The Berlin Marathon is getting closer and closer. The long-awaited Major marking the start of autumn has announced a line-up of undoubtedly great runners. Four women under 2:20 and six men under 2:05 are on the entry lists for the marathon, which will be held on September 29.
Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema and Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru head the elite women’s list, with times that place them among the top 10 in world marathon history.
Ketema, best known as an 800m and 1,500m specialist, stormed the Dubai Marathon in January when she ran 2:16:07, making her the ninth-fastest female marathon runner. In April, in London, she was seventh in 2:23:21, and Berlin will be her first race since then.
Just one spot behind Ketema on the all-time list is Wanjiru, who, with 2:16:14, finished second in Tokyo in March. She was sixth in the marathon at the Budapest World Championships and won the Tokyo marathon last year. Wanjiru was also second at Berlin 2022, clocking 2:18:00 on her debut. She will be the only Kenyan among the women present in the race.
They will be joined on the start line by Ethiopians Genzebe Dibaba and Yebrugal Melese, with respective marks of 2:18:05 and 2:19:36, and compatriots Mestawot Fikir (2:20: 45) and Azmera Gebru (2:20:48): 20:45), Azmera Gebru (2:20:48), Sisay Gola (2:20:50), Ababel Yeshaneh (2:20:51) and Fikrte Wereta (2:21:32), as well as Japan’s Mizuki Matsuda (2:20:52).
To date, 13 world records have been set at the Berlin Marathon, the most recent of which is Tigist Assefa’s 2:11:53 in the women’s race last year.
Eliud Kipchoge took the men’s title with his record fifth victory on that occasion.
This year, for the first time since 2014, the men’s race will be without Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele – who between them have won the race seven times, with two of Kipchoge’s victories being world record-breaking – but fast times will still be the goal.
Read also: Know the route and altimetry of the Berlin Marathon
Among those returning to Berlin are Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele and Kenya’s Ronald Korir, third and fourth last year, with respective times of 2:03:24 and 2:04:22.
Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut achieved his PB 2:04:34 by finishing second in Amsterdam last year and debuting at the Berlin Marathon. At the same time, Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros and Bazezew Asmare have also broken 2:05 in their races, with 2:04:41 in Paris in 2021 and 2:04:57 in Amsterdam in 2022, respectively.
Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie is running the marathon for the third time. The former half-marathon world record holder, who clocked 57:32 for 13.1 miles in 2020, will try to improve on his personal best of 2:04:48, which he set in Valencia last year.
Also seeking a spot on the podium will be Kenyan half marathon world bronze medalist Samwel Mailu, who last year set a record of 2:05:08 in winning the Vienna City Marathon and continues his comeback from injury.
Main Photo: Rosemary Wanjiru celebrates winning the Tokyo Marathon (© AFP / Getty Images)
Source: World Athletics
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