FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Top Field to Compete at The 40th BMW Berlin Marathon:
Strong Competition for Makau and Kipsang
In addition to the number one and number two in the world, world-record
holder, Patrick Makau, and Wilson Kipsang (both of Kenya), several other
top-notch runners will be competing in Berlin on September 29: Eliud
Kipchoge (Kenya) was crowned world champion in the 5000m in 2003 and won
Olympic bronze in 2004 and silver in 2008. He made an impressive marathon
debut this past spring, with a dominating win in Hamburg in 2:05:30.
Geoffrey Kiptanui is only 21 years old and is considered to be one of the
top running talents from the Kenyan highlands. In 2011, he was junior
cross-country world champion, and a few weeks later he won his first half
marathon (in Berlin); half a year later he served as the pacemaker for
Haile Gebrselassie at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON, which Patrick Makau won with
a new world record. One year ago at the same race, he took third place in a
time of 2:06:12. Marilson Dos Santos of Brazil (personal best 2:06:38) has
already won the ING New York City Marathon twice (in 2006 and 2008) and
placed 5th last year amidst a top field at the Olympic marathon in London.
The women's race: top-calibre and completely open
At the women's race, top favourites Florence Kiplagat (Berlin champion in
2011, 2:19:42) and German marathon record-holder Irina Mikitenko (LG
Eintracht Frankfurt, 2:19:19) will face Kenyans Georgina Rono (2:21:39),
Boston champion Sharon Cherop (2:22:39) and Helah Kiprop (debut), Desiree
Davila (USA, 2:22:38), Isabellah Andersson (Sweden, 2:23:41) and Remi
Nakazato (2:24:28) and Eri Hayakawa (2:26:17) (both of Japan).
This strong field promises an exciting race. In addition, Irina Mikitenko
hopes to set a new world record for the Master's class, which is currently
set at 2:25:43 - a real possibility for the 41-year-old, who is still
Germany's fastest female marathon runner.
All Berlin world-record holders will be in Berlin for the anniversary event
Eight world records have been set in Berlin, more than at any other
marathon in the past 50 years. Haile Gebrselassie set two of them, in 2007
and 2008. All of the record holders will be coming to Berlin for the
celebration: Christa Vahlensieck (Wuppertal, 1977), Ronaldo Da Costa
(Brazil, 1998), Tegla Loroupe (Kenya, 1999), Naoko Takahashi (Japan, 2001,
first woman to run under 2:20), Paul Tergat (Kenya, 2003), Haile
Gebrselassie (Ethiopia, 2007, 2008) and Patrick Makau (Kenya, 2011).
Three-time BERLIN MARATHON champion, Uta Pippig (1990, 1992, 1995), will
also be here, as well as Katrin Dörre-Heinig (1994); the two of them were
among the top female marathon runners in the world in the 1990s.
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