FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Defending Champions Getu Feleke and Anna Hahner Return to Vienna
The two defending champions have opted to return to the Vienna City
Marathon, which will be staged on 12th April. Ethiopia's Getu Feleke and
Germany's Anna Hahner produced two of the most spectacular performances in
the history of Austria's biggest sporting event in 2014. While Feleke
stormed to a brilliant course record of 2:05:41 Anna Hahner came from well
behind in the final few kilometres to snatch victory. "After these
memorable performances by Getu and Anna we are more than happy to welcome
these two athletes back to the Vienna City Marathon. We are looking forward
to another great race," said Race Director Wolfgang Konrad. Adding other
running events staged parallel to the marathon on 12th April organisers
expect more than 40,000 entries once again. The Vienna City Marathon is an
IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
It will be already the third time that Getu Feleke competes in the Vienna
City Marathon. It was here, where his marathon career began back in 2009.
In a unique debutants' only elite race the Ethiopian took seventh place
with 2:11:42. With the exception of a ,did not finish' in the London
Olympics 2012 Feleke then always clocked sub 2:10 times. While he features
a PB of 2:04:50 from Rotterdam 2012 the Ethiopian clocked his second
fastest time in Vienna last year. Feleke, who had come back from an illness
in 2014, was then unfortunate a couple of months later. Preparing for the
Frankfurt Marathon in October an injury forced him to withdraw. However he
showed that he has regained fine form when he was second in the Barcelona
half marathon last Sunday. Clocking 60:45 he missed victory by just three
seconds.
"My aim is to improve my Vienna course record," said Getu Feleke. With
around seven weeks to go before he will travel to the Austrian capital to
defend his title the 28 year-old prepares in high altitude in Sululta for
the Vienna City Marathon. It is by coincidence exactly the same venue near
Addis Abeba where Anna Hahner currently trains as well. Together with twin
sister Lisa she is in Ethiopia for the first time. The background is that
Hahners are coached by Italian Renato Canova, who takes care of Kenenisa
Bekele and other world-class runners in Ethiopia.
"I am really looking forward to coming back to Vienna. Last year's victory
was a major step forward for me. The atmosphere was very special," said
Anna Hahner, who celebrated her biggest career win so far, when she clocked
2:28:59 in Vienna last April. With little over two kilometres to go she had
been almost one and a half minutes behind Caroline Chepkwony. However the
Kenyan badly faltered due to stomach problems and Hahner passed her with a
few hundred metres to go.
"When I will return to Vienna I want to produce the best possible
performance. I will really give it all. We will see what's possible
regarding the placing, however it is my aim to make the podium again," said
25 year-old Anna Hahner, who improved her personal best to 2:26:44 in last
September's Berlin Marathon.
For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com or contact
Andreas Maier (Press Officer):
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