Quick times expected in German race on Sunday as the autumn marathon season continues

Elisha Rotich of Kenya and Yeshi Chekole of Ethiopia head the field of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday (Oct 27).

Rotich has a personal best of 2:04:21 while Chekole’s personal record stands at 2:21:17. More than 14,000 marathon runners have entered this World Athletics Elite Label Road Race.

A number of athletes had to withdraw recently due to injury or visa problems. These include Ethiopians Herpasa Negasa and Tigist Abayechew as well as Eric Kiptanui of Kenya. The men’s start list now features five runners with personal bests inside 2:07:00 and another 10 who have run below 2:10:00.

While the leading men will probably run a 2:05 pace and organisers hope that a winning time slightly below that mark might be possible, the women could produce the highlight at the 41st edition of Germany’s oldest city marathon.

They are expected to attack the course record of Valary Aiyabei – the Kenyan who ran 2:19:10 in 2019.

Five women have entered the race featuring personal bests of sub-2:23:00. Additionally Ethiopia’s Hawi Feiysa is among the favourites with her marathon best of 2:23:36 and half marathon time of 65:41.

Tom Thurley and Laura Hottenrott lead the domestic challenge in Frankfurt. Thurley was second in this year’s German championships with 2:14:52 and Hottenrott ran 2:24:32 in Valencia a year ago.

British entries include Georgina Schwiening, the former world junior duathlon champion who ran 2:26:28 in Valencia last December, plus Naomi Mitchell and Louise Small.

Look out also this weekend for marathons in Venice and Dublin plus the Valencia Half Marathon.

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