The German athlete will make his London marathon debut as he prepares to claim his national record back
Amanal Petros is ready to take a shot at reclaiming his place in German athletics history as he lines up for the London Marathon this Sunday (April 27). With strong recent form, the 29-year-old has his sights set on breaking the German national marathon record – an accolade he once held but lost last year.
Petros, a PUMA athlete, originally made history in 2023 when he stormed through to clock 2:04:58 at the Berlin Marathon, setting a national record over 26.2 miles. However, his record was short-lived. Later that year, Samuel Fitwi Sibhatu shaved off two crucial seconds at the Valencia Marathon, running 2:04:56 and overtaking Petros in the German record books.
Now, Petros returns to the global stage in London, poised to take back the title. And if his latest performance is any indication, he’s more than ready. Earlier this month in Berlin, he shattered the one-hour mark in the half marathon – a first for a German runner – by slicing his personal best of 60:09 down to a blistering 59:31.
That performance earned him a third-place finish behind Ethiopia’s Gemechu Dida, who won in 58:43. Petros’ new time now ranks him fourth on the European all-time list, just behind Julien Wanders (59:13), Andreas Almgren (59:23), and Yeman Crippa (59:26) – with Crippa also expected to compete in London.
Petros has proven his resilience time and time again. Even at the European Championships in Rome last year, he managed to secure a bronze medal in the half-marathon, despite rolling his ankle in the race’s final stretch.
He’ll be part of an elite men’s field in London that boasts several major contenders, including former world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, and triathlete Alex Yee from Great Britain. The race is set to start at 9:35am.
How are you feeling ahead of the London Marathon?
Very well. I’ve just arrived from Kenya because I have been training there for almost five months, going back and forth. I’m super happy to be here and I’m really excited. It’s my second major marathon. The first major marathon I did was in Berlin in 2023 where I broke the German record.
How have your training preparations been going?
It’s special to prepare for this kind of competition in Kenya because of the focus and concentration that is over there. I also have my own training group who I have trained with many…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at AW…