Elite African Runners Set to Shine at the 38th GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON

Organizers of the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON are leveraging a top-tier African elite field to build on their recent successes, aiming for standout performances on October 13th. The lineup features three Kenyan athletes whose marathon personal bests are just above 2:08:00, all set to compete near the Olympic Stadium. The women's competition includes two athletes who have shown potential in half marathons and are poised for a full marathon breakthrough in Munich.

This year's event marks the 38th edition of the marathon and is set to draw a record-breaking crowd of over 25,000 participants across various distances—an increase of about 20% from the previous year, with approximately 7,000 tackling the full marathon. Registrations are still open at: www.generalimuenchenmarathon.de

Race Director Gernot Weigl expressed satisfaction with the growing participation numbers, attributing this trend to the effective strategy of the event. "Our entry figures demonstrate the success of our concept, which continues to yield fruitful results," Weigl stated.

Today's announcement included details about the elite field, highlighting Cosmas Birech from Kenya as the fastest entrant. Birech, the 2018 Rome Marathon winner with a time of 2:08:03, is looking to return to top form at age 38 after an injury setback post-pandemic. Dominic Nyairo is another strong contender with a personal best of 2:08:13, showing consistent performance in recent marathons, including a top placement at the Tokyo Marathon. Meanwhile, William Kibor, who set his personal best in 2012, is making a return to the marathon distance at the Munich event after focusing on half marathons in recent years.

"We've achieved the fastest times in our event's history over the last two years, and I'm optimistic about seeing finishes in the 2:08 to 2:09 range once again," Weigl added, also noting potential women's race times between 2:25 and 2:27.

Among the female athletes, newcomers Shamilah Kipsiror and Viola Chemos are anticipated to make an impact. Kipsiror, who began her running career just last year at 36, has already shown promise with a top finish at the Venice Marathon. Chemos, from Uganda, has a high-altitude marathon under her belt and a strong half marathon performance, positioning her as a significant contender for Munich.