Press Release - Hannover Marathon - 3/7/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                    HAJ HANNOVER MARATHON ON 8th APRIL

      Gilbert Kirwa and defending champion Fate Tola will run Hannover

Gilbert Kirwa of Kenya and Germany's defending champion Fate Tola will 
compete at the HAJ Hannover Marathon on 8th April. Kirwa has a strong 
personal best of 2:06:14 while Tola has already run 2:25:14. Both course 
records, which stand at 2:08:32 and 2:27:07 respectively, could come under 
threat at the 28th edition of the event. The HAJ Hannover Marathon is an 
IAAF Silver Label Road Race. Online entry for the event is still possible 
at: www.marathon-hannover.de

The HAJ Hannover Marathon has in recent years established itself among the 
best German races at the classic distance. Regarding the quality of the 
elite field Hannover will probably be number four again this year behind 
Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg. Additionally the Association of German Road 
Races (GRR) honored the HAJ Hannover Marathon a few months ago for their 
organisational skills. A half marathon which will include the German 
championships is staged parallel to the marathon on 8th April.

Gilbert Kirwa will look forward to coming back to German speaking territory 
since he celebrated his two biggest career wins in Vienna and Frankfurt in 
2009. First he took the Vienna City Marathon in spring with 2:08:21 and 
then he clocked a strong personal best of 2:06:14 when winning in Frankfurt 
in the autumn. 

On the very flat course in Hannover, which was improved for this year's 
race by taking out several corners, Gilbert Kirwa will hope to get back to 
his best. The 32 year-old Kenyan, who has run sub 2:08 times on five 
occasions, had two difficult years because of injuries. He fully focusses 
on the HAJ Hannover Marathon on 8th April and has not run another race this 
year.

Among Kirwa's rivals are a former Hannover winner and one of the most 
consistent European marathon runners in recent years. Cheshari Jacob took 
the HAJ Hannover Marathon three years ago with 2:09:32. The Kenyan has a 
personal best of 2:07:46 which he ran in Frankfurt in 2013 when he finished 
fourth. Poland's Henryk Szost features a personal best of 2:07:39. He 
showed a fine performance in the Frankfurt Marathon last October, where he 
finished seventh with 2:10:09, just missing a sub 2:10 time in very windy 
conditions.

Former Ethiopian Fate Tola, who became a German citizen two years ago and 
since January competes for local club Hannover Athletics, will be the 
favourite in the women's race once more. Last year the 30 year-old, who 
lives in Germany with her family, won the HAJ Hannover Marathon with 
2:27:48. However she was not fully satisfied with her result as she had 
targeted and missed the course record. Now she wants to make sure to break 
the mark of 2:27:07, which Ukraine's Olena Burkovska ran in 2013. Among her 
rivals will be China's Yue Chao and Kenya's Recho Kosgei, who have personal 
bests of 2:29:26 and 2:30:09 respectively.

More information about the HAJ Marathon Hannover is available at: 
www.marathon-hannover.de

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