Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 4/11/16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     Vienna triumph marks beginning of a new life for Robert Chemosin

Robert Chemosin could hardly have made a more fitting statement with regard 
to this year’s motto of the Vienna City Marathon: Theatre of Emotions. 
Asked about the significance of his victory the 27 year-old said that "this 
marks the beginning of a new life for me". In blustering winds the Kenyan 
took the Vienna City Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, with 2:09:48 
on Sunday.

In times with much tighter security one could wonder about a new safety 
concept for the race when during Friday’s elite race press conference three 
of the four men on stage said that they are employed by the police. The one 
athlete not a policeman was Robert Chemosin. The farmer left behind the 
policemen when it mattered on Sunday. Asked about what he is planning to do 
with the prize money of 15,000 Euros he won in Vienna the Kenyan answered: 
"The farm is a family business and I plan to expand it."

Robert Chemosin also plans to develop his road running career further. 
Competing internationally since 2012 the 27 year-old has only run his third 
marathon in Vienna. A year ago he was second in his debut in Warsaw, 
finishing just eight seconds behind Ethiopia’s winner Hayle Lemi. With 
2:08:05 he ran a great debut time which remains his personal best. "It was 
raining in this race. In better conditions I would have been faster," said 
Robert Chemosin. He ran his next marathon in Toronto in October, where he 
finished fourth with 2:09:38. "I was not that good prepared and it was very 
cold with freezing conditions." 

In Vienna Robert Chemosin had no luck with the weather again. Winds of up 
to 45 kilometres per hour made it tough for the elite runners. "I came here 
to run sub 2:08. But as soon as I was in the start area it was obvious that 
I had to give up chasing this time. It was impossible in this wind," said 
Robert Chemosin. "It will now be my next goal to run sub 2:08. I want to 
achieve this later this year." In the not too distant future the Kenyan, 
who is a training partner of Levy Matebo Omari, hopes to improve to 2:06. 
Omari, who has a personal best 2:05:16, also competed in the Vienna City 
Marathon. But being well behind he dropped out after a fall at 40 k.

Robert Chemosin had some success at shorter distances before he came to 
Vienna. He features a world-class personal best in the half marathon with 
59:19, which indicates that there is much room for improvement in the 
marathon and that 2:06 should not be his last word. Last year Chemosin won 
the Rome Ostia Half Marathon with 59:37. However he rates Sunday’s triumph 
higher: "This is my biggest success so far, because I won the Vienna City 
Marathon. I would like to return to Vienna next year to defend my title," 
said Robert Chemosin. He could do with a little less wind on 23rd April 
2017. 

For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com 


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