While times of the men’s winners of recent editions have been top-class the women could often not quite live up to expectations. Only twice were there winning times of sub 2:25 in the past ten years. And the 2:23:47 course record of Italy’s Maura Viceconte dates back to 2000. This year organisers hope to see times of at least sub 2:25 again.
Guteni Shone knows how to run such times. She clocked her personal best of 2:23:32 in the 2015 Houston Marathon in which she finished runner-up. The 24 year-old Ethiopian then took the Seoul Marathon just, running. Second in Rotterdam in 2014 Shone also has a fine half marathon record of 68:31.
While Namibia’s Helaria Johannes is the second fastest woman on the start list with a PB of 2:26:09 two Ethiopians intend to run a sub2:25 pace on 10th April: Fantu Jimma and Meseret Kitata. 28 year-old Jimma has run sub 2:30 half a dozen times and her personal best stands at 2:26:14 from Dubai 2014. It was earlier this year, when she came relatively close to that. Jimma was third in Xiamen in January with 2:26:53. In contrast to Jimma 22 year-old youngster Kitata has already won a major international marathon. A year ago she took the Rome Marathon. She clocked 2:30:25 in rainy conditions on some slippery roads. Later that year Kitata improved her personal best to2:27:17 with a fifth place in Frankfurt. Shuko Genemo aims to further improve when she comes to Vienna. The Ethiopian clocked 2:27:29when finishing third in Hengshui (China) last year. In January she won the Mumbai Marathon with 2:27:50. Another runner with a sub 2:28personal best is China’s Jia Chaofeng. She clocked 2:27:40 when winning the Beijing Marathon in 2012.
Two other women have the potential to produce a surprise in Vienna. Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga has shown very promising form this year: First she clocked a personal best of 68:07 in the Houston half marathon, finishing fourth in January. Then she took the Lisbon Half Marathon last Sunday with 69:16. While the Ethiopian will run her marathon debut in Vienna Kenya’s Doris Changeywo had a first marathon experience last December. She won the Singapore Marathon in 2:44:26. While it was a great debut win the time run in humid conditions does not reflect her potential. Changeywo features fine personal bests of 31:26 for 10 k and 68:49 for the half marathon.
For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com or contact Andreas Maier (Press Officer): andreas.maier@vienna-marathon.
Photo Credit: www.photorun.net