The
jubilee edition of the HAJ Hannover Marathon will be boosted by the
strongest elite entry in the history of the event. Six Kenyan men are on
the start list with personal bests of sub 2:08
for the 25th edition of the race. Among them are Benjamin Kolum, who
won the Paris Marathon in 2011 with 2:06:31, and Josphat Ndambiri. He
took the Fukuoka Marathon in the same year with 2:07:36. The defending
champion Souad Ait Salem of Algeria is the favourite in the women’s race
again. She is the fastest on the start list with a personal best of
2:25:08. The HAJ Hannover Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.
Adding other running events staged parallel on Sunday a record number of
19,000 athletes have so far registered.
On
a very flat course organisers hope for a course record in the men’s
race on Sunday. It was two year’s ago when South Africa’s Lusapho April
clocked 2:08:32 in Hannover. This is the mark that is targeted. With a
currently good weather forecast though perhaps some wind pacemakers will
be instructed to guide the first group to a 63:30 half marathon split
time.
While
Kolum and Ndambiri have won two major marathons there are four other
fellow-Kenyans who belong to the group of favourites in Hannover.
Augustine Ronoh has a personal best of 2:07:23 from a third place in
Hamburg in 2012 while Cheshari Jacob was fourth in Frankfurt one and a
half years ago with 2:07:46. Elite race coordinator Christoph Kopp has a
habbit of handing out bib number 7 to an athlete he expects to do well
or to cause an upset. In Hannover he has handed this number to 24
year-old Ronald Korir. He was a pacemaker in last year’s Frankfurt
Marathon. Leading beyond the 30 k point Korir stayed in the race and
finished fourth with 2:07:46. The fastest man in the field is Mariko
Kipchumba. The Kenyan clocked a PB of 2:06:05 when he won the Reims
Marathon in 2012. Although he is 40 years old Kipchumba is still going
strong. A year ago he won the Xiamen Marathon with 2:08:06.
An
Ethiopian challenge could come from Chala Bekele, who improved to
2:10:28 earlier this year in Marrakech, and late entry Gezahegn Hunde.
Hunde competed in last Sunday’s Rotterdam Marathon but dropped out early
after problems. He looked for a second opportunity and got this in
Hannover. Falk Cierpinski carries national hopes in the HAJ Hannover
Marathon. The son of double Olympic Marathon Champion Waldemar
Cierpinski (1976 and 1980) has a PB of 2:13:30 from 2008.
“When
I ran here in Hannover last year I suffered of a foot problem from 30 k
onwards. This time I want to show what I am capable of – I want to win
the race again but achieve a better time,” said defending champion Souad
Ait Salem who clocked 2:33:09 a year ago. The 36 year-old Algerian
hopes to go for 2:28:00. “I like Hannover’s flat course and the
atmosphere was great, that also made me come back,” said Souad Ait
Salem, who does not do any high altitude training. “High altitude does
not work for me. So I always train in Algier.” Next year she intends to
run the Rio Olympic marathon. Reaching the national qualifying time is
no real hurdle for her since the federation only requests a time of
2:44:00.
While
Germany’s Lisa Hahner had to withdraw because of a stress fracture
Ukraine’s Olha Kotovska looks to be the main rival for Souad Ait Salem.
She won last year’s Rennes Marathon improving to 2:28:47. Earlier this
year Kotovska took the Granollers Half Marathon with 1:13:21. Kenyan
debutant Maryanne Wanjiru, who won the Paderborn half marathon two weeks
ago with 1:11:12, could also do well.
Main contenders with personal bests
Men:
Mariko Kipchumba KEN 2:06:05
Benjamin Kolum KEN 2:06:31
Augustine Ronoh KEN 2:07:23
Ronald Korir KEN 2:07:29
Josphat Ndambiri KEN 2:07:36
Cheshari Jacob KEN 2:07:46
Weldon Kirui KEN 2:09:06
Gezahegn Hunde ETH 2:10:17
Chala Bekele ETH 2:10:26
Martin Kosgey KEN 2:11:37
Munyo Mutai KEN 2:12:26
Falk Cierpinski GER 2:13:30
Women:
Souad Ait Salem ALG 2:25:08
Olha Kotovska UKR 2:28:47
Ayantu Hailemaryam ETH 2:33:59
Mapaseka Makhanya RSA 2:36:36
Maryanne Wanjiru KEN Debut
Event will be stream live on Sunday starting at 8:50 Central European: Live Stream Details Here>>
More information about the HAJ Marathon Hannover is available online at: www.marathon-hannover.de