FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sisay Lemma rewarded for strong solo run,
Maja Neuenschwander surprising winner
Fellow-Ethiopian Sisay Lemma stepped in with an amazing performance to
secure victory for his country at the Vienna City Marathon where pre-race
favourite Getu Feleke dropped out injured. 24 year-old Lemma won the 32nd
edition of Austria's biggest sporting event with a fine 2:07:31 in windy
and relatively warm weather conditions. The Ethiopian broke away already at
the 27 k mark and went on to achieve the biggest winning margin in the
history of the race. Kenya's Duncan Koech was second with 2:12:14, almost
five minutes back. While Siraj Gena of Ethiopia took third in 2:12:48 the
defending champion Getu Feleke, who clocked a course record of 2:05:41 a
year ago, suffered a muscle problem and stopped around the 17 k mark.
There was a surprise in the women's race: Switzerland's Maja Neuenschwander
won with 2:30:09 from Kenyans Agnes Mutune and Esther Chemtai, who clocked
2:30:19 and 2:30:32 respectively. While Caroline Chepkwony of Kenya took
fourth in 2:30:36 Germany's defending champion Anna Hahner was fifth in
2:30:50.
A record number of 42,742 runners from 129 nations entered the various
events of the Vienna City Marathon. The marathon had slightly over 9,000
entries. The event is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
Organisers had to cope with a number of late cancellations of sub 2:10
runners on the days before the race. Only five runners with such personal
bests were left on the starting line. Additionally the wind made it
difficult, so that the leading group was reduced to five runners plus three
pacemakers early on. Siraj Gena was the first one to fall behind, though he
managed to move back into third place late in the race. After the group
passed the 10 k mark in 30:16 two pacemakers gave up surprisingly early.
While Getu Feleke lost contact at 15 k and finally dropped out about five
minutes later, Eritrea's Beyene Beraki fell back before the 20 k mark. At
half way, which was passed in 63:07, there were only Sisay Lemma and
Kenya's debutant Suleiman Simotwo left besides pacemaker David Kogei
(Kenya).
Lemma, who had clocked his personal best of 2:07:06 less than three months
ago in Dubai, made the decisive move early. When Kogei stepped aside
shortly before the 27 k mark he surged ahead while Simotwo could not
respond. The Kenyan finally finished fifth with 2:14:42. Building a big
lead quickly Lemma had to battle a head wind during the final section of
the race. Taking into account these conditions during a solo run it was
quite a performance by the Ethiopian. "If there would have been no wind and
good competition until the final stages I think I could have broken the
course record – this was my goal. I would like to come back next year and
give it another try," said Sisay Lemma.
In the women's race Maja Neuenschwander and Ethiopia's Fate Tola broke away
from a group of seven runners just before the 15 k mark. The pair passed
the half way mark in 1:13:35, running 34 seconds ahead of Anna Hahner and
Kenyans Agnes Mutune, Esther Chemtai and Caroline Chepkwony.
At 29 k Fate Tola, who ran her first marathon after maternity leave,
faltered and started loosing a lot of ground. In the end she finished
seventh with 2:34:43. After her pacemaker got problems and dropped back
Maja Neuenschwander was on her own for the last 10 kilometres. She slowed
and it almost looked as if she would be caught. At 35 k her lead was cut to
17 seconds by Esther Chemtai. But 35 year-old Neuenschwander, who has a
personal best of 2:29:42, held on. "It was only shortly before the finish
when I knew that I would win. This is the best moment of my career", said
Neuenschwander, who became the first Swiss winner in the history of the
Vienna City Marathon. "The wind was the problem, otherwise I would have run
faster," said Neuenschwander who had an eye on the Swiss record of 2:27:44.
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