Historic Women’s Line-Up Set for 2025 Frankfurt Marathon

The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on 26 October will feature the strongest women’s elite field in the event’s history, with organizers assembling seven athletes who have already run under 2:23:00. Among them is one runner with a sub-2:20:00 performance. Kenya’s Sharon Chelimo leads the pack with a personal best of 2:19:33.

“We are delighted that we managed to secure Sharon Chelimo for the start list at short notice. We now have an exceptionally strong women’s field, so we can expect an exciting and fast race,” said Race Director Jo Schindler. He also noted that overall entry numbers are on course to break the event record set in 2012, when 16,034 runners registered.

Last Year’s Breakthrough

The women’s race stole the spotlight in 2023, when Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa set a stunning course record of 2:17:25. This year, the depth of the women’s field suggests they could once again dominate the headlines.

Chelimo and Her Rivals

Chelimo made her breakthrough this spring with a surprise victory at the Barcelona Marathon, where she improved her personal best by more than two and a half minutes. Her rivals in Frankfurt will include:

• Etagegne Woldu (Ethiopia, PB 2:20:03)
• Buze Diriba (Ethiopia, 2:20:22)
• Linet Masai (Kenya, 2:21:01)
• Aminet Ahmed (Ethiopia, 2:21:24)
• Tsige Haileslase (Ethiopia, 2:22:10)
• Catherine Cherotich (Kenya, 2:22:42)

All six, along with Chelimo, have already run faster than 2:23, underlining the exceptional quality of the lineup.

Rising Stars and Debutants

Another name to watch is Betty Chepkemoi, who shocked the field at the Vienna City Marathon this spring by taking victory in freezing conditions with a big personal best of 2:24:14.

Two Ethiopian debutants could also make headlines. Ayal Dagnachew (half marathon PB 67:08) and Yalemget Yaregal (66:27) are stepping up to the marathon distance and carry considerable promise.

Further information and online registration is available at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com.