FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Racheal Mutgaa breaks course record, Silas Mwetich wins
HAJ Hannover Marathon
Debutant Silas Mwetich won the 29th HAJ Hannover Marathon while Racheal
Mutgaa took the race, breaking the course record. Kenya's Mwetich ran his
marathon debut in fine weather conditions and surprisingly won the race in
2:09:37. Fellow-Kenyan Hosea Kipkemboi was second with 2:10:40, Ethiopia's
Debas Alebachew Wale took third place in 2:10:57. Last year's winner Seboka
Negusse of Ethiopia, one of the favourites, dropped out at the 35k mark.
Racheal Mutgaa won the women's race in a course record time of 2:26:15,
improving the former mark by almost a minute. Back in 2013 Ukraine's Olena
Burkovska ran 2:27:07. In a contest that was very close for a long time
Kenya's Mutgaa finished ahead of Ethiopia's Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu who
clocked 2:27:35. Karolina Nadolska of Poland was third in 2:27:43.
Including shorter races the HAJ Hannover Marathon had a record entry of
26,792 runners. 3,037 of them were running the marathon distance. The event
is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.
In very good weather conditions a group of seven men passed the half
marathon mark after 63:52. At the 30k mark the group was reduced to four
runners. Besides the top three - Mwetich, Kipkemboi and Alebachew Wale -
the defending champion Seboka Negusse of Ethiopia was in this group. After
passing the mark in 1:31:45 they were still together at 35k. However
Negusse, who had been a late entrant, then dropped out. In the next 5k
section Slias Mwetich pushed the pace and took the lead. Hosea Kipkemboi
tried to hold on. But after the 40k mark Silas Mwetich then left Hosea
Kipkemboi well behind and finished the race in 2:09:37. ,,I never felt
tired and really enjoyed the marathon here in Hannover," said 21 year-old
Silas Mwetich.
Germany's Arne Gabius finished in 7th place with a time of 2:14:29 and
clearly missed his target time of 2:11:30, which is the Olympic qualifying
time. "Clearly I had hoped for more, but I am not disappointed. I lost a
couple of weeks of training due to an illness, which showed today," said
Arne Gabius.
In the women's race a group of six runners passed the half marathon mark in
a quick 72:36. At the 30k mark the group was reduced to four runners
leading with a split time of 1:43:43. Shortly after the 35k mark Mutgaa
then left behind her rivals Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu and Karolina Nadolska to
win the race with a time of 2:26:15. ,,I was hoping to break my personal
best and the pacemakers did a great job'' said Mutgaa, who improved by more
than two minutes in Hannover. The 30 year-old had a PB of 2:28:39.
After a 14 months break from marathon running Germany's Anja Scherl
struggled in the final third of the race. She finished eighth with 2:32:31.
Results, Men:
1. Racheal Mutgaa KEN 2:26:15
2. Tigist Memuye ETH 2:27:35
3. Karolina Nadolska POL 2:27:43
4. Susan Kipsang KEN 2:29:00
5. Mesera Hussen ETH 2:31:18
6. Bojana Bjeljac CRO 2:31:26
7. Monika Byautiene LTU 2:32:28
8. Anja Scherl GER 2:32:31
Women:
1. Silas Mwetich KEN 2:09:37
2. Hosea Kipkemboi KEN 2:10:40
3.Alebachew Debas Wale ETH 2:10:57
4. Abdela Godana Gemeda ETH 2:13:14
5. Edwin Kangogo Kimaiyo KEN 2:13:25
6.Tiidrek Nurme EST 2:14:29
7. Arne Gabius GER 2:14:29
More information about the HAJ Marathon Hannover is available at:
www.marathon-hannover.de
###
|
