Press Release - Hannover Marathon - 3/26/23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                           ADAC Marathon Hannover                         
	
   Amanal Petros and Matea Parlov Kostro smash course records in Hannover

Amanal Petros and Matea Parlov Kostro took the ADAC Marathon Hannover, 
smashing the course records and celebrating their biggest career wins. In 
fine weather conditions Germany's Amanal Petros triumphed with 2:07:02, 
improving the course best of 2:08:32 set by South Africa's Lusapho April in 
2013 by 90 seconds. The national record holder missed his PB by just 35 
seconds but he is the first German to have run under the Olympic qualifying 
standard of 2:08:10. Kenyans Denis Chirchir and Frederick Kibii clocked 
personal bests of 2:07:17 and 2:08:09 respectively for second and third 
place. Croatia's Matea Parlov Kostro dominated the women's race and ran a 
huge personal best of 2:25:45. The marathon silver medallist from the 
European Championships in Munich 2022 improved the course record by 30 
seconds and was well under the Olympic qualifying time for Paris 2024 
(2:26:50). Four years ago Kenya's Rachel Mutgaa ran 2:26:15 in Hannover. 
Pauline Thitu of Kenya clocked 2:29:25 and Mexico's Risper Gesabwa finished 
in 2:29:49 for second and third places on Sunday. 

It was the third time after 1992 and 2013 that both course records were 
broken in Hannover. Including races at shorter distances organisers 
registered over 19,000 athletes from around 100 nations for the ADAC 
Hannover Marathon, which is a World Athletics Road Race Label event. 
Germany's defending champion Hendrik Pfeiffer ran the half marathon event 
and won with 62:58. He is preparing for the Boston Marathon in April.

With the pace not as even as planned two pacemakers led a group of five 
runners through the half marathon mark in 63:30. Originally a split time of 
63:00 was planned. The problem seemed to be that the runners right behind 
the pacers did not really go with their pace while Amanal Petros was at the 
end of the group. With a split time of 1:30:39 at 30k the German record of 
2:06:27 was more or less out of reach. The pace at that stage pointed 
towards a 2:07:30 finish. When the pacemakers dropped back shortly after 
the 30k mark Amanal Petros took the lead. For a short period his training 
partner Denis Chirchir and Frederick Kibii could hold on but then they 
could no longer cope with the pace of the German, who was fourth in the 
European Championships' marathon in 2022. The national record holder was 
able to increase the pace in the final quarter of the race, but his 
personal best was out of reach today. “Because of the uneven pace my 
muscles started to become tired earlier and I realized this at around 25k. 
But overall I came through very well,“ said Amanal Petros. “It was the 
first time that I ran a German city marathon and this victory means a lot 
to me. It is a huge motivation for the next races.“

In the women's race Matea Parlov Kostro ran 2:25 pace from the start. It 
was around the half way mark, which she passed in 72:34, when Pauline Thitu 
and Risper Gesabwa were no longer able to follow the Croatian. The gap 
constantly widened and the race for victory was more or less over a few 
kilometers later. While Matea Parlov Kostro, who became the first Croatian 
woman to win a European Championships' medal in a running event in Munich 
last year, could not quite hold on to her pace she was ahead by more than a 
kilometer when she finished in 2:25:45 in front of the impressive Hannover 
townhall. “I am really happy with my personal best and with the 
qualification for the Olympic Games. Paris will be my second Olympics,“ 
said Matea Parlov Kostro, who can be confident that her performance in 
Hannover will be good enough for Olympic selection. With her PB she moved 
up to second place behind Romania's Delvine Meringor (2:20:49) in the 
current European season's list. For Matea Parlov Kostro the victory was her 
first in a marathon. „While my biggest success was surely the silver medal 
at the European Championships this was my greatest career victory today.“

Results,  Men:

1. Amanal Petros    GER  2:07:02
2. Denis Chirchir   KEN  2:07:17
3. Frederick Kibii  KEN  2:08:09
4. Jonathan Maiyo   KEN  2:11:33
5. Geofrey Kiboy    KEN  2:11:42
6. Amos Birgen      KEN  2:13:09

Women:

1. Matea Parlov Kostro    CRO  2:25:45
2. Pauline Thitu          KEN  2:29:25  
3. Risper Gesabwa         MEX  2:29:49
4. Natascha Mommers       GER  2:31:20
5. Nina Chydenius         FIN  2:35:21
6. Aleksandra Brzezinska  POL  2:37:50

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

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