FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VIENNA CITY MARATHON:
Chala Regasa wins and Nazret Weldu triumphs with Olympic qualifier
Chala Regasa and Nazret Weldu are the winners of the 41st Vienna City
Marathon. Both produced such dominating performances that they finished
minutes ahead. The Ethiopian crossed the line in 2:06:35 which is the third
fastest time in the history of the event. In windy conditions this remained
the only sub 2:10 time of the day. Kenyans Bernard Muia and Albert Kangogo
followed in second and third places with 2:10:42 and 2:10:44 respectively.
In cold temperatures between 5 and 8 Celsius Nazret Weldu produced the
first ever Eritrean victory at the Vienna City Marathon. With 2:24:08 she
achieved qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer and was
the only athlete in the race to do so. Newcomer Faith Chepkoech produced a
major surprise, when she came through in the late stages and took second in
2:26:22. Fellow-Kenyan Rebecca Tanui was third with 2:26:53.
Organisers registered a total of 42,625 athletes from 143 nations including
races at shorter distances. Among them were 10,024 marathon runners. This
is the third highest entry figure ever in the history of an event that
belongs to the world's major marathons.
It was only during the early stages that the men were running split times
which pointed towards a possible course record. That was partly because
there is a drop in the first section of the course and the wind came from
behind. At half way it was obvious that an attack on Samwel Mailu's 2:05:08
course record would not be on the cards in the windy conditions. A group of
five runners passed this point in 63:03 behind two pacemakers: Daniel
Paulus of Namibia, who hoped to run inside the Olympic qualifying time of
2:08:10, Chala Regasa and Kenyans Bernard Muia, Felix Kibitok and Leonard
Barsoton.
Daniel Paulus did push the pace a couple of times, but he could not hold on
after the 30k point. When the last of the pacemakers dropped out at this
point it was Chala Regasa who was ahead and quickly built a big lead. It
was no coincidence that he pulled away in the section beyond 30k that leads
through the Prater Park. In 2019 Chala Regasa was among the pacemakers when
Eliud Kipchoge sensationally broke the two hour barrier in Vienna. "I knew
the section between 30 and 38k and that was why I pushed ahead there," said
the 26 year-old Ethiopian who is a training partner of Kenenisa Bekele. "I
hoped to break 2:06 today and I tried. But it was very windy in the final
10 kilometres and it was not possible," said Chala Regasa, who was the
fastest runner on the start list with his PB of 2:06:11. With 2:06:35 he
still achieved the third fastest time ever run in the Vienna City Marathon.
Besides Samwel Mailu only Ethiopia's Getu Feleke, who ran 2:05:41 ten years
ago, has been faster on this course.
Over four minutes behind Chala Regasa there was a thrilling fight for the
remaining podium places. Bernard Muia came through to take second in
2:10:42. The Kenyan, who won the Munich Marathon last October with a PB of
2:09:17, had been in fourth position at 40k and was 48 seconds behind
second place at that point. It was similar with fellow-Kenyan Albert
Kangogo, who was sixth at 40k and then finished third with 2:10:44.
In the women's race three runners broke away very early in the race. Nazret
Weldu, Rebecca Tanui and Kenya's Shyline Torotich were already leading by a
couple of seconds at the 5k mark. As in the men's race they also slowed a
little after the first section. With a half way split of 71:49 the 2:20:59
course record was out of reach for the trio.
While Nazret Weldu was able to more or less keep the pace even in the
windier sections of the second half the Kenyans struggled. Shyline Torotich
was dropped around 23k and later ended up in sixth with 2:30:36. Rebecca
Tanui was still with Nazret Weldu at 30k (1:42:21), but then also slowed.
While she took third place Faith Chepkoech managed to move herself up from
fourth place at 30k to second despite taking a wrong turn. Around the 31k
mark the Kenyan ran around 150 metres off the course, then turned and ran
back, loosing about one minute. It was the first time that an international
very unexperienced athlete of the "OPEC Fund Rookie Team" managed to
achieve a podium place in the Vienna City Marathon. The 26 year-old ran
2:26:22, improving her PB from a race in Soweto, South Africa, by over
eleven minutes.
"It was a great day for me. My big goal was to qualify for the Olympic
Games and if possible I wanted to win - I have achieved both," said Nazret
Weldu, who was fourth at the World Championships in Eugene in 2022. "Apart
from the wind it was a fantastic race. This victory gives me a lot of
confidence. I will now try to win a medal at the Olympic Games in Paris and
then I hope to come back to Vienna next year to run faster."
Among the other running events staged during the weekend was an upcoming 5k
race. Over 3,300 runners entered the race which took place on Saturday
evening and saw its second edition. Austrian youngster Marcel Tobler was
the winner with a course record of 14:22. Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth of Hungary
took the women's race in 15:57.
Results, Men:
1. Chala Regasa ETH 2:06:35
2. Bernard Muia KEN 2:10:42
3. Albert Kangogo KEN 2:10:44
4. Leonard Barsoton KEN 2:10:44
5. Cameron Avery NZL 2:10:52
6. Juan Pacheco MEX 2:11:42
7. Felix Kibitok KEN 2:12:44
8. Mica Cheserek KEN 2:13:05
9. Aloyce Felix Simbu TAN 2:13:31
10. Daniel Paulus NAM 2:13:34
Women:
1. Nazret Weldu ERI 2:24:08
2. Faith Chepkoech KEN 2:26:22
3. Rebecca Tanui KEN 2:26:53
4. Jovana De La Cruz Capani PER 2:27:54
5. Lilia Fisikovici MDA 2:30:06
6. Shyline Torotich KEN 2:30:36
7. Leydy Romero COL 2:30:37
8. Helalia Johannes NAM 2:30:53
9. Mokulubete Makatisi LES 2:30:54
10. Julia Mayer AUT 2:31:25
For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com
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