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Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 9/10/21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
                      Vienna City Marathon On Sunday:                  
     Swiss dreams meet African excellence in Vienna's comeback marathon

Fabienne Schlumpf and Tadesse Abraham, the two Swiss record holders, will 
be running in the same marathon for the first time. It is Austria's Vienna 
City Marathon that provides the stage for Swiss dreams on Sunday. "I am 
hoping for a double triumph for Switzerland," says Tadesse Abraham. However 
they will have to overcome African excellence to achieve what would be a 
very memorable double victory. Ethiopians Betesfa Getahun and Gelete Burka 
head the start lists. With a total of 26,000 entrants the Vienna City 
Marathon will be the first major marathon worldwide with a strong 
international elite field and a mass race since the start of the Corona 
pandemic. It is a World Athletics Label Road Race. The marathon will be 
streamed live from 8.30 am on Sunday at: www.vienna-marathon.com

"I am happy to be back for the Vienna City Marathon," said Tadesse Abraham, 
who was runner-up here in 2019 when he clocked his second fastest time with 
2:07:24. He ran his Swiss record of 2:06:40 in Seoul in 2016. Later that 
year he finished in a strong seventh position at the Olympics in Rio. Five 
years on he did not finish in the Olympic marathon in Sapporo, Japan. 
"Unfortunately it did not work for me at the Olympics this time. But there 
are always ups and downs in sport," said the 39 year-old. 

"After Sapporo it was not so difficult to recover physically since I had 
not finished the race. It was more difficult mentally. But I have a lot of 
experience which is helpful and it was good to then quickly refocus on the 
Vienna City Marathon," said Tadesse Abraham, who is the second fastest 
runner on the elite start list of Austria's major running event. Ethiopia's 
Betesfa Getahun comes to Vienna with a personal record of 2:05:28. The 22 
year-old ran this time in his marathon debut in Amsterdam in 2019 when he 
finished in fourth place. Kento Kikutani of Japan (PB: 2:07:26) plus 
Kenyan's Bethwell Rutto (2:07:41) and Edwin Kosgei (2:07:51) are the other 
athletes who feature personal bests of sub 2:08 in Vienna. The men's 
leading group will probably run a sub 2:06 pace. The course record of 
Ethiopia's Getu Feleke, who clocked 2:05:41 here in 2014, might then be 
targeted.

With a personal record of 2:20:45 Gelete Burka is the fastest woman ever on 
a start list of the Vienna City Marathon which will see its 38th edition on 
Sunday. Running her personal best in 2018 in Dubai that performance was the 
break through for the former World Cross Country and 1,500 m Indoor World 
Championships gold medal winner. Gelete Burka then took the marathons in 
Ottawa and Paris in 2018 and 2019 respectively. 

Gelete Burka admits that it was a very difficult period for the Ethiopian 
elite runners because of the corona pandemic. "They continued training, but 
otherwise they stayed home as there were no races," the 35 year-old said. 
Gelete Burka herself did not run a marathon since placing third in Chicago 
two years ago with 2:20:55. "Therefore it is difficult to say what will be 
possible for me on Sunday. But I think I am well prepared and hope for 
success."

A trio of Kenyans look the most likely challengers for Gelete Burka. Risper 
Chebet (2:23:45), Rebecca Kangogo (2:24:25) and Celestine Chepchirchir 
(2:24:48) all feature personal bests of sub 2:25. 

It will be interesting to see what Fabienne Schlumpf is capable of 
achieving in such a field and just a very short time after finishing in a 
strong 12th position at the Olympics. "Sapporo was a dream result for me," 
said Fabienne Schlumpf, who had only run her marathon debut in April in 
Bern where she clocked her Swiss record time of 2:26:14. As she explained 
it was planned long-term to do the "Olympic Vienna Double". "After the race 
in Sapporo I was very tired. It was not easy to find the right balance 
between recovery and restarting training. I started with some cycling and 
swimming. But then I even managed to include some high altitude training in 
St. Moritz," said Fabienne Schlumpf. 

"Vienna will be my first city marathon with spectators and I am really 
looking forward to it and hope that the support of the spectators will push 
me," said the former steeplechaser. "This time I want to run a bit faster 
right from the start, compared to my other two marathons. It would be great 
if I could get a PB on Sunday."

Elite runners with personal bests

MEN

Betesfa Getahun ETH 2:05:28
Tadesse Abraham SUI 2:06:40
Kento Kikutani  JPN 2:07:26
Bethwell Rutto  KEN 2:07:41
Edwin Kosgei    KEN 2:07:51
Derara Hurisa   ETH 2:08:09
Yuta Koyama     JPN 2:08:46
Edwin Kangogo   KEN 2:09:12
Isaac Kosgei    KEN 2:09:17
Koki Yoshioka   JPN 2:10:13
Leonard Langat  KEN 2:10:49
Daiji Kawai     JPN 2:10:50
Samwel Kiptoo   KEN 2:13:18
Jiksa Tadesse   ETH Debut
Evans Cheruiyot KEN Debut
 
WOMEN

Gelete Burka           ETH 2:20:45
Risper Chebet          KEN 2:23:45
Rebecca Kangogo        KEN 2:24:25
Celestine Chepchirchir KEN 2:24:48
Medina Armino          ETH 2:26:12
Fabienne Schlumpf      SUI 2:26:14
Lucy Cheruiyot         KEN 2:27:16
Meseret Dinke          ETH 2:32:16
Vibian Chepkirui       KEN Debut


More information is available at: www.vienna-marathon.com
 
                                    ###

 

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