Press Release - Gold Coast Airport Marathon - 7/03/15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Strongest elite field set for good times on the Gold Coast this weekend

This year's Gold Coast Airport Marathon on Sunday (5 July) will assemble 
the strongest elite marathon running field in its 37-year-history, 
headlined by the return of the past two male winners Silah Limo from Kenya 
and Yuki Kawauchi from Japan.

Limo last year broke Rob de Castella's long-standing Australian All Comers 
Record when he clocked 2:09:14 for victory at the Gold Coast, a race that 
doubled as his marathon debut. Limo's performance rewrote the record books 
for the fastest time in Australia ever over the 42.195km distance.

Kawauchi finished third behind Limo in a creditable 2:11:27 after a
spectacular mid-race fall cost him valuable time and momentum and 
ultimately ended his chances for the win.

Adding even more spice to a showdown this year, Kawauchi with a personal 
best a full minute faster than Limo, won the race in 2013 in 2:10:01, an 
equal race record that stood for 12 months until Limo came along and 
bettered the mark.

The history books could be rewritten once again with six elite men boasting 
times under the current course record (2:09:14) including sub-2:05 former 
world junior marathon record holder  Berhanu Tolcha from Ethiopia and 2011 
Gold Coast Airport Marathon second placegetter Albert Matebor from Kenya.

Current world masters marathon record holder Kenneth Mungara (2:08:44), 
2014 Mumbai Marathon winner Evans Ruto (2:07:49) and 2014 Brighton Marathon 
second placegetter Dominic Kimweitch (2:09:36) are three other Kenyans who 
have the potential to make it consecutive victories for their nation on the 
Gold Coast.

2013 third placegetter Tewelde Hidru from Eritrea and 2014 fifth 
placegetter Samuel Gebremichael from Ethiopia are major threats having 
experienced the flat and fast course first-hand while 2012 London Olympic 
marathoner Ryo Yamamoto from Japan knows how to handle the big occasions 
after racing the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year.

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon also doubles as the IAAF Oceania Area 
Marathon Championship for the eighth consecutive year with the fastest 
Australian debut marathoner and 2012 London Olympian Jeffrey Hunt taking on 
2014 Australian marathon champion Rowan Walker and 2012 IAAF Oceania Area 
Marathon champion Jonathan Peters for the title.

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon women's course record of 2:27:17 set by 
Japan's Yukiko Akaba in 2013 will be in Ethiopian Makde Haji's sights 
having already clocked a best time of 2:26:46 in recent years.

However, Japan's dominance of the 42.195 kilometre race could continue with 
three women having recorded sub-2:32 personal best times recently. Risa 
Takenaka (2:28:09, 2015), Keiko Nogami (2:28:19, 2015) and Manami 
Kamitanida (2:31:34, 2014) all have the potential to become the 13th 
Japanese female to win Australia's leading marathon.

2011 Australian marathon champion Kirsten Molloy (2:43:41) will go 
head-to-head with 2014 Christchurch Marathon winner Victoria Beck (2:43:45) 
from New Zealand in the IAAF Oceania Area Marathon Championship.

View the elite fields via www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au/race-weekend/elites

Confirmed International Field

Men
      
M1
  Silah Limo (KEN)
  PB: 2:09:14 (2014)
  
M2
  Yuki Kawauchi (JPN)
  PB: 2:08:14 (2013)
  
M3
  Jeffrey Eggleston (USA)
  PB: 2:10:52 (2014)
  
M4
  Berhanu Shiferaw Tolcha (ETH)
  PB: 2:04:48 (2013)
  
M5
  Albert Matebor (KEN)
  PB: 2:05:25 (2011)
  
M6
  Kenneth Mungara (KEN)
  PB: 2:07:36 (2011)
  
M7
  Evans Ruto (KEN)
  PB: 2:07:49 (2012)
  
M8
  Ryo Yamamoto (JPN)
  PB: 2:08:44 (2012)
  
M10
  Samuel Woldeamanuel (ETH)
  PB: 2:08:45 (2010)
  
M11
  Dominic Kimwetich (KEN)
  PB: 2:09:36 (2014)
  
M14
  Tewelde Hidru (ERI)
  PB: 2:10:18 (2015)
  
M15
  Jeffrey Hunt (AUS)
  PB: 2:11:00 (2011)
  
M16
  Alphonce Felix Simbu (TAN)
  PB: Debut
  
M17
  Shigeki Tsuji (JPN)
  PB: 2:13:41 (2014)
  
M18
  Tomonori Sakamoto (JPN)
  PB: 2:13:49 (2015)
  
M19
  Yoshinori Sugimoto (JPN)
  PB:2:14:11 (2013)
  
M20
  Asamenew Yeshanew (ETH)
  PB: Debut
  
M21
  Saeki Makino (JPN)
  PB: 2:17:59 (2015)
  
M22
  Rowan Walker (AUS)
  PB: 2:18:01 (2010)
  
M24
  Jonathan Peters (AUS)
  PB: 2:20:05 (2012)
  
M26
  Shota Atsuchi (JPN)
  PB: 2:21:36 (2015)
  
M27
  Takemaru Yamasaki (JPN)
  PB: 2:23:21 (2013)
  
M28
  Tony Payne (AUS)
  PB: 2:24:55 (2015)
  
      
Women
      
M53
  Makda Haji (ETH)
  PB: 2:26:46 (2012)
  
M54
  Risa Takenaka (JPN)
  PB: 2:28:09 (2015)
  
M55
  Keiko Nogami (JPN)
  PB: 2:28:19 (2015)
  
M56
  Zebenay Gebre Moges (ETH)
  PB: 2:31:14 (2009)
  
M58
  Manami Kamitanida (JPN)
  PB: 2:31:34 (2014)
  
M60
  Shoko Shimizu (JPN)
  PB: 2:32:43 (2013)
  
M62
  Riona Ishimoto (JPN)
  PB:2:38:26  (2014)
  
M64
  Fumiko Hashimoto (JPN)
  PB: 2:40:46 (2015)
  
M66
  Kirsten Molloy (AUS)
  PB: 2:43:43 (2011)
  
M67
  Victoria Beck (NZL)
  PB: 2:43:45 (2010)
  
M73
  Yumiko Tanaka (JPN)
  PB: 2:56:32 (2014)
  


The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be held on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 
July in one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world in 
Queensland, Australia. 

It is set to attract more than 27,000 participants of all ages and 
abilities across a number of events including the Gold Coast Airport 
Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, 
Southern Cross University 10km Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7km Challenge and Junior 
Dash 4km & 2km races. 

To enter or for more information visit www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au

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