Vienna City Marathon – Both course records under threat, close to 30,000 entries for the jubilee running festival

Everything is ready for a great jubilee race: This Sunday the Vienna City Marathon will celebrate its 25th edition. And it looks likely that the race will reach dimensions never experienced before in the history of the event and in Austria. This refers to the size of the field as well as the quality. Adding all running events close to 30,000 athletes from more than 100 nations have entered the Vienna City Marathon – both are record figures. Taking into account the strength of the field and a suitable weather forecast both course records should be under threat on Sunday: Marocco’s Lahoucine Mrikik had run 2:08:20 two years ago while back in 2000 Maura Viceconte (Italy) clocked 2:23:47.

The men’s race features two runners with personal bests of sub 2:07. Wilson Onsare is the fastest in the field with a record of 2:06:47. Since that mark is already five years old and the 31 year-old Kenyan was not able to come near to it recently it is the second fastest in the field who is seen as the favourite in Vienna: Abel Kirui. So far the Keynan has a personal best of 2:06:51 with which he was second in Berlin 2007 – only beaten by Haile Gebrselassie, who established a world record of 2:04:26 in that race.

While Kirui had actually started his marathon career as a pacemaker for Haile Gebrselassie’s world record attempt in Berlin in 2006 (after passing 35 k in 1:45:23 he went on to finish in 2:17:47) he is now thinking of attacking the mark of the great Ethiopian himself: “The world record really is my goal. I want to break it. I said to myself why should I not be the person to do it?” Stating this in today’s press conference Abel Kirui at first caused some confusion among organisers and journalists since such a pace is not on the plan for Sunday. Kirui then explained that the world record will be a goal in near future. “On Sunday we plan to run the first half in 63:30. May be we can get a bit faster after that first half”, the 25 year-old explained.

His fellow countrymen will most probably be Abel Kirui’s main rivals at the 25th Vienna City Marathon. “In fine weather conditions I hope to break my personal best,” said Paul Biwott, who had clocked 2:08:17 for second place in Paris in 2005. Duncan Kibet and Philemon Kisang are two of the Kenyans who could be in with a surprise on Sunday. Both are running their debuts following promising results in the half marathon. Kibet ran 60:22 in San Jose in 2006 while Kisang clocked 60:55 winning in Milan a year ago. He again took the Stramilano earlier this month.

Vienna’s champions Morimoto and Talpos in for fast race

Having just missed out on making the Olympic marathon team Tomo Morimoto is back in Vienna. “Two years ago I won my first marathon here and achieved a good time which is still my personal best. So I have very good memories of the Vienna City Marathon. That is why I decided to come back,” explained the 24 year-old Japanese who has been named as a reserve for Beijing by her federation. In 2006 she had become the first Japanese winner in Vienna, clocking 2:24:33. “On Sunday my aim is to run another personal best,” said Tomo Morimoto, who had placed second in January’s Osaka Marathon with 2:25:34.

Tomo Morimoto is expected to go for a sub 2:24 time on Sunday. With the course record standing at 2:23:47 this is a likely goal. But the Japanese will not enter the race with bib number 1. That is reserved for the defending champion Luminita Talpos. In very warm weather conditions the Romanian had won last year’s race in 2:32:21. “My aim is to qualify for the Olympic Games. Probably a time of about 2:28 would be enough to go to Beijing. But I am in shape for a faster time. So I hope to improve to 2:25,” Luminita Talpos said. So far she has a personal best of 2:27:32. “It is an advantage that I know the course.”

Another one who might well run with the two Vienna champions is Beatrice Omwanza. The Kenyan has a personal best of 2:27:19 from Berlin 2004. “I did not improve on that because besides running I had been working for the Kenyan postal service in recent years. But since last year I am a fully professional athlete and can concentrate on training only,” said Beatrice Omwanza, who thinks she can achieve a result in the region of her personal best.

For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com