Kenyan duo Bernard Koech and Rebecca Tanui want to make the jubilee edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg a very fast one this Sunday. The two runners are leading the start list of the 40th edition of Germany\u2019s biggest and fastest spring marathon with personal bests of 2:04:09 and 2:21:06 respectively. While Koech hopes to break 2:04 and win the race for a third time Tanui intends to run sub 2:20:00 on the fast course. Germany\u2019s Samuel Fitwi carries national hopes in Hamburg and aims to achieve a rare podium finish.<\/b><\/p>\n
Organisers of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg have registered record numbers for their jubilee race. 20,000 runners have entered the race over the classic distance. Adding athletes who compete a shorter events during the weekend the entry total is around 45,000.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was a real challenge this time to put together the elite fields – mainly because of visa problems. Unfortunately we lost some top women recently. It looked like we would have a world-class field some weeks ago, but we still have a superb line-up,\u201c said Chief Organiser Frank Thaleiser. \u201cI expect another thrilling race with fast times.\u201c\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Men\u2019s Race: Koech wants to make it three out of three<\/b><\/p>\n In contrast to the women\u2019s field the men\u2019s line-up was not affected by major withdrawals. Twelve runners feature personal bests of sub 2:07:00 which shows the strong depth of the field. \u201cI am very much looking forward to competing in Hamburg again,\u201d said Bernard Koech, who has run the Haspa Marathon Hamburg twice and won on both occasions. In 2023 he triumphed with a course record and tied his personal record of 2:04:09. This remains his PB until today. A year later Bernard Koech defended his title. \u201cI have trained well and have been running up to 200 kilometres per week. My goal is to win in Hamburg for the third time,\u201d said the 38-year-old, who still feels in top form even after many years as an elite athlete: \u201cMarathon is very much about experience. I may be 38, but that is just a number,\u201d said Bernard Koech, who will try to break his PB in Hamburg. The pacemakers are expected to run the first half in 62:00.<\/p>\n Kennedy Kimutai, a training partner and friend of Bernard Koech, was a late addition to Hamburg\u2019s elite field. This may well be helpful for Koech with regard achieving a fast time. The 26-year-old, who holds a personal best of 2:05:27 and has already clocked a world-class time of 58:28 in the half marathon, was actually due to run the Boston Marathon last Monday. However due to visa issues he could not travel to the US and will now be competing in Hamburg. \u201cBernard has won here twice, which is why I was interested to run in Hamburg too. We will certainly support each other,\u201d said Kennedy Kimutai, who has recently been in good form. In early March he won the Paris Half Marathon.<\/p>\n Former German marathon record holder Samuel Fitwi has a PB of 2:04:56 and is number three on the start list. \u201cI have been training well in Addis Ababa since the beginning of January,\u201c said Samuel Fitwi, who will go with the leading group on Sunday. \u201eMy goal is to run a PB or at least a 2:05 time. I hope to achieve a podium finish as well.\u201c The last time a German runner finished among the top three men in Hamburg was back in 1999, when Carsten Eich was runner-up. Former German record holder J\u00f6rg Peter won the race in 1990 and 1991.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Besides Koech and Kimutai there are at least three more athletes who will compete for podium places with Samuel Fitwi: Israel\u2019s Gashau Ayale (PB: 2:04:53), Othmane El Goumri of Morocco (2:05:12) and Ethiopia\u2019s Abdisa Tola (2:05:42), the brother of Olympic Champion Tamirat Tola.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Women\u2019s Race: Six athletes have PBs of sub 2:24:00<\/b><\/p>\n While there is no woman on the start list who has a personal best of sub 2:20:00 such a time will be the target on Sunday. Six athletes have personal bests of sub 2:24:00. Rebecca Tanui heads the list with a PB of 2:21:08. The Kenyan made no secret about what she wants to achieve on Sunday: \u201cI want to win and run a personal best,\u201d said the 33-year-old during the press conference in Hamburg. Rebecca Tanui has recently shown exceptional consistency in the marathon. She won three of her five races \u2013 Venice in 2023, Ko\u0161ice in 2024 and Mersin, Turkey, last December \u2013 and also finished third (2024) and second (2025) in Vienna. \u201cI intend to break 2:20:00 for the first time and I am optimistic that I can do it,\u201d said Rebecca Tanui.<\/p>\n Marion Kibor returns to Hamburg with fond memories. It was here three years ago where the Kenyan ran her current PB: She was fifth with 2:22:35. \u201cI hope I can run another personal best in Hamburg on Sunday,\u201d said the 31-year-old. \u201cI plan to run with the leading group and will try to achieve a time under 2:20:00. I know that the course is fast.\u201c Ethiopians Kasanesh Baze\u00a0and Muluhabt Tsega, who have PBs of 2:22:06 and 2:22:21 respectively, are likely to challenge the Kenyans<\/p>\n Elite Runners with Personal Bests<\/b><\/p>\n MEN:<\/p>\n Bernard Koech\u00a0KEN 2:04:09 WOMEN:<\/p>\n Rebecca Tanui KEN 2:21:08 [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":34623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-34617","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-aktuelles","8":"category-all-en"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nGashau Ayale \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 ISR 2:04:53
\nSamuel Fitwi\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 GER 2:04:56
\nOthmane El Goumri MAR 2:05:12
\nKennedy Kimutai KEN 2:05:25
\nAbdisa Tola\u00a0ETH 2:05:42
\nTsedat Ayana ETH 2:06:18
\nBalew Yihunle \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 ETH 2:06:22
\nFelix Kibitok KEN 2:06:28
\nShumi Dechasa BRN 2:06:43
\nMohamed El Aaraby MAR 2:06:45
\nBelay Bezabeh ETH 2:06:58
\nTaresa Tolosa \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 ETH 2:07:01
\nVincent Nyageo KEN Debut
\nAaron Bienenfeld\u00a0GER Debut<\/p>\n
\nKasanesh Baze ETH 2:22:06
\nMuluhabt Tsega ETH 2:22:21
\nMarion Kibor KEN 2:22:35
\nBrillian Kipkoech KEN 2:23:56
\nMercy Kwambai KEN 2:23:58
\nManon Coste \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 FRA 2:32:46
\nVibeke Jensen \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 NOR 2:34:22
\nAselef Amare ETH Debut
\nSelamawit Teferi ETH Debut<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"