MarathonGuide.com Logo - Marathon Directory, Marathons, Marathon Results, News and More Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor facebook icon  twitter icon
Site Map
 
   Marathon Press Releases
Press Releases Home
Vienna City Marathon: Information & Reviews | News |
 

Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 4/22/22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
                    Vienna City Marathon on Sunday:

       Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui aims at 2:20 in Vienna

Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui hopes to make another big step at the 
Vienna City Marathon, aiming to win her second race at the classic distance 
as well. The Kenyan believes she is ready to run a time of around 2:20 on 
Sunday. Such a result would not only smash her PB but the course record of 
2:22:12 as well. It was in September when Vibian Chepkirui won her debut 
marathon in Vienna with 2:24:19 in very warm weather conditions. While five 
women feature personal bests of sub 2:25 there are two men on the start 
list who have run below 2:06. Oqbe Kibrom of Eritrea is the fastest runner 
in the field with a PB of 2:05:53. 

Organisers of the 39th edition of the Vienna City Marathon have registered 
more than 31,000 entries including events at shorter distances. Around 
8,000 of them are marathon runners. The Vienna City Marathon is Austria's 
biggest running event and a World Athletics Label Road Race.

The Vienna City Marathon will be streamed live from 8.30 am on Sunday at: 
www.vienna-marathon.com There will also be English live reporting of the 
elite races on the event's Twitter account, which is accessible through the 
website as well.

"I have very good memories of Vienna and I am happy to be back. It is a 
good course and the people are fantastic," said Vibian Chepkirui, with her 
manager Julien di Maria of Ikaika helping her to answer the questions 
during the press conference. "I have prepared well and because of my 
training I think that in good weather conditions a time of around 2:20 is 
possible for me." As Julien di Maria explained Vibian Chepkirui became more 
confident when she saw the result of her training partner Joan Melly last 
Sunday: She won the Seoul Marathon with a course record of 2:18:04. 

"Vibian and Joan always train together in Iten. And they are more or less 
on the same level. It was only during the final stages of some sessions 
when Joan was a little stronger than Vibian," explained Julien di Maria. 
Vibian Chepkirui has only run a single international race since her Vienna 
triumph in September and has fully focussed on defending her title in the 
Austrian capital. The 27 year-old was fifth in Spain's Santa Pola half 
marathon in January with 69:35. On Sunday she will again be paced by her 
husband Wesley Kangogo, who also acts as a pacemaker for the group when 
they are training in Iten. 

There are four women with faster personal bests than the defending champion 
on the start list of the Vienna City Marathon. One of them is Ruth 
Chebitok, who has run 2:23:29 in Toronto in 2018. "I had injury problems 
for some time, but then ran quite well in Berlin last year with 2:28:18. 
Now I am well prepared and confident that I can run a time around my PB 
again," said the Kenyan. 

The Vienna City Marathon is among a number of top road races that 
experienced an unusually high number of late cancellations. Goitom Kifle of 
Eritrea had to cancel his start because of an injury. He had been the 
fastest runner on the start list with a PB of 2:05:28. Another one who can 
not compete in Vienna is the defending champion Leonard Langat of Kenya. 
There could still be a winner from Eritrea, which would be a novelty in the 
history of the race. Oqbe Kibrom is now the fastest runner on the start 
list with a PB of 2:05:53. The Eritrean, who held the national record for 
some time with his PB from 2020, looks ahead with confidence. "I have 
trained well and hope to run a personal best on Sunday," said Oqbe Kibrom. 
The pace of the leading group will likely be perfect for him as it is 
planned to pass through half way in around 63:00. An attack on the course 
record would then still be possible. Ethiopia's Getu Feleke holds this mark 
with 2:05:41 from 2014.

Cosmas Muteti might not be a pre-race favourite, but the Kenyan has 
developed very well recently. Coached by former world record holder Patrick 
Makau he improved to 2:08:45 in Berlin last year, where he took a fine 
fifth place in warm conditions. "Patrick is a good coach and I have 
improved under his guidance," said Cosmas Muteti, who targets his personal 
best on Sunday.

There is also an OPEC Fund Rookie Team competing in Vienna on Sunday. The 
idea is to give unknown African athletes a chance to compete 
internationally in Vienna and to support them to hopefully build a 
successful career. Victor Serem is the most experienced of the group. The 
Kenyan has a PB of 2:12:00 which he ran in Nairobi in 2019. "This will be 
my first marathon outside Kenya and I am grateful for the opportunity. I 
hope to improve to 2:10 on Sunday," said Victor Serem. The other three 
runners of the OPEC Fund Rookie Team are Kenya's Dickson Kiptoo (PB: 
2:23:56 in Eldoret), Fanose Tessema Gonfa and fellow-Ethiopian Chaltu 
Fikadu Marame.

Elite fields with personal bests

Men:

Oqbe Kibrom         ERI 2:05:53
Abdi Fufa           ETH 2:05:57
Raymond Choge       KEN 2:08:11
Cosmas Muteti       KEN 2:08:45
Weldu Gebretsadik   NOR 2:09:14
Edwin Soi           KEN 2:09:16
Charles Ndiema      KEN 2:10:43
Lemawork Ketema     AUT 2:10:44
Leonard Langat      KEN 2:10:49
Noah Kipkemboi      KEN 2:11:09
Victor Serem        KEN 2:12:00
Anderson Seroi      KEN 2:12:21
Mike Chesire        KEN 2:13:28
Tomasz Grycko       POL 2:13:30
Solomon Tesfamariam SUI 2:14:51
Abraham Kipyatich   KEN Debut
Timon Theuer        AUT Debut

Women:

Caroline Kilel      KEN 2:22:34
Ruth Chebitok       KEN 2:23:29
Sifan Melaku        ETH 2:23:49
Sheila Jerotich     KEN 2:24:15
Vibian Chepkirui    KEN 2:24:29
Esther Kakuri       KEN 2:26:11
Urge Soboka         ETH 2:28:10
Nataliya Lehonkova  UKR 2:28:58
Kellys Arias        COL 2:29:36
Viola Yator         KEN 2:30:03
Teresiah Omosa      KEN 2:30:12
Benny Cheruiyot     KEN 2:34:18
Neja Krsinar        SLO 2:35:44

For more information please visit www.vienna-marathon.com 

                                    ###

 

Some Ads

Become an Advertiser

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Become an Advertiser



All material Copyright ©2000-2024 MarathonGuide.com LLC (MarathonGuide.com). All rights Reserved.
Please Contact Us for more information.

MarathonGuide.com makes no representations as to the accuracy of information on this site or its suitability for any use. | privacy policy | refund policy