PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
African athletes eye records at Berlin marathon
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - African runners, including Kenyan athletes Mary Keitany, the World half marathon record holder at 1:05:50, and compatriot Caroline Kilel (1:98:16), will face off in Sunday's Berlin marathon in Germany.
The 29-year-old Keitany, who broke the World record in Ras Al Khaimah in February, has produced five of the fastest Half Marathon performances in history, all at 1:07:00 or better.
She displayed her talents over the marathon as well in April when winning the London marathon in 2:19:19 in just her second race over the distance.
Keitany, the 2009 World Half Marathon champion, made her last major race appearance in Lisbon, winning a 5-Km in late May.
Kilel is the winner of this year’s Boston Marathon in 2:22:36.
Another Kenyan, 2009 Boston Marathon winner Salina Kosgei, brings 1:07:52 credentials to the race. Rita Jeptoo (1:07.08), the bronze medalist in 2006 World Road Running Race Championships, and Helena Kirop (1:09:50), winner of marathons in Prague and Nairobi last year, are also among the runners to watch.
And of course, there are the strong Portuguese pack, lead by Ana Dulce Felix (1:08:32), who was second at the Great North Run in 2010, and Sara Moreira (1:10:08) are the runners to beat.
In the men’s contest, the east African contingent is predictably strong. Among them are Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin, the silver medalist at the World Cross Country championship in 2010.
The Ethiopian challenge will be led by Lelisa Desisa (59:37), winner in City per City Half Marathon and his compatriot Deeje Hailegiorgis (1:00:00), the third place finisher in the 2011 Stramilano.
Kenya boasts the services of Silas Kipruto (59:39), the fourth-place finisher at the 2010 World Half Marathon Championships; Allan Ndiwa (1:00:45), winner of this year’s Linz Half Marathon; Silas Sang (1:00:20), winner in the Portugal Half-Marathon in 2008 and 2009; and sub-one-hour man Lucas Rotich (59:44), among others.
Leading the European challenge is Viktor Rothlin of Switzerland, the European Marathon champion in Barcelona 2010 – also the 2007 World Marathon bronze medallist - who will return to Portugal to participate for the second time in a row in this competition.
The locals will look up to Rui Silva (1:03:00), the former Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, and Rui Pedro Silva (1:02:42) who are also in the elite field.
The elite course is quite flat as they do not start on the bridge.
According to the organisers, more than 10,000 people are expected to participate in the 8-Km ‘mini marathon’, with one name particularly standing out, that of South Africa’s ‘blade runner’ Oscar Pistorius, most recently a semi-finalist in the 400m at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
-0- PANA DJ/VAO 23Sept2011
The 29-year-old Keitany, who broke the World record in Ras Al Khaimah in February, has produced five of the fastest Half Marathon performances in history, all at 1:07:00 or better.
She displayed her talents over the marathon as well in April when winning the London marathon in 2:19:19 in just her second race over the distance.
Keitany, the 2009 World Half Marathon champion, made her last major race appearance in Lisbon, winning a 5-Km in late May.
Kilel is the winner of this year’s Boston Marathon in 2:22:36.
Another Kenyan, 2009 Boston Marathon winner Salina Kosgei, brings 1:07:52 credentials to the race. Rita Jeptoo (1:07.08), the bronze medalist in 2006 World Road Running Race Championships, and Helena Kirop (1:09:50), winner of marathons in Prague and Nairobi last year, are also among the runners to watch.
And of course, there are the strong Portuguese pack, lead by Ana Dulce Felix (1:08:32), who was second at the Great North Run in 2010, and Sara Moreira (1:10:08) are the runners to beat.
In the men’s contest, the east African contingent is predictably strong. Among them are Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin, the silver medalist at the World Cross Country championship in 2010.
The Ethiopian challenge will be led by Lelisa Desisa (59:37), winner in City per City Half Marathon and his compatriot Deeje Hailegiorgis (1:00:00), the third place finisher in the 2011 Stramilano.
Kenya boasts the services of Silas Kipruto (59:39), the fourth-place finisher at the 2010 World Half Marathon Championships; Allan Ndiwa (1:00:45), winner of this year’s Linz Half Marathon; Silas Sang (1:00:20), winner in the Portugal Half-Marathon in 2008 and 2009; and sub-one-hour man Lucas Rotich (59:44), among others.
Leading the European challenge is Viktor Rothlin of Switzerland, the European Marathon champion in Barcelona 2010 – also the 2007 World Marathon bronze medallist - who will return to Portugal to participate for the second time in a row in this competition.
The locals will look up to Rui Silva (1:03:00), the former Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, and Rui Pedro Silva (1:02:42) who are also in the elite field.
The elite course is quite flat as they do not start on the bridge.
According to the organisers, more than 10,000 people are expected to participate in the 8-Km ‘mini marathon’, with one name particularly standing out, that of South Africa’s ‘blade runner’ Oscar Pistorius, most recently a semi-finalist in the 400m at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
-0- PANA DJ/VAO 23Sept2011
