FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday with fastest ever women's field:
Tigst Assefa targets course record once more in Berlin
The best elite women's field in its history will line up for the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday. An unprecedented total of seven runners with
personal bests under 2:20 will be competing, among them the defending
champion and course record holder Tigst Assefa. Last year the Ethiopian
carved her express way through the Brandenburg Gate to achieve the
sensational performance with 2:15:37.
A record number of 47,912 runners from 156 nations have entered the 49th
edition of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. Germany's most spectacular road race is
part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) and is also a Platinum
Label Road Race of World Athletics.
Tigst Assefa's performance at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON last year was a major
surprise. She improved her best by over 18 minutes and chopped more than
two and a half minutes off the course record with her time of 2:15:37. "I'm
delighted to be running again in Berlin. Last year's race proved an
unexpected success for me. I think I can run even faster on Sunday, a
further improvement would be a success," said Tigst Assefa. In response to
the question whether a new course record would mean setting sights on the
world record of 2:14:04, she was less forthcoming: "Much can happen so I
cannot say at the moment what would be the halfway split. I want to improve
my time but I am not thinking about the world record."
A Kenyan rival could also be capable of matching a very fast pace. Sheila
Chepkirui has a personal best of 2:17:29 going into the race. "My aim is to
break my personal best. I can imagine going through the first half on
Sunday in around 68 minutes," said the 32-year-old. Both athletes have an
extra target in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and that is the Olympic qualifying
time. Given the keenness of competition in both Ethiopia and Kenya, the
kind of times required to secure one of the three Olympic places can be
super fast.
Two more Ethiopians have world-class credentials in their respective bids
to break 2:19: Tigist Abayechew, personal best 2:18:03, and Workenesh
Edesa, best of 2:18:51, are making a return visit to Berlin. A year ago
they finished third and fourth respectively, combining with Tigst Assefa to
achieve an unofficial world team record of 6:52:31.
"The women's course record of 2:15:37 is an absolute world-class time. But,
given the strong field, we hope that this can be broken," said the race
director Mark Milde.
The elite women's field has breadth as well as depth. Japan's Hitomi Niiya
has a best of 2:19:24 and could well attack their national record, set 18
years ago on this very course when the Olympic champion Mizuki Noguchi ran
2:19:12 for victory. Another to note is the Ethiopian Senbere Teferi whose
best is 2:24:11 and is a world record holder for 5km on the road with
14:29.
The home contingent also looks strong with the best field of German women
in the history of the event including five showing personal bests of under
2:30:00. The Schöneborn twins, Deborah and Rabea, Domenika Mayer, Kristina
Hendel and Laura Hottenrott have all run within the range of 2:25 to 2:28,
making the race for possible Olympic places a thrilling one.
Elite Women with Personal Bests
Tigst Assefa ETH 2:15:37
Sheila Chepkirui KEN 2:17:29
Tigist Abayechew ETH 2:18:03
Workenesh Edesa ETH 2:18:51
Hiwot Gebrekidan ETH 2:19:10
Hitomi Niiya JPN 2:19:24
Zeineba Yimer ETH 2:19:28
Etagegn Woldu ETH 2:20:03
Gutemi Imana ETH 2:20:11
Delvine Meringor ROU 2:20:49
Helen Tola ETH 2:21:01
Dera Dida ETH 2:21:11
Fikrte Wereta ETH 2:22:50
Charlotte Purdue GBR 2:23:26
Margaret Muriuki KEN 2:23:52
Senbere Teferi ETH 2:24:11
Malindi Elmore CAN 2:24:50
Deborah Schöneborn GER 2:25:52
Fabienne Schlumpf SUI 2:26:14
Annie Frisbie USA 2:26:18
Domenika Mayer GER 2:26:50
Rabea Schöneborn GER 2:27:03
Kristina Hendel GER 2:27:29
Laura Hottenrott GER 2:28:02
Yevheniya Prokofyeva UKR 2:28:06
Ursula Sanchez MEX 2:29:11
Angie Orjuela COL 2:29:12
Tabea Themann GER 2:31:54
Jana Soethout GER 2:34:28
Melina Wolf GER Debüt
More information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com
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