Press Release - Frankfurt Marathon - 10/30/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

         Mainova Frankfurt Marathon sees its first world record
 
    Mark Kiptoo distills record vintage to break World Masters time 
                              in Frankfurt
 
Mark Kiptoo gave hope to mature marathon runners everywhere when he broke 
the World Masters Record for runners over-40 with 2:07:50 for seventh place 
in a strong field in Frankfurt on Sunday. At 42 years, 128 days, the Kenyan 
returned to the scene of his marathon debut in 2013 and victory the 
following year to achieve the greatest performance of his career - so far. 
It is the first time in the history of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon that 
a world record was broken.
 
When Mark Kiptoo made his marathon debut at the age of 37 in the 2013 
edition of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, few would have picked him out as 
a future world record breaker. True, his track and cross country career had 
been solid enough including seventh place in the long course event at the 
2009 World Cross Championships and winning the African 5,000m title in 
2012. But when being interviewed before his marathon debut in Frankfurt 
five years ago, he radiated a quiet confidence in what his future might 
hold. That was confirmed when he finished second in 2:06:16 and won the 
Frankfurt title in 2014 with 2:06:49, aged 38.
 
Kiptoo crossed the finish line in Frankfurt's Festhalle a little over a 
minute behind the Ethiopian winner Kelkile Gezahegn, 20 years his junior. 
It was another Kenyan whose name he replaced as world record holder for the 
over-40s: Kenneth Mungara, whose time was 2:08:38 at the Milan Marathon on 
April 3, 2016. Mungara had twice previously broken the record and in the 
same year - 2015. Firstly in Milan with 2:08:43 and improving by just one 
second on Australia's Gold Coast barely three months later. The record had 
been in the possession of Mexico's Andres Espinosa with 2:08:46 in Berlin 
since 2003.
 
After breaking the world record for Masters or Veterans, Kiptoo reflected 
on his success in Frankfurt and what he might be capable of in future: "For 
sure I want to keep pushing and believe I can still go faster. Today 2:05 - 
2:06 was possible but the wind in the second part of the race made it hard. 
I was aware of the record but my goal was also to try to win the race. Once 
the leaders had got away I was still fighting for every position and it was 
nice that this assisted me to achieve the record."
 
Given this positive outlook, Mark Kiptoo doesn't see the end of the road to 
his elite running career any time soon: "I want to continue to run as long 
as my body will allow. For now, I am still healthy and my training showed 
me I was in good shape. With the support of God, my family, my management 
team and my training partners, I know that anything is possible." He also 
emphasized the support he receives as a member of the Kenyan Armed Forces, 
having joined the Air Force after leaving school in 1997 and his current 
station at Iaikpia Air Base.
 
Kiptoo believes strongly in the concept that running knowledge is handed 
down from one generation to another. He learned from some famous names when 
he was coming up and now he tries to share what he learns with the younger 
generation: "I gained much experience when I started to run internationally 
back in 2007. I was fortunate to learn from many great athletes like Noah 
Ngeny and I always try to lead by example in what I do and educate the 
younger runners in how disciplined and determined you must be. I do not 
really view what is possible in terms of my age, I am seeing it to be the 
best that I can be every day."
 
He accepts that one day his name will no longer stand beside the freshly 
broken world record for the over-40s: "Now I have the record I am happy but 
one day someone will break this. That is how athletics works but I am proud 
that my name will now show in the record books."
 
Crossing the line on the Festhalle's red carpet to become a world record 
breaker, Mark Kiptoo achieved his ambition in Frankfurt and who would say 
there might not be more to follow?
 
More Information and online entry is available at: 
www.frankfurt-marathon.com 

                                    ###