DRESDNER KLEINWORT FRANKFURT MARATHON – Kiplagat and Maiyo among strong Kenyan runners

A group of strong Kenyans have entered the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon on 26th October. Among them are William Kiplagat and Benjamin Maiyo, who feature personal bests of 2:06:50 and 2:07:09. This will make 36 year-old Kiplagat the fastest runner ever at the starting line of the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon.

While the women’s field will see the return of the defending champion Melanie Kraus the Kenyan men are looking to continue their win streak. They took the oldest German city marathon race six times in a row so far. In the past then years only twice was there a non-Kenyan winner. The race through Germany’s financial capital is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.

With a huge bonus on offer the 27th edition of the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon is expected to become a fast race, in which the course record of Wilfred Kigen (Kenya), who clocked 2:07:58 a year ago, might well be broken. The winner will receive 95,000 Euros provided he breaks 2:07.

Of course William Kiplagat’s personal best comes from a race, which was quite a while ago. In 1999 he was third in Amsterdam when he clocked his sub 2:07 time. But he had a major win in Rotterdam in 2003, when he ran 2:07:42. Having started serious running only at the age of 25 William Kiplagat might still well be capable of producing a great race.

Ben Maiyo is a runner, who will desperately look for his first major marathon win. He had a number of fine races in recent years but could achieve the first prize yet. It was in Chicago where he clocked his personal best when coming in second in 2005. Half a year later he was again second at the Boston Marathon 2006, this time clocking 2:08:21. The 29 year-old is coached by German Dieter Hogen, who had formed a number of world-class runners in the past.

Uta Pippig, Sammy Lelei or Evans Rutto are among them. Hogen will have a second runner competing in the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon: Maiyo’s training partner Stephen Kiogora. The 33 year-old has a personal best of 2:09:21 so far. He won the Las Vegas Marathon in 2005 with 2:11:58, but his best performance came in New York in 2006. Finishing second in 2:10:06 Kiogora  left behind the likes of Paul Tergat (Kenya), who at that time still was the world record holder, Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa) or Olympic Champion Stefano Baldini (Italy).

Coming from the same tribe as Paul Tergat Benson Barus could be in with a surprise in Frankfurt. So far the 28 year-old Kenyan has run three marathons, which he all finished inside 2:10. His personal best came in Milan in 2006, where he finished his debut race in second place with 2:08:34. Sammy Kurgat’s personal best is just very  slightly slower (2:08:38). The 33 year-old Kenyan ran that time at the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon a year ago, when he finished third. Kurgat will return to the race through Germany’s financial capital.

Entry figures for the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon suggest that the race will see a record field of about 12,500 marathon runners. This would be an increase of about ten percent compared to 2007. Adding all other running events the total field of the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon could well reach the 20,000 barrier for the first time. Entries for the race are still possible. For more information and online registration visit: www.frankfurt-marathon.com