FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Metro Marathon Dusseldorf on April 29:

Olympic Games fifth placer Volha Mazuronak will run D?sseldorf

The top European finisher in the 2016 women's Olympic Marathon will be on
the start line in D?sseldorf: Volha Mazuronak, who finished fifth in Rio,
will run the METRO Marathon D?sseldorf on April 29. The world-class runner
from Belarus should start as the women's favourite while the addition of
Japan's Hideyuki Ikegami brings another leading runner to the men's field.

This year's METRO Marathon D?sseldorf will be the first to incorporate the
German championships where the focus will also be on achieving qualifying
times and possible selection for the European Athletics Championships in
Berlin in August. Last year around 16,000 runners took part in the various
events in D?sseldorf and organisers reckon on a similar number for the
latest edition. Entries remain open for the 16th edition of the METRO
Marathon D?sseldorf and for more information go to: www.metro-marathon.de

The strong favourite for the women's title is the Belrussian Volha
Mazuronak who has a German coach in Wolfgang Heinig and made headlines as
the top European finisher with her fifth place in the 2016 Olympic Marathon
in Rio. She had already caused a surprise by finishing fourth in the London
Marathon in April that year, setting what remains her personal best of
2:23:54. These performances clearly suggest that she could put the
D?sseldorf course record under pressure. It is currently in the possession
of the Kenyan Agnes Barsosio who ran 2:25:49 in 2012. The 28-year-old
Mazuronak has already run under 2:26 three times in her career and was
faster than the race record on each occasion. A few days ago she showed
good form at the World Half Marathon Championships, clocking a national
record of 70:57 for 18th place.

The women's race in D?sseldorf will also set up a contest between the
winners of the past two years and feature Portugal against Hungary. The
Portuguese Doroteia Alves Peixoto won twelve months ago, setting her
personal best of 2:32:00 beside the River Rhein. Hungary's Zsofia Erdelyi
won in 2016 with what is still her personal best of 2:35:37.

Talks continue with the aim of adding to the men's field but one guaranteed
addition is the Japanese Hideyuki Ikegami whose best is 2:13:41. Among his
rivals for this year's METRO Marathon D?sseldorf will be the Kenyan Edwin
Kiptoo who has a best of 2:11:24.

German Championships in D?sseldorf offer tantalising prospects for
debutants

Among the contenders for the German title is a marathon debutant in Philipp
Baar who has already caused a surprise in winning the 2017 national Half
Marathon title in Hanover with 64:57. Olympic marathon runner Julian Fl?gel
has had to withdraw because of injury, leaving the way for possibly two
more debutants to emerge into the reckoning: Ramdane Cherif and Tobias
Blum, whose best half marathon times are 64:53 and 65:42 respectively.

The women's race for the German title has the makings of a duel between
Fabienne Amrhein and Franziska Reng. They both made their marathon debuts
last year and finished in 2:34:14 and 2:34:57 respectively.

Further information including registration for entries can be found online
at: www.metro-marathon.de

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