Pre Morgenpost Dresden Marathon 2009

[Newsroom]

Tanzania’s Phaustin Baha Sulle and his Kenyan rivals target course record in jubilee race

Both course records are under threat in Sunday’s 10th Morgenpost Dresden Marathon, where two runners from Tanzania are the favourites: Phaustin Baha Sulle and Fabiola John. But in the men’s race there is plenty of opposition from Kenyan runners, who will make it difficult for the silver medallist of the IAAF’s World Half Marathon Championships in 2000. The race is expected to have a field of around 7,000 runners, among them will be athletes covering the half marathon and the 10 k distance as well.

“We are happy with the size of our field. A number of German marathon organisers experience a decrease at present but we manage to keep stable. This is because Dresden has a great reputation and is a nice city,” said Race Director Peter Eckstein, who hopes to see at least a men’s course record on Sunday. “If we could get two course records that would be superb.” Start and finish of the race are near the Semper Opera House. The course is flat and suitable for much faster times than seen until now. In contrast to a year ago, when runners had to fight against heavy rain in almost freezing conditions, the weather forecast for Sunday suggests ideal conditions.

Tanzania’s Phaustin Baha Sulle is by far the fastest runner in the field. The 26 year-old features a personal best of 2:10:08. “For the half marathon we will probably go for a time between 65:30 and 66 minutes,” said Christoph Kopp, who is in charge for the elite field of the Morgenpost Dresden Marathon. This would be a pace never seen before in the history of the event and suggests that the course record could be broken by a huge margin. So far it stands at 2:15:26 from Joseph Talam (Kenya) in 2006.

Among Sulle’s strongest rivals is Kenyan Gilbert Koech, who has a personal best of 2:13:45. He is the winner of the Las Vegas Marathon in 2005. But Koech then suffered of a toe injury which also affected his hamstring, causing problems for a longer time. While he was unable to compete he coached his wife Edna Kiplagat, who then won a number of road races in the USA in 2007. Three other Kenyans are in with a chance on Sunday: Pharis Kimani, who won the Kassel Marathon this year with 2:15:36, Edwin Yano (personal best: 2:16:10) and Emmanuel Lagat (2:16:24).

In the women’s race Tanzania’s Fabiola John is the favourite. So far the 23 year-old has a personal best of 2:34:41 from Edinburgh 2005, where she was second. Last Sunday she ran an easy 10 k race in Coesfeld (Germany), winning comfortably in 34:02 minutes. With help of a pacemaker her half marathon target time on Sunday is 1:17. This could guide her to a new course record, which stands at 2:35:11 from Aniela Nikiel (Poland) in 2003. Her strongest opponent will most likely be Remalda Kergyte. The 23 year-old Lithuanian had been second in Dresden in 2006 and 2007. She improved her personal best to 2:40:54 when finishing fifth in a warm Düsseldorf Marathon this spring. Remalda Kergyte will be eager to go well under 2:40 at the Morgenpost Dresden Marathon.

Photo credit: Victah Sailer / photorun.net