FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                   Who Can Challenge Geoffrey Mutai at the 
                    BMW BERLIN MARATHON on September 30th?

Leading the elite field at the 39th edition of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON on 
September 30th is Geoffrey Mutai (31) from Kenya, the man who ran the 
fastest marathon ever winning the Boston Marathon last year clocking 
2:03:02 hrs. The time however cannot be recognized as a world record since 
the Boston course does not meet the requirements for records (the maximum 
incline is one metre per kilometre, start and finish should not be further 
apart than 50% of the total race distance). The incline on Boston's point 
to point course is 139 metres. The official world record stands at 2:03:38 
by Patrick Makau (Kenya). He ran that at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON last year.

His challengers are Jonathan Maiyo (26) from Kenya who ran his PB in 
February placing 4th at the Dubai Marathon (2:04:56), Deresse Chimsa (35) 
from Ethiopia (2:05:42), and Nicholas Kamakya (27, Kenya, 2:06:34). There 
are two possible contenders to watch out for. Both are first timers on the 
marathon distance and both have won the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON. 
Geoffrey Kipsang (Kenya) won the race last year being just 19 years old and 
has improved his PR at the distance meanwhile to a world class level of 
59:26. Dennis Kimetto (28) won it last April (59:14) and several weeks 
later clocked a world record for 25 kilometres (1:11:18).

The women's field will probably be dominated by runners from Ethiopia and 
Kenya. Aberu Kebede (23) knows the course well enough after winning this 
race in 2010 in pouring rain. Meanwhile she has improved her PB to 2:20:33 
and could try to get under 2:20 hrs this time. Her toughest contenders are 
Alemitu Abera (26, Ethiopia, 2:23:14), Philes Ongori (26, Kenya, 2:24:20) 
and Flomena Chepchirchir (30, Kenya, 2:24:21). German newcomer Anna Hahner 
(22) has clocked 2:30:14 in her marathon debut in April and wants to go 
under 2:30 if the conditions are favourable.

The race is televised live nationally (n-tv and Eurosport) and will be 
shown live in 194 countries worldwide.

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