FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VIENNA CITY MARATHON ON SUNDAY:
A Race for Records and Olympic Dreams in Vienna?
The Vienna City Marathon could turn into a race for records and Olympic
dreams next Sunday. If weather conditions are suitable the women's course
record of 2:20:59 is expected be attacked and may be even the 2:05:08 men's
course best could come under threat. Additionally a number of runners will
chase Olympic qualification at Austria's most prestigious road race.
Organisers of the 41st Vienna City Marathon, which is a World Athletics
Elite Label event, have registered a total of over 41,000 entries. More
than 10,000 of them are marathon runners.
Four men are on the start list with personal bests of sub 2:08:00 while
another half dozen have run below 2:10:00. There will most likely be two
groups with different targets in the men's race in Vienna. Last year's
runner-up Bethwell Yegon, fellow-Kenyan Felix Kibitok and Ethiopia's Chala
Regasa, who heads the start list with a personal best of 2:06:11, are
expected to run in the leading group fighting for victory and possibly
trying to go for the course record. Kenya's Samwel Mailu established this
mark last year, when he ran a very strong 2:05:08 in warm conditions.
The target for the group behind will be to go under the Olympic qualifying
time of 2:08:10. Belgium's Lahsene Bouchikhi, who has a personal best of
2:08:36, Daniel Paulus of Namibia (2:08:40) and Mexico's Juan Pacheco
(2:09:45) will likely be among those joining this group.
It will be a similar scenario in the women's race. Eritrean national record
holder Nazret Weldu has a PB of 2:20:29 and is one of the hot favourites in
Vienna. In contrast to fellow-Eritrean Dolshi Tesfu she still needs to run
the Olympic qualifying time. Tesfu has a PB of 2:20:40 which she ran inside
the Olympic qualifying period, thus making sure she will be on the start
line in Paris in August. There could well be an Eritrean battle for victory
and the winner could then bag the course record and may be even the
national record as well.
Five women are on the start list with personal bests of 2:24:00 while
another five have run between 2:25 and 2:30. A couple of athletes hope to
still qualify for the Olympic Games. It is likely that a time of around
2:26:00 will be necessary to secure a place in the Paris field limited to
80 runners.
Helalia Johannes is the fastest on the start list with a PB of 2:19:52. At
the age of 43 the runner from Namibia is not expected to be in contention
for victory, but an Olympic qualifier could be well within reach for her.
Elite runners with personal bests
MEN:
Chala Regasa ETH 2:06:11
Bethwell Yegon KEN 2:06:14
Felix Kibitok KEN 2:06:28
Albert Kangogo KEN 2:07:48
Lahsene Bouchikhi BEL 2:08:36
Daniel Paulus NAM 2:08:40
Leonard Barsoton KEN 2:09:06
Bernard Muia KEN 2:09:17
Mica Cheserek KEN 2:09:26
Juan Pacheco MEX 2:09:45
Tiidrek Nurme EST 2:10:02
Peter Herzog AUT 2:10:06
Ivan Gonzalez COL 2:11:07
Daviti Kharazishvili GEO 2:11:46
Ngonidzashe Ncube ZIM 2:11:46
Omar Hassan Omar DEN 2:12:19
Cameron Avery NZL 2:12:30
Mario Bauernfeind AUT 2:12:49
WOMEN:
Helalia Johannes NAM 2:19:52
Nazret Weldu ERI 2:20:29
Dolshi Tesfu ERI 2:20:40
Shyline Torotich KEN 2:22:45
Rebecca Tanui KEN 2:23:09
Hanne Verbruggen BEL 2:26:32
Julia Mayer AUT 2:26:43
Jovana de la Cruz Capani PER 2:26:49
Lilia Fisikovici MLD 2:27:26
Zaida Ramos PER 2:29:49
Diana Bogantes Gonzalez CRI 2:32:09
Alina Armas NAM 2:33:09
For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com
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