by Larry Eder
photo by PhotoRun.net
Now, Reuben Kosgei has decided to take his prodigious talents and focus on the marathon. He has had some success, but the big question will be on May 6, when he lines up for the TUI Marathon Hanover, how fast can he go?
Let’s put it this way, Reuben is 1-2 at the marathon distance. He finished his second marathon, in 2:11.22, just one second behind the winner.
We wish Reuben good luck and look forward to hearing his results in the 2012 TUI Marathon Hanover!
Olympic Champion Reuben Kosgei
intends to make major step
in the marathon
Reuben Kosgei finally wants to
make a major step in the marathon. Kenya’s Olympic Steeplechase Champion
from Sydney 2000 will run the TUI Hannover Marathon on 6th
May and hopes to significantly improve his personal best.
The
elite fields look strong enough to break the course records on the very
flat course. The TUI Marathon Hannover is Germany’s newest IAAF bronze
label road race.
For the first time the TUI Marathon Hannover will feature an
athlete of the calibre of Reuben Kosgei. The 32 year-old, who also was
World Champion in the Steeplechase in 2001, had run his first marathon
attempt in Vienna in 2009. In warm conditions he did not finish the
race. In the autumn of that year he had a second go at the distance and
had more success. In Florence he finished second with 2:11:22, beaten by
just one second.
Coming to his third marathon Reuben Kosgei
is said to be preparing with much more intensity than before. “We really
hope that he can significantly improve his personal best in Hannover,”
said Christoph Kopp, who is the Elite Race Coordinator of the TUI
Marathon Hannover.
There will be strong opposition for Reuben
Kosgei in Hannover. The fastest in the field will be Nixon Kipkoech
Machichim. The Kenyan ran 2:08:22 when placing fourth in the Toronto
Marathon in 2010. This year he has already competed in the Mumbai
Marathon, where he placed fifth in 2:11:37. Three more runner with
personal bests of sub 2:10 will be in the field on 6th May:
Kenyan Edwin Kutto, who is the brother of the reigning World Marathon
Chamapion Abel Kirui, has achieved 2:08:57 in Eindhoven last year. Amos
Matui (Kenya/2:09:35) and Botoru Tsegaye (Ethiopia/2:09:57) are the
other two. The two-year old men’s course record from Yussuf Sangoka
(Kenya) stands at 2:08:52.
In the women’s race the course record will
be the target as well: Last year’s winner Georgina Rono (Kenya) is the
holder of this one with 2:31:19. Ethiopia’s Fatuma Sado will be the
favourite on 6th May. The winner of the Hamburg Marathon in
2011, who has run 2:28:01 in that race, intends to run the first sub
2:30 time in the history of the TUI Marathon Hannover. Her strongest
rival could be the experienced Leah Malot (Kenya), who has a personal
best of 2:29:17. Halima Hassen Beriso (Ethiopia/2:32:42) and Natalya
Puchkova (Russia/2:33:02) could also play a part.
More information about the TUI Marathon Hannover is available
online at: www.marathon-hannover.de
—
Service by: www.race-news-service.com
