Press Release - Dusseldorf Marathon - 3/27/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                    Metro Marathon Dusseldorf on April 29:

      Olympic Games fifth placer Volha Mazuronak will run Düsseldorf

The top European finisher in the 2016 women's Olympic Marathon will be on 
the start line in Düsseldorf: Volha Mazuronak, who finished fifth in Rio, 
will run the METRO Marathon Düsseldorf on April 29. The world-class runner 
from Belarus should start as the women's favourite while the addition of 
Japan's Hideyuki Ikegami brings another leading runner to the men's field.

This year's METRO Marathon Düsseldorf will be the first to incorporate the 
German championships where the focus will also be on achieving qualifying 
times and possible selection for the European Athletics Championships in 
Berlin in August. Last year around 16,000 runners took part in the various 
events in Düsseldorf and organisers reckon on a similar number for the 
latest edition. Entries remain open for the 16th edition of the METRO 
Marathon Düsseldorf and for more information go to: www.metro-marathon.de 

The strong favourite for the women's title is the Belrussian Volha 
Mazuronak who has a German coach in Wolfgang Heinig and made headlines as 
the top European finisher with her fifth place in the 2016 Olympic Marathon 
in Rio. She had already caused a surprise by finishing fourth in the London 
Marathon in April that year, setting what remains her personal best of 
2:23:54. These performances clearly suggest that she could put the 
Düsseldorf course record under pressure. It is currently in the possession 
of the Kenyan Agnes Barsosio who ran 2:25:49 in 2012. The 28-year-old 
Mazuronak has already run under 2:26 three times in her career and was 
faster than the race record on each occasion. A few days ago she showed 
good form at the World Half Marathon Championships, clocking a national 
record of 70:57 for 18th place.

The women's race in Düsseldorf will also set up a contest between the 
winners of the past two years and feature Portugal against Hungary. The 
Portuguese Doroteia Alves Peixoto won twelve months ago, setting her 
personal best of 2:32:00 beside the River Rhein. Hungary's Zsofia Erdelyi 
won in 2016 with what is still her personal best of 2:35:37.

Talks continue with the aim of adding to the men's field but one guaranteed 
addition is the Japanese Hideyuki Ikegami whose best is 2:13:41. Among his 
rivals for this year's METRO Marathon Düsseldorf will be the Kenyan Edwin 
Kiptoo who has a best of 2:11:24.

German Championships in Düsseldorf offer tantalising prospects for 
debutants

Among the contenders for the German title is a marathon debutant in Philipp 
Baar who has already caused a surprise in winning the 2017 national Half 
Marathon title in Hanover with 64:57. Olympic marathon runner Julian Flügel 
has had to withdraw because of injury, leaving the way for possibly two 
more debutants to emerge into the reckoning: Ramdane Cherif and Tobias 
Blum, whose best half marathon times are 64:53 and 65:42 respectively.

The women's race for the German title has the makings of a duel between 
Fabienne Amrhein and Franziska Reng. They both made their marathon debuts 
last year and finished in 2:34:14 and 2:34:57 respectively.

Further information including registration for entries can be found online 
at:  www.metro-marathon.de
 
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