The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon is the last major German city marathon to make its comeback after a two-year break because of the Corona pandemic. The 39th edition will be started on Sunday with a field of over 11,500 marathon runners. Including running events at shorter distances the total number of participants is expected to be over 20,000 athletes. Elite runners could bring the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon back in overdrive as they are aiming for fast times. Ethiopia’s Gebru Redahgne and Kenyan Selly Kaptich head the start lists with personal bests of 2:05:58 and 2:21:09.
Weather conditions look very good although it may become warm towards the end of the elite races. The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon is an Elite Label Road Race of World Athletics, the international athletics federation. A live stream can be accessed on the event’s website at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com , however this will not be possible in territories where there is live TV broadcast.
The women’s race
Back in 2019 it was a woman who produced the highlight of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon: Kenya’s Valary Aiyabei established the course record of 2:19:10, which was the first sub 2:20 time in the history of the race. It could well be the women’s race again that stands out on Sunday. Selly Kaptich is ready for a very fast race. “I am confident that I can run a sub 2:20 personal best and I want to attack the course record – that is what I am here for,“ said Selly Kaptich, who heads a field of eight women with personal bests of sub 2:25. The former track runner mentioned a half way split time target of 69:00, which caught Christoph Kopp, Frankfurt’s Elite Race Coordinator, by surprise. “We had not heard about these plans from her management. However if she really wants to go that fast we will rearrange pacemaking to support her,“ said Christoph Kopp.
Fellow-Kenyan Helah Kiprop travelled to Frankfurt with a PB of 2:21:27. The marathon silver medallist from the World Championships 2015 ran this time in Tokyo in 2016. Earlier this year she showed fine form again with a 2:24:10 victory in Copenhagen. The 37 year-old has competed in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon back in 2014 when she was fifth with 2:27:14. „I am happy to be back here. In 2014 I ran a PB in Frankfurt, so I hope to do it again here on Sunday,“ said Helah Kiprop.
Yoshi Chekole is the third woman in the field who has a PB of sub 2:22. The Ethiopian improved to 2:21:17 in Sevilla this February. “My goal is to…
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