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Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 4/12/15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

            Sisay Lemma rewarded for strong solo run,
              Maja Neuenschwander surprising winner

Fellow-Ethiopian Sisay Lemma stepped in with an amazing performance to 
secure victory for his country at the Vienna City Marathon where pre-race 
favourite Getu Feleke dropped out injured. 24 year-old Lemma won the 32nd 
edition of Austria's biggest sporting event with a fine 2:07:31 in windy 
and relatively warm weather conditions. The Ethiopian broke away already at 
the 27 k mark and went on to achieve the biggest winning margin in the 
history of the race. Kenya's Duncan Koech was second with 2:12:14, almost 
five minutes back. While Siraj Gena of Ethiopia took third in 2:12:48 the 
defending champion Getu Feleke, who clocked a course record of 2:05:41 a 
year ago, suffered a muscle problem and stopped around the 17 k mark.

There was a surprise in the women's race: Switzerland's Maja Neuenschwander 
won with 2:30:09 from Kenyans Agnes Mutune and Esther Chemtai, who clocked 
2:30:19 and 2:30:32 respectively. While Caroline Chepkwony of Kenya took 
fourth in 2:30:36 Germany's defending champion Anna Hahner was fifth in 
2:30:50.

A record number of 42,742 runners from 129 nations entered the various 
events of the Vienna City Marathon. The marathon had slightly over 9,000 
entries. The event is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Organisers had to cope with a number of late cancellations of sub 2:10 
runners on the days before the race. Only five runners with such personal 
bests were left on the starting line. Additionally the wind made it 
difficult, so that the leading group was reduced to five runners plus three 
pacemakers early on. Siraj Gena was the first one to fall behind, though he 
managed to move back into third place late in the race. After the group 
passed the 10 k mark in 30:16 two pacemakers gave up surprisingly early. 
While Getu Feleke lost contact at 15 k and finally dropped out about five 
minutes later, Eritrea's Beyene Beraki fell back before the 20 k mark. At 
half way, which was passed in 63:07, there were only Sisay Lemma and 
Kenya's debutant Suleiman Simotwo left besides pacemaker David Kogei 
(Kenya). 

Lemma, who had clocked his personal best of 2:07:06 less than three months 
ago in Dubai, made the decisive move early. When Kogei stepped aside 
shortly before the 27 k mark he surged ahead while Simotwo could not 
respond. The Kenyan finally finished fifth with 2:14:42. Building a big 
lead quickly Lemma had to battle a head wind during the final section of 
the race. Taking into account these conditions during a solo run it was 
quite a performance by the Ethiopian. "If there would have been no wind and 
good competition until the final stages I think I could have broken the 
course record – this was my goal. I would like to come back next year and 
give it another try," said Sisay Lemma.

In the women's race Maja Neuenschwander and Ethiopia's Fate Tola broke away 
from a group of seven runners just before the 15 k mark. The pair passed 
the half way mark in 1:13:35, running 34 seconds ahead of Anna Hahner and 
Kenyans Agnes Mutune, Esther Chemtai and Caroline Chepkwony. 

At 29 k Fate Tola, who ran her first marathon after maternity leave, 
faltered and started loosing a lot of ground. In the end she finished 
seventh with 2:34:43. After her pacemaker got problems and dropped back 
Maja Neuenschwander was on her own for the last 10 kilometres. She slowed 
and it almost looked as if she would be caught. At 35 k her lead was cut to 
17 seconds by Esther Chemtai. But 35 year-old Neuenschwander, who has a 
personal best of 2:29:42, held on. "It was only shortly before the finish 
when I knew that I would win. This is the best moment of my career", said 
Neuenschwander, who became the first Swiss winner in the history of the 
Vienna City Marathon. "The wind was the problem, otherwise I would have run 
faster," said Neuenschwander who had an eye on the Swiss record of 2:27:44.

                            ###

 

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