FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
More Kenyan competition for Cheruiyot, Kigen and Weidlinger:
Mbote, Kiplagat, Kiogora and Kirwa added to the field
Another set of strong Kenyan runners have been added to the elite field of
the Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon, which will take place on 25th October.
Jason Mbote, Gilbert Kirwa, Stephen Kiogora and William Kiplagat will
challenge their fellow Kenyans who have won this race during the past four
years: Wilfred Kigen was the winner from 2005 to 2007 while Robert
Cheruiyot took Germany's oldest city marathon in 2008, causing a major
upset to the favourites. So far Rose Cheruiyot (Kenya), who holds a
personal best of 2:25:48, is the fastest women entered in the race.
The Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon, which boosts a new title sponsor, is an
IAAF Gold Label Road Race. Entry figures for the 28th edition of the event
are up by almost 18 percent. If the high interest continues organisers
expect a record field of between 13,000 and 14,000 runners. Online entry is
available at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com
Robert K. Cheruiyot's course record of 2:07:21 from last year will be under
threat on 25th October. But may be he himself is the one who can improve
it. The 21 year-old Kenyan has meanwhile shown that his success in
Frankfurt in 2008 was not a coincidence. Cheruiyot placed fifth in April's
high-class Boston Marathon.
Wilfred Kigen will be eager to reestablish himself himself as one of
Kenya's strongest marathon runners. The Kenyan had been unlucky in his
recent marathons, when an Achilles tendon injury forced him to drop out of
the New York Marathon in 2008 and a slight calf problem caused a below par
perfomance in Düsseldorf. He finished second in May with 2:11:30. But
Frankfurt is second home for Wilfred Kigen, who intends to win this race a
record fourth time. The 34 year-old has a personal best of 2:07:33 from
Hamburg in 2007. In the same year he ran a course record of 2:07:58 in
Frankfurt.
"The duel between Kigen and Cheryuiot will be an absolute highlight of the
Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon," said Christoph Kopp, who is in charge for
the elite field of the event. But he also adds: "But we have now added some
runners who have the potential to upset the two recent winners."
One who has run a fine race in spring is Gilbert Kirwa. The 23 year-old
took the Vienna City Marathon, clocking a personal best in his debut.
Despite warm conditions during the final part of the race he reached the
finish in 2:08:21. Jason Mbote's personal best is faster: The 32 year-old
came in second with 2:07:37 at last year's Seoul Marathon. He has run in
Frankfurt before, when he finished second in 2005. In a very close finish
he was just one second behind Wilfred Kigen. With Stephen Kiogora and
William Kiplagat there will be two runners in the field with plenty of
experience. 32 year-old Kiogora was third in Frankfurt last year with a
personal best of 2:08:24. In 2006 he had been second in New York. William
Kiplagat so far will be the fastest in the field with a personal best of
2:06:50. Although this mark is already ten years old the 37 year-old had
shown some good races in the past few years. Among them was an eighth place
in the World Championships in 2007. Kiplagat was eager to run in Frankfurt
again (in 2008 he was 10th), because he is the coach of the defending
champion Robert Cheruiyot as well. Kiplagat will be able to watch his
athlete from a unique coaching position – but only as long as he can keep
up!
This year's men's race will also see one of the most promising European
athletes in the marathon: Günther Weidlinger. The Austrian will chase the
23 year-old Austrian record which stands at 2:12:22. Gerhard Hartmann, who
establiehd this mark back in 1986, will be a guest of honour in Frankfurt
in October. Günther Weidlinger, the former world-class steeplechaser, ran
his marathon debut at the Vienna City Marathon in April. He then clocked
2:12:39 but missed his record goal.
So far Kenya's Rose Cheruiyot is the fastest women in the field of the
Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon. In 2008 the 33 year-old had placed fourth
in the Dubai Marathon with a personal best of 2:25:48. Later in the year
she placed fourth again in Berlin. Ruth Wanjiru will be one of her
challengers on 25th October. The 27 year-old was 7th in Osaka this year and
has a personal best of 2:27:38. Especially the women's field will see a
couple of additions in the coming weeks.
For more information and online registration visit:
www.frankfurt-marathon.com
###
|
