary Keitany.

Haile Gebrselassie: "I can still run faster"

Ethiopia's superstar Haile Gebrselassie was cheered on by masses of 
spectators along the course. That may have tempted him to run a very fast 
first 5 k of 14:06 minutes. Afterwards the pace dropped and the 39 year-old 
then left behind Hosea Kipkemboi and Mekuant Ayenew at the 10 k mark 
(28:43). However Gebrselassie was visibly working hard in the section 
around 15 k and could not keep the pace high enough for a sub 61 minute 
finish. "I wanted to run faster but it did not work today. May be I should 
have started a bit slower. But I enjoyed the amazing atmosphere," he said 
after clocking 61:14 minutes. "I think I can still run faster than today."

For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com.

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