FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HAJ Hannover Marathon on Sunday
Defending champion Seboka Negussa returns, course records targeted
in Hannover
Defending champion Seboka Negussa is a late addition to the elite field of
the HAJ Hannover Marathon, which now boosts eight runners with personal
bests of sub 2:10. Fellow-Ethiopian Abdela Godana Gemeda is the fastest
athlete on the start list with a personal best of 2:08:32. Number two on
the list is Germany's Arne Gabius, whose national marathon record stands at
2:08:33. Karolina Nadolska of Poland heads the women's field with a PB of
2:26:32. She is one of four runners who have broken 2:30. Hannover's course
records stand at 2:08:32 and 2:27:07 respectively. With current weather
forecasts suggesting very good conditions both marks will be targeted on
Sunday. Including running events at shorter distances organisers of the
29th HAJ Hannover Marathon expect a record total of around 26,000 athletes.
Around 3,000 will compete in the marathon, which is an IAAF Silver Label
Road Race.
"The HAJ Hannover Marathon has developed very well in terms of entry
figures and elite racing. We are proud to be able to present very strong
German runners, which is always a bonus for the spectators," explained
Christoph Kopp, who is in charge of the elite fields in Hannover. "The IAAF
Silver Label is very helpful as it attracts very good elite runners." Kopp
will plan for the leading groups to run a pace that could lead to new
course records on Sunday:"The pacemakers for the first group will be
instructed to pass half way in 64:00 while the women's leading group will
aim for a split time of 73:00."
The men's race
Abdela Godana Gemeda comes to Hannover after showing two fine marathon
performances in autumn 2018 and earlier this year. First the 26 year-old
Ethiopian improved his PB to 2:08:32 in Seoul, where he was third. By
coincidence this exactly matches the course record of the HAJ Hannover
Marathon, which was established by South Africa's Lusapho April in 2013.
Abdela Godana Gemeda then took second in the Beppu Oita Marathon just over
two months ago, clocking 2:09:04.
While it remains to be seen if Gemeda can produce a third strong race
within a very short time fellow-Ethiopian Seboka Negussa is expected to
challenge again. "It is my goal to run faster than last year. I want to go
sub 2:08 on Sunday," said the defending champion, who clocked 2:09:44 last
year and has a personal best of 2:09:14.
Kenyans Paul Kangogo and Josphat Leting had good results last year, which
suggest that they are contenders for the podium on Sunday as well. Kangogo
was third in Rome with personal best of 2:09:20 and Leting placed fourth in
Japan's Oita Marathon in 2:10:54. However elite coordinator Christoph Kopp
also expects a debutant to do very well in Hannover: Teklemariam Medhin
might be in for an upset. The Eritrean has a very strong track and cross
country background. He was seventh in the Olympic 10,000 m final in 2012
and won a silver and a bronze medal in the World Cross Country
Championships in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
While the favourites from Africa are all expected to run in the first group
Germany's Arne Gabius is happy with a more careful approach. The 38
year-old intends to run the first half on Sunday in 65:00. "I will run in
the second group. But I hope to overtake as many as possible in the later
stages of the race," said Arne Gabius, who due to injuries has never
finished a spring marathon. After dropping out in London in 2016, Hannover
in 2017 and Boston last year he wants to make sure that this unlucky series
comes to an end on Sunday. But he will also watch his watch. Gabius is
confident that he can run sub 2:11:30, which is the entry standard of the
IAAF for the Olympic marathon in Tokyo next year. "If I run this time I am
pretty sure that I will be qualified for the Olympics. However I hope to
achieve a time between 2:09 and 2:11 here," said Arne Gabius.
The women's race
While the men's race looks very open there is a group of four women who are
regarded as favourites. They are the ones who have broken 2:30 already.
Poland's Karolina Nadolska, who has been training at high altitude in
Albuquerque (USA), is the fastest on the start list with a personal best of
2:26:32.
While Nadolska ran her personal best back in 2014, when she was second in
Osaka two of the others clocked their PBs much more recently in 2018:
Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu of Ethiopia ran 2:27:39 when she took third place in
Lisbon and Kenya's Racheal Mutgaa was second in Hefei with 2:28:39. Anja
Scherl is the fourth woman with a personal best of sub 2:30. She ran
2:27:50 in Hamburg in 2016 and now hopes for a good comeback in Hannover
after injury problems. "This is a fast course and I have good memories from
two years ago when I ran a half marathon here. However I don't set myself a
certain time goal," said Anja Scherl. She is expected to run the first half
in a time of 74:00 to 74:30.
With the first group planning to go through half way in 73:00 the six
year-old course record of Ukraine's Olena Burkovska may well be challenged.
She ran 2:27:07 in 2013.
Selected elite athletes with personal bests
Men:
Abdela Godana Gemeda ETH 2:08:32
Arne Gabius GER 2:08:33
Samwel Maswai KEN 2:08:52
Edwin Kimaiyo KEN 2:09:12
Seboka Negusse ETH 2:09:14
Paul Kangogo KEN 2:09:20
Josphat Leting KEN 2:09:34
Alebachew Debas Wale ETH 2:09:40
Hosea Kipkemboi KEN 2:11:31
Tiidrek Nurme EST 2:15:16
Valdas Dopolskas LIT 2:16:35
Silas Mwetich KEN Debüt
Teklemariam Medhin ERI Debüt
Women:
Karolina Nadolska POL 2:26:32
Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu ETH 2:27:39
Anja Scherl GER 2:27:50
Racheal Mutgaa KEN 2:28:39
Susan Jeptoo KEN 2:30:50
Mesera Hussen Dubiso ETH 2:32:05
Amelework Fikadu Bosho ETH 2:32:39
Bojana Bjeljac CRO 2:32:48
Laura Hottenrott GER 2:33:01
Sara Makera TAN 2:33:08
Alemenesh Herpha Guta ETH 2:33:20
Monika Bytautiene LIT 2:34:40
Milda Eimonte LIT 2:34:48
Mariia Korobitskaia KGZ 2:34:50
Brendah Kebeya KEN 2:36:44
More information about the HAJ Marathon Hannover is available at:
www.marathon-hannover.de
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