Press Release - Marathon Hamburg - 4/28/24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                         HASPA MARATHON HAMBURG 

      Defending champion Bernard Koech and debutant Irine Cheptai win 
                       in Hamburg with fast times

Defending champion Bernard Koech and fellow-Kenyan Irine Cheptai won the 
Haspa Marathon Hamburg with world-class times. Koech crossed the line in a 
brilliant 2:04:24 and clocked the eighth fastest time in the world this 
year. Missing his own course record and PB by just 15 seconds Koech became 
the first man to successfully defend the title in Hamburg since Julio Rey 
of Spain in 2006. Ethiopia's Haymanot Alew took second with 2:05:30 and 
Philemon Kiplimo of Kenya was third in 2:05:37. There was a thrilling duel 
in the women's race. Irine Cheptai won the battle and produced one of the 
fastest marathon debuts in history with 2:18:22. Fellow-Kenyan Winfridah 
Moseti smashed her PB with 2:18:25 for second place. These are the second 
and third fastest times in the history of the race. Ethiopia's Gotytom 
Gebreslase took third with 2:21:19. 

Organisers registered a record entry number of 38,210 athletes for the 38th 
edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg. This includes races at shorter 
distances. 15,000 marathon runners were among the entries. "It was a superb 
race which produced some of the fastest times ever in Hamburg. However for 
many athletes conditions became tough when it suddenly warmed up strongly 
during the race," said Chief Organiser Frank Thaleiser. 

For long periods of the race the leading group was on course to break the 
course record of 2:04:09 which Bernard Koech established a year ago. After 
a 1:28:14 split time at 30k the last pacemaker dropped out and then Koech 
took off, immediately leaving behind Haymanot Alew, Philemon Kiplimo and 
fellow-Kenyan Ronald Korir. Koech covered the next 5k section in a 
breathtaking 14:17 and when he went through 35k in 1:42:31 it looked like 
he might finish in around 2:03:30. "But then I had a difficult section and 
because of that I missed the course record," Bernard Koech later explained. 
"But this is sport, I am not at all disappointed. It was a great race and I 
might well come back again next year." For the second time since 2022 four 
athletes ran sub 2:06:00 in Hamburg.

Germany's Sebastian Hendel finished in a strong tenth place with a huge PB 
of 2:08:51. The 28 year-old had a personal record of 2:10:14 before and now 
became the ninth fastest German marathon runner ever.

For over 30 kilometres Gotytom Gebreslase, the Marathon World Champion from 
2022, ran together with Kenyans Irine Cheptai and Winfridah Moseti in the 
leading group. However with 10k to go the Ethiopian dropped back. With the 
leaders out of sight her dream of competing in the Olympics probably 
vanished. In the end Gotytom Gebreslase finished a distant third in 
2:21:19. The battle for victory continued right into the home straight. 
Then the 2017 World Cross Country Champion Irine Cheptai opened a small gap 
and crowned her strong marathon debut with a win in 2:18:22. She was three 
seconds ahead of Winfridah Moseti. The two Kenyans managed to run the 
second half quicker than the first (69:44) and placed themselves on 
positions eleven and twelve in the 2024 world list.

"I never expected to win the race. I had hoped to may be finish second or 
third," said Irine Cheptai. "Perhaps I can now run between 2:14 and 2:15 in 
my next marathon. I would like to run here in Hamburg again next year." In 
seventh place Argentinian Daiana Ocampo was the only athlete in Hamburg to 
achieve Olympic qualification.

There was very bad luck for Katharina Steinruck once more. The German, who 
hoped to break her mother's PB (Katrin Dörre-Heinig, the Olympic bronze 
medallist from 1988, ran 2:24:35 in Hamburg 25 years ago), had to side step 
at a refreshment point when a pacemaker stepped into her way. She then 
collided full speed with a drinks table, fell and had to give up injured 
shortly after that. This happened shortly before the half way point and she 
had been running 2:23 pace. Rabea Schöneborn was the best German with 
2:35:07 in 13th place.

Results, Men:

1. Bernard Koech     KEN 2:04:24
2. Haymanot Alew     ETH 2:05:30
3. Philemon Kiplimo  KEN 2:05:37
4. Ronald Korir      KOR 2:05:41
5. Tsedat Ayana      ETH 2:06:40
6. Oqbe Ruesom       ERI 2:06:50
7. Brimin Misoi      KEN 2:07:06
8. Getaneh Molla     ETH 2:07:38
9. Martin Musau      UGA 2:08:42
10. Sebastian Hendel GER 2:08:51

Women:

1. Irine Cheptai      KEN 2:18:22
2. Winfridah Moseti   KEN 2:18:25
3. Gotytom Gebreslase ETH 2:21:19
4. Jackline Cherono   KEN 2:21:40
5. Aminet Ahmed       ETH 2:23:27
6. Cynthia Limo       KEN 2:25:10
7. Daiana Ocampo      ARG 2:26:24
8. Kidsan Alema       ETH 2:26:50
9. Ayantu Kumela      ETH 2:27:19
10. Neheng Khatala    LES 2:28:37

More information about the Haspa Marathon Hamburg is available at: 
www.haspa-marathon-hamburg.de 
 
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