FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HAJ Hannover Marathon:

Hendrik Pfeiffer and Domenika Mayer win in Hannover and take German titles

In freezing conditions Germans Hendrik Pfeiffer and Domenika Mayer took the
HAJ Hannover Marathon and the national championships which were included in
the event.

Hendrik Pfeiffer clocked 2:10:59 and was well ahead of Kenyan debutant
Josphat Kiptis who ran 2:13:47. Martin Olesen of Denmark took third in
2:14:35. Despite temperatures around zero Celsius Domenika Mayer ran a
surprisingly strong marathon debut with 2:26:50. German pre-race favourite
Rabea Sch?neborn was second with 2:27:35 while Croatia's Matea Parlov
Kostro took third in 2:28:39. Hendrik Pfeiffer and the top three women all
achieved the qualifying standards for the European and the World
Championships.

In total 18,098 athletes were registered for the 30th edition of the HAJ
Hannover Marathon, which is a World Athletics Label Road Race. 3,527
athletes ran the marathon distance. "We are impressed with the event and
obviously we were able to make our participants happy," said Race Director
Stefanie Eichel. Next year organisers hope to be able to come back with a
bigger field and with a much stronger elite race. The 31st edition of the
HAJ Hannover Marathon is scheduled for 26th March 2023.

A group of eight runners passed the half way mark in 65:25. That was almost
exactly as planned. At around 25k Hendrik Pfeiffer began to take the
initiative. He broke away with Kenyans Josphat Kiptis and Wilfred Kiptoo.
Until the 30k mark they had support of pacemaker and fellow-Kenyan
Kiprotich Kirui. With around 12k to go Hendrik Pfeiffer left behind his
rivals and was then all alone at the front, building a huge lead.

"The atmosphere was superb. The spectators helped me getting through the
race. It was a bit tough during the final twelve kilometers," said Hendrik
Pfeiffer, who ran his second fastest marathon in Hannover. The German has a
PB of 2:10:18 from 2020. "I have reached all my goals today, which was
important for me," said Hendrik Pfeiffer, who won the race and his first
major German title. Additionally he achieved the qualifying standards for
the European and the World Championships.

In the women's race Domenika Mayer, Rabea Sch?neborn and Kenya's Flomena
Ngurais were in the leading group when the half marathon mark was passed in
1:13:36. By 30k pre-race favourite Rabea Sch?neborn had lost around 20
seconds and soon after that Flomena Ngurais could not cope with Domenika
Mayer's pace. The Kenyan dropped back to fourth later when Matea Parlov
Kostro overtook her around the 40k mark.

"I did not think too much about what could happen. Sometimes in a race it
just rolls, sometimes it does not. Today was a good day. I just
concentrated on my pacemakers. But the wind was partly disturbing," said
Domenika Mayer, who is a mother of two. "It was a great debut. Of course I
had no clue before what could happen." While Domenika Mayer had a promising
half marathon PB of 69:52 she had a Corona infection recently. Because of
this her triumph was quite a surprise. And she came relatively close to
Hannover's course record: Three years ago Kenya's Rachel Mutgaa clocked
2:26:15.

Runner-up Rabea Sch?neborn ran 2:27:35 which was her second best marathon
time. "It was a struggle today and I am happy to have finished," she said.

Results, Men:

1. Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:10:59
2. Josphat Kiprop Kiptis KEN 2:13:47
3. Martin Olesen DEN 2:14:35
4. Wilfred Kiptoo KEN 2:14:43
5. Frank Schauer GER 2:14:43
6. Erik Hille GER 2:15:04

Women:

1. Domenika Mayer GER 2:26:50
2. Rabea Sch?neborn GER 2:27:35
3. Matea Parlov Kostro CRO 2:28:39
4. Flomena Ngurais KEN 2:30:42
5. Runa Skrove Falch NOR 2:33:53
6. Vaida Zusinaite-Nekriosiene LTU 2:36:04

More information about the HAJ Marathon Hannover is available at:
www.marathon-hannover.de

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