Press Release - Frankfurt Marathon - 9/13/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

          The Return of the Great Three: Kipsang, Kirwa and Cheruiyot

Wilson Kipsang, Gilbert Kirwa, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot – in the past three 
years the BMW Frankfurt Marathon produced three great champions from Kenya. 
All three of them improved the course record by a considerable margin. Now 
this trio of record breakers will come back to the 30th edition of the 
race. And despite Kipsang's outstanding time of 2:04:57 from last year they 
will target yet another course record on 30th October. A thrilling men's 
race can be expected at the jubilee edition of the BMW Frankfurt Marathon, 
which is an IAAF Gold Label Race.

Organisers expect a record entry of around 14,000 runners. Online entry and 
further information are available at: www.bmw-frankfurt-marathon.com

While Gilbert Kirwa and Wilson Kipsang had been announced earlier by the 
organisers, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot is a new addition to the field.

Three years ago the Kenyan caused a major shock among the established 
international runners of the Frankfurt Marathon. Competing outside Kenya 
for the first time Cheruiyot left behind the favourites and stormed to a
2:07:21 victory. It had been a sensational marathon debut for the 20 
year-old. 

A year later he returned to Frankfurt, finishing second behind Gilbert 
Kirwa, who improved the course record to 2:06:14. Cheruiyot was just nine 
seconds behind. He then went on to achieve his biggest success so far. In 
2010 the Kenyan took the prestigious Boston Marathon, improving the course 
record to an amazing time of 2:05:52. This still is the personal best of 
the 23 year-old. Taking into account that Boston is not an easy course due 
to the hills it should be possible for Cheruiyot to further improve – 
especially on a fast course like Frankfurt.

"It was Robert's desire to come back to Frankfurt this year. And I know 
that he did turn down better offers from other marathon races," said 
Christoph Kopp, the elite athletes' director of the BMW Frankfurt Marathon. 

The "Return of the Great Three" comes with quite some expectations. With 
the current course record of 2:04:57 a target even Haile Gebrselassie's 
world record of 2:03:59 might be within reach. And there will be quite some 
opposition for Kipsang, Kirwa and Cheruiyot. Kenya's three time winner 
Wilfred Kigen (2005 to 2007), who had established Frankfurt's first sub 
2:08 time with 2:07:58 in 2007, will also return. But it is probably an 
Ethiopian, who could cause an upset to the "Great Three":

Deriba Merga is well known for taking the offensive in races and always 
chasing fast times. The Boston Marathon winner from 2009 so far has a 
personal best of 2:06:36. The Ethiopian was fourth in the Olympic Marathon 
in Beijing in 2008.

More information available at: www.bmw-frankfurt-marathon.com

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