Press Release - Hannover Marathon - 4/3/22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                          HAJ Hannover Marathon:

Hendrik Pfeiffer and Domenika Mayer win in Hannover and take German titles

In freezing conditions Germans Hendrik Pfeiffer and Domenika Mayer took the 
HAJ Hannover Marathon and the national championships which were included in 
the event. 

Hendrik Pfeiffer clocked 2:10:59 and was well ahead of Kenyan debutant 
Josphat Kiptis who ran 2:13:47. Martin Olesen of Denmark took third in 
2:14:35. Despite temperatures around zero Celsius Domenika Mayer ran a 
surprisingly strong marathon debut with 2:26:50. German pre-race favourite 
Rabea Schöneborn was second with 2:27:35 while Croatia's Matea Parlov 
Kostro took third in 2:28:39. Hendrik Pfeiffer and the top three women all 
achieved the qualifying standards for the European and the World 
Championships. 

In total 18,098 athletes were registered for the 30th edition of the HAJ 
Hannover Marathon, which is a World Athletics Label Road Race. 3,527 
athletes ran the marathon distance. "We are impressed with the event and 
obviously we were able to make our participants happy," said Race Director 
Stefanie Eichel. Next year organisers hope to be able to come back with a 
bigger field and with a much stronger elite race. The 31st edition of the 
HAJ Hannover Marathon is scheduled for 26th March 2023.

A group of eight runners passed the half way mark in 65:25. That was almost 
exactly as planned. At around 25k Hendrik Pfeiffer began to take the 
initiative. He broke away with Kenyans Josphat Kiptis and Wilfred Kiptoo. 
Until the 30k mark they had support of pacemaker and fellow-Kenyan 
Kiprotich Kirui. With around 12k to go Hendrik Pfeiffer left behind his 
rivals and was then all alone at the front, building a huge lead. 

"The atmosphere was superb. The spectators helped me getting through the 
race. It was a bit tough during the final twelve kilometers," said Hendrik 
Pfeiffer, who ran his second fastest marathon in Hannover. The German has a 
PB of 2:10:18 from 2020. "I have reached all my goals today, which was 
important for me," said Hendrik Pfeiffer, who won the race and his first 
major German title. Additionally he achieved the qualifying standards for 
the European and the World Championships.

In the women's race Domenika Mayer, Rabea Schöneborn and Kenya's Flomena 
Ngurais were in the leading group when the half marathon mark was passed in 
1:13:36. By 30k pre-race favourite Rabea Schöneborn had lost around 20 
seconds and soon after that Flomena Ngurais could not cope with Domenika 
Mayer's pace. The Kenyan dropped back to fourth later when Matea Parlov 
Kostro overtook her around the 40k mark.

"I did not think too much about what could happen. Sometimes in a race it 
just rolls, sometimes it does not. Today was a good day. I just 
concentrated on my pacemakers. But the wind was partly disturbing," said 
Domenika Mayer, who is a mother of two. "It was a great debut. Of course I 
had no clue before what could happen." While Domenika Mayer had a promising 
half marathon PB of 69:52 she had a Corona infection recently. Because of 
this her triumph was quite a surprise. And she came relatively close to 
Hannover's course record: Three years ago Kenya's Rachel Mutgaa clocked 
2:26:15.

Runner-up Rabea Schöneborn ran 2:27:35 which was her second best marathon 
time. "It was a struggle today and I am happy to have finished," she said.

Results, Men:

1. Hendrik Pfeiffer      GER 2:10:59
2. Josphat Kiprop Kiptis KEN 2:13:47
3. Martin Olesen         DEN 2:14:35
4. Wilfred Kiptoo        KEN 2:14:43
5. Frank Schauer         GER 2:14:43
6. Erik Hille            GER 2:15:04

Women:

1. Domenika Mayer              GER 2:26:50
2. Rabea Schöneborn            GER 2:27:35
3. Matea Parlov Kostro         CRO 2:28:39
4. Flomena Ngurais             KEN 2:30:42
5. Runa Skrove Falch           NOR 2:33:53
6. Vaida Zusinaite-Nekriosiene LTU 2:36:04

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

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