Germany’s oldest city marathon, the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankurt Marathon is fast on its way to becoming one of Europe’s best.

Germany’s oldest city marathon, the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankurt Marathon is fast on its way to becoming one of Europe’s best. Favourites for Sunday’s 27th race are led by William Kiplagat and Vincent Kipsos of Kenya, both of whom have run sub-2.07, and colleague Ben Maiyo, whose best is 2.07.09.

But the sub-60min ‘half’ (59.41) by another Kenyan, Benson Barus in Italy a month ago suggests that his best of 2.08.34 is in for revision. And there is also the intriguing prospect of a match betweeen two former steeplechase world record holders, Bernard Barmasai and Wilson Boit Kipketer.

The course record, 2.07.32 is held by three-time winner, Wilfrid Kigen, who has opted for New York this year. But anyone beating his time collects close to a six-figure sum, ie 95,000 euros, with the overwhelming likelihood that it will be a Kenyan for the seventh year in succession.

While foreign runners seek training success by going to Kenya, Maiyo and a group of colleagues reversed that trend recently by going to Denver, Colorado. “It was a nice change,” said Maiyo on Thursday. “At home, you have to worry about other things, family and such. But all we did was train, eat and sleep”.

Barus, a former world junior 10,000 metres champion underlined that, with an unusual ‘home’ problem. Barus, 28, lives in Nakuru, close to the famous lake of the same name, which used to be home to countless thousands of flamingoes. But pollution has reduced the bird numbers to hundreds. “And,” says Barus, “when the wind is in the wrong direction, we get this horrible smell. We can’t do anything about it”. Except go for a run, presumably.

The women’s race is shaping up to be a Germany v Russia contest. The two nations are just about the only European countries with more than one elite marathoner, on the women’s side. And Frankfurt pitches 2007 winner, Melanie Kraus, best of 2.27.58, and German colleague, Sabrina Mockenhaupt (13th in the Beijing 10,000m) against the Nurgalieva twins from Perm in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Olesya won in 2004, with Yelena a second behind. This will be a welcome return, since they have spent the interim period exchanging victories in the South African ‘ultra’ races, such as the Comrades Marathon, and the Two Oceans event.

Mockenhaupt made her marathon debut last year, winning in Köln (Cologne) in 2.29.33. “I know that a time like that leaves me nowhere internationally, I have to improve” she said on Thursday. “I think I can do around 2.26 on Sunday”. But Mockenhaupt admits she has other targets. The ‘family’ record is 2.24.59, set by her father Alfred almost 20 years ago. Her mother has also run just outside 2.40 for the distance.

The race is expected to draw over 12,500 runners, with over 20,000 in all events, for the first time.

There will be ‘live’ web reports of the race, on www.frankfurt-marathon.com.

Pat Butcher