Press Release - Frankfurt Marathon - 10/16/13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

          Deep Quality Fields Assembled for BMW Frankfurt Marathon

When it comes to the depth of the elite fields the BMW Frankfurt Marathon 
is Germany's number one road race. Once again there are amazingly deep 
quality fields for the event on 27th October. Organisers confirmed that 21 
men are on the start list who have run under 2:10 and five of them even 
have personal bests inside 2:05:30. The women's field will see ten athletes 
who have run faster than 2:30 with eight of them featuring PBs of sub 2:25. 

The BMW Frankfurt Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. Around 15,000 
runners are expected to compete in the 32nd edition of Germany's oldest 
city marathon. Race entry is still available online at: 
www.bmw-frankfurt-marathon.com

"Despite the World Championships this summer we were able to put together a 
very good field," said Race Director Jo Schindler. The extraordinary 
quality of the fields arouses strong expectations. A fast race is likely if 
weather conditions are better than last year, when temperatures were just 
above freezing in the morning. It will still be a tough task to break the 
course record, which stands at 2:03:42, requiring more or less world record 
pace to be put under pressure. The fastest runners in the field were 
announced earlier in the month: Dino Sefir (2:04:50), Feyisa Lilesa (both 
Ethiopia/2:04:52), Vincent Kiprutu (2:05:13), Levy Matebo Omari (2:05:16) 
and Albert Matebor (all Kenya/2:05:25) are those with PBs of sub 2:05:30. 
Eric Ndiema (2:06:07) is also regarded as one of the big favourites, but 
Moses Masai (both Kenya/2:11:00) could produce a surprise. 

The women's field sees two major additions, apart from those already 
announced. Tirfi Tsegaye (Ethiopia) returns to Germany a year after her 
second place in the Berlin Marathon with a PB of 2:21:19. In the meantime 
she has won the Dubai Marathon and placed fifth in Boston. As last year 
there is a promising debutant from Ethiopia: Gelete Burka will run her 
first marathon in Frankfurt on 27th October. The 27 year-old has won major 
medals in the 1,500 m and cross country. She's also demonstrated her all 
round talent on the roads in the past two years, running a world class 
30:53 at 10 k in Madrid's New Year's Eve race in 2012. Burka has not run 
further than 15 k in competition but this might not turn out to be a 
disadvantage since the same applied to another Ethiopian, Meselech Melkamu, 
12 months ago. The Ethiopian made a great debut, winnng the BMW Frankfurt 
Marathon 2012 with a course record of 2:21:01. Melkamu will return to 
Frankfurt and has no need to be reminded of Burka's achievements. This 
potent mix could set up an attack on the course record and possible sub 
2:20 performances for the leading women in Frankfurt.

Elite Fields for the BMW Frankfurt Marthon

Men:
Dino Sefir                    ETH 2:04:50
Feyisa Lilesa                 ETH 2:04:52
Vincent Kipruto               KEN 2:05:13
Levy Matebo Omari             KEN 2:05:16
Albert Matebor                KEN 2:05:25
Eric Ndiema                   KEN 2:06:07
Gilbert Kirwa                 KEN 2:06:14
Feyisa Bekele                 ETH 2:06:26
Benjamin Maiyo                KEN 2:07:09
Dmytri Baranovskiy            UKR 2:07:15
Assefa Girma                  ETH 2:07:43
Tadesse Abraham               SUI 2:07:45
Elijah Kemboi                 KEN 2:07:51
Gidena Mirach Gebremedhin     ETH 2:08:28
Dereje Raya Tadesse           ETH 2:08:46
Robert Kwambai                KEN 2:09:14
Urige Arado Buta              NOR 2:09:27
Jacob Chesari                 KEN 2:09:43
Meftah Abdellatif             FRA 2:09:46
Lema Feiysa                   ETH 2:09:47
Jonathan Kiptoo               KEN 2:09:57
Johnstone Maiyo               KEN 2:10:03
Günther Weidlinger            AUT 2:10:47
Moses Masai                   KEN 2:11:00
Edwin Kipyego                 KEN Debut
Richard Sigei                 KEN Debut
Abraham Chebii                KEN Debut

Women: 
Meselech Melkamu              ETH 2:21:01
Tirfi Tsegaye                 ETH 2:21:19
Eunice Jepkirui               KEN 2:21:41
Mamitu Daska                  ETH 2:21:59
Caroline Kilel                KEN 2:22:36
Birhane Dibaba                ETH 2:23:51
Flomena Chepchirchir          KEN 2:24:21
Hilda Kibet                   NED 2:24:27
Yeshi Esayias                 ETH 2:25:31
Hayley Haining                GBR 2:29:18
Anna Hahner                   GER 2:30:14
Maja Neuenschwander           SUI 2:30:50
Lisa Hahner                   GER 2:31:28
Agnieszka Ciolek-Mierzejewska POL 2:33:36
Catherine Bertone             ITA 2:34:54

Information and online entry is available at: www.bmw-frankfurt-marathon.com

                                  ###