RUNNING GERMANY: BERLIN – Deep elite fields come with high expectations – Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday

Sunday’s BERLIN HALF MARATHON will see the best ever elite field regarding its depth. The 33rd edition of Germany’s biggest and best quality half marathon features five men with personal bests of sub one hour. Additionally four women have been signed who have run the 21.0975 k distance under 69 minutes.

If weather conditions are fine world-class times are expected once more on this flat course through the heart of the German capital.

A record number of 30,000 runners have entered the BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

So far there has been one sub 59 minutes time on the fast Berlin course: In 2007 Patrick Makau established the course record of 58:56 minutes. It is a tough time to beat, but considering the depth of the field times around 59 minutes could be possible on Sunday.

Kenya’s Kenneth Kipkemoi is the fastest runner entered into the BERLIN HALF MARATHON. A year ago he clocked 59:11 minutes when taking third place in The Hague. Victor Kipchirchir (59:31) and Silas Kipruto (59:39) are the other two Kenyans who feature sub one hour personal bests.

Ethiopian Azmeraw Bekele, who is not related to superstar Kenenisa Bekele, has done well in the half marathon in recent years and will be in with a good chance as well. He took second in the Prague race in 2011 and then again was second in the high-class Ras Al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates) race in 2012. His personal best stands at 59:39 minutes.

Another Ethiopian who is rated highly is Abera Kuma. After running his half marathon debut in Birmingham 2012 with 60:19 minutes (second place) he showed fine form in January. Kuma won the Egmond half marathon in the Netherlands, where the tough course includes a section on the beach. The Ethiopian clocked 61:20 in that race.

There is only one European so far who has broken the hour mark in the half marathon. That is already twelve years ago and it happend in Berlin: Fabián Roncero (Spain) won the BERLIN HALF MARATHON in 2001 with 59:52 minutes, the current European record. On Sunday Italy’s Daniele Meucci hopes to follow in Roncero’s footsteps.

The set-up for the women’s race looks much more interesting than in recent years. Sunday’s event will see a proper rematch of the 2012 race, where three runners had broken 69 minutes. Philes Ongori – the silver medallist in the World Half Marathon Championships 2009 with a personal best of 67:38 – was the winner after a sprint finish. She clocked 68:25 minutes in Berlin to deny fellow-Kenyan Helah Kiprop by a single second. Those two will meet again on Sunday. Kiprop has shown fine form when clocking a personal best of 67:39 in Ras Al Khaimah in February.

Ongori and Kiprop will be joined by the winner of the 2011 race: Valentine Kipketer. The Kenyan has meanwhile improved to 68:21 minutes. 2013 began with a big win for her, when she clocked a course record of 2:24:33 in the Mumbai Marathon in January.

German Road Races (GRR) e.V.