Press Release - Marathon Hamburg - 4/23/23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                          Haspa Marathon Hamburg

               Bernard Koech breaks course record in Hamburg 
                  European Champion Richard Ringer runs PB

Bernard Koech of Kenya won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg with a course record 
of 2:04:09. The 35 year-old tied his personal best and is now the fourth 
fastest runner in the world this year. Fellow-Kenyans Joshua Belet and 
Martin Kosgei took second and third with 2:04:33 and 2:06:18 respectively. 
Germany's European Champion Richard Ringer finished in a strong sixth 
position with a personal best of 2:08:08 which is just inside the Olympic 
qualifying time.

Kenya's Dorcas Tuitoek took the women's race with 2:20:09, which is the 
second fastest time ever run in Hamburg. Leading for a long time Tiruye 
Mesfin of Ethiopia struggled in the final section and even stumbled and 
fell. She finished second with 2:20:18. Third placed Stella Chesang clocked 
2:20:23 in her debut and broke the Ugandan record. Giovanna Epis was the 
fastest European in sixth place with 2:23:46, missing the Italian record by 
just two seconds. Germany's Fabienne Königstein took eighth with a strong 
PB of 2:25:48. She was well inside the 2:26:50 Olympic qualifying standard.

Organisers registered 12,000 runners for the 37th edition of the Haspa 
Marathon Hamburg. Including races at shorter distances the total was over 
30,000. "Incredibly we were able to improve last year's course record. We 
had a slightly smaller elite field this year, so I never expected that to 
happen," said Chief-Organiser Frank Thaleiser. 

In almost perfect conditions with 12 Celsius it was going to be a 
fascinating men's race. A leading group of thirteen runners formed right 
after the start and they stayed together till kilometer 27. The half 
marathon mark was passed before in 62:32 which was slightly off the course 
record pace. But after 27k the pace of the leading group noticeably 
increased and the three Kenyans Bernard Koech, Martin Kosgei and Joshua 
Belet were able to break away from the group. Right before the 35k mark 
Martin Kosgei dropped back and then the decisive moment came when Bernard 
Koech left Joshua Belet behind. 

Koech then build on his lead and with 2:04:09 he improved the course record 
by 38 seconds. Fellow-Kenyan Cybrian Kotut had won with 2:04:47 a year ago. 
With 2:04:33 for second place Joshua Belet was under the previous record as 
well. While Martin Kosgei followed in 2:06:18, Daniel do Nascimento from 
Brasil, who was among the pre-race favorites, finished fourth in 2:07:06. 
"I ran a god race and I knew that I probably had to run a time around my PB 
to win," said Bernard Koech. "I spoke with Eliud Kipchoge about the course 
before I came here and he gave me some advice." Kipchoge won his marathon 
debut in Hamburg back in 2013. 

In his fifth marathon Richard Ringer showed another strong and convincing 
performance. Clocking 2:08:08 in sixth place the German European Champion 
was just two seconds inside the Olympic qualifying time. Improving his PB 
by 41 seconds he is now the second fastest German marathon runner ever 
behind Amanal Petros (2:06:27). "The race was going according to plan for 
me. I have to thank my pacemaker, who helped me achieving this result. In 
the end it felt a bit like at the European Championships," said Richard 
Ringer.  Germany's Haftom Welday ran with the leading group, but struggled 
badly in the last 10k. He finished eighth with 2:09:40.

As expected it was Ethiopia's Tiruye Mesfin who took the lead in the 
women's raced early. With a half marathon split time of 69:46 she was 
however not as fast as she had planned. The 2:17:23 course record was out 
of reach, but at 35k Mesfin looked a certain winner. She was around a 
minute ahead of her rivals. But then disaster struck. The 20 year-old 
slowed and and then stumbled and fell to the ground in the final kilometer. 
Behind her Kenya's Dorcas Tuitoek saw her opportunity She found another 
gear and passed the Mesfin around 300 metres before the finish line. 

"I was really surprised to win. I did not see when Tiruye Mesfin fell, I 
was just fully focused on myself. I still had enough energy," said 25 
year-old Tuitoek, who had a PB of 2:24:54 before the race. "I knew that I 
could probably run a 2:20 time. This course is really fast and good for 
records."

Results, Men:
1. Bernard Koech         KEN  2:04:09
2. Joshua Belet          KEN  2:04:33
3. Martin Kosgei         KEN  2:06:18
4. Daniel do Nascimento  BRA  2:07:06
5. Rhonzas Kilimo        KEN  2:08:08
6. Richard Ringer        GER  2:08:08
7. Martin Musau          UGA  2:08:45
8. Haftom Welday         GER  2:09:40

Women:
1. Dorcas Tuitoek       KEN  2:20:09
2. Tiruye Mesfin        ETH  2:20:18  
3. Stella Chesang       UGA  2:20:23
4. Tsige Haileslase     ETH  2:22:10
5. Marion Kibor         KEN  2:22:35
6. Giovanna Epis        ITA  2:23:46
7. Zenebu Bihzong       ETH  2:24:16
8. Fabienne Königstein  GER  2:25:48
  
More information about the Haspa Marathon Hamburg is available at: 
www.haspa-marathon-hamburg.de 
 
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