World-class Ethiopian marathoner, Guye Adola, is set to compete in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on October 29th. The renowned athlete, best known for his victorious performance in the 2021 Berlin Marathon, where he surpassed the legendary Kenenisa Bekele, boasts a record time of 2:03:46. He'll face fierce competition, with reigning champion Brimin Misoi of Kenya and last year's runner-up, Samwel Mailu, also vying for the title. Kenya's Visiline Jepkesho leads the women's category with a remarkable 2:21:37 personal best.
Jo Schindler, the race director, eagerly anticipates this jubilee edition of Germany's oldest city marathon, marking its 40th year on October 29th. The prestigious Mainova Frankfurt Marathon is anticipated to continue its legacy of showcasing elite performance, with approximately 25,000 participants this year. This event has been recognized with the Elite Road Race Label by World Athletics, the official governing body. To register, interested runners can visit www.frankfurt-marathon.com.
Guye Adola stands out not only for his impressive record time, achieved in his marathon debut in Berlin in 2017, but also for challenging the great Eliud Kipchoge up to the 40-kilometer mark. Adola's victory in Berlin two years ago in a challenging warm climate, leaving Bekele behind, speaks volumes of his caliber. Unfortunately, injuries have halted his progress in recent times.
Brimin Misoi, last year's Frankfurt Marathon champion, achieved a commendable 2:06:11, outpacing Samwel Mailu. Demonstrating consistent form, Mailu triumphed at the Vienna Marathon on April 23 with a personal and course record of 2:05:08, ranking him 10th in the 2023 marathon standings.
In the women's category, Magdalyne Masai, another Kenyan athlete, stands out for her 2:24:12 win in Vienna, though her best time is 2:22:16 from her Toronto victory in 2019. The most rapid woman currently enlisted, Visiline Jepkesho, achieved her personal best of 2:21:37 nearly ten years ago in Paris.
These runners will need to be wary of Ethiopia's Buzunesh Gudeta, who recorded a 2:22:38 finish in Barcelona earlier this year. European marathon silver medalist, Matea Parlov Kostro from Croatia, has also been making waves, clocking a personal best of 2:25:45 in Hanover this spring, indicating her continual improvement.