Press Release - Hannover Marathon - 3/24/23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                      ADAC Marathon Hannover on Sunday                

      Amanal Petros and Matea Parlov Kostro target records in Hannover

Amanal Petros and Matea Parlov Kostro are regarded as hot favorites at the 
ADAC Marathon Hannover on Sunday and both target records on the very flat 
course. The German record holder will attack his own national record of 
2:06:27 and if successful would smash the ten year-old course record which 
stands at 2:08:32. Meanwhile the marathon silver medallist of the European 
Championships last year, Matea Parlov Kostro of Croatia, hopes for a big 
personal best below the current course record of 2:26:15.

Organisers of the ADAC Marathon Hannover expect around 20,000 runners, 
including races at shorter distances. "We are very much looking forward to 
a thrilling marathon weekend," said Race Director Stefanie Eichel. 
Germany's defending marathon champion Hendrik Pfeiffer, who targets the 
Boston Marathon later this month, will run the half marathon on Sunday. The 
31st ADAC Marathon Hannover is a World Athletics Road Race Label event. A 
live stream of the marathon will be available on the event's website from 
8.45 am on Sunday (clocks go forward one hour in Germany during the night 
from Saturday to Sunday): www.marathon-hannover.de 

Unfortunately a series of late cancellations hit the event so that the 
final elite fields are now much smaller than planned. Among the athletes 
who had to withdraw are Julien Wanders and Rabea Schoneborn. Switzerland's 
European record holder at 10k and in the half marathon was not able to 
reach the form he expected during high altitude training in Kenya and 
decided to postpone his next marathon attempt. Last year's runner-up Rabea 
Schoneborn developed a foot problem and instead of traveling to Hannover 
the German needed surgery in Berlin today.

For the first time German record holder Amanal Petros will run a German 
city marathon. "I am really looking forward to this premiere. I know that 
the course in Hannover is fast. I have prepared well and will go for my 
German record," said the 27 year-old who ran his PB of 2:06:27 in Seville 
in 2021. This year Amanal Petros, who was fourth in the marathon at the 
European Championships last summer, has already broken the long-standing 
German 10k record with a time of 27:32. He trained in Iten, Kenya, for the 
ADAC Marathon Hannover. 

Two runners from Kenya will most likely be the strongest rivals for Amanal 
Petros, who also holds the national half marathon record (60:09). While 
Jonathan Maiyo is the fastest runner on the start list with a PB of 2:04:56 
he has not come close to this sort of time in his recent marathons. Denis 
Chirchir is a training partner of Amanal Petros. He has a personal record 
of 2:09:55 but could be in for a significant improvement. Hannover's course 
record of 2:08:32 was established back in 2013 by South Africa's Lusapho 
April.

Rachel Mutgaa of Kenya holds the women's course record with a time of 
2:26:15 from 2019. While Mexico's Risper Gesabwa and Aleksandra Brzezinska 
of Poland are the fastest two runners on the start list with times of 
2:26:55 and 2:28:09 respectively it is Matea Parlov Kostro who is regarded 
as the favorite. The 30 year-old Croatian produced some fine performances 
in her recent races. A year ago she was third in Hannover with a personal 
best of 2:28:39. Then she was runner-up in Munich and became the first 
Croatian woman ever in the history of the European Championships to win a 
medal in a running event. In February she ran a half marathon PB of 69:53 
in Barcelona. "I am happy to be able to run again in Hannover. I very much 
liked the race and the course when I was here last year. On Sunday I want 
to achieve the Olympic qualifying time," said Matea Parlov Kostro. While 
the time required for the Paris Olympics in 2024 is 2:26:50 it is expected 
that the Croatian will run a 2:25 pace on Sunday.

Elite runners for the ADAC Marathon Hannover

MEN
Jonathan Maiyo         KEN  2:04:56
Amanal Petros          GER  2:06:27
Denis Chirchir         KEN  2:09:55
Blazej Brzezinski      POL  2:11:27
Mustapha El Ouartassy  MAR  2:14:02
Ben Fletcher           USA  2:16:47
Geofrey Kiboy          KEN  2:17:34
Dario Ivanovski        MKD  2:18:12

WOMEN
Risper Gesabwa         MEX  2:26:55
Aleksandra Brzezinska  POL  2:28:09
Matea Parlov Kostro    CRO  2:28:39
Pauline Mutwa Thitu    KEN  2:31:29
Nina Chydenius         FIN  2:32:48
Vanessa Wilson         AUS  2:39:52
Natascha Mommers       GER  Debut

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

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