Press Release - Munich Marathon - 9/10/24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                  GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON ON 13th OCTOBER

               Kenyans aim to continue Munich's success story

With the help of a strong African elite field organisers of the GENERALI 
MUNICH MARATHON hope to continue their recent success story on 13th 
October. Three Kenyan runners with personal bests slightly over 2:08:00 
will be on the start line besides the Olympic Stadium. The women's race 
will feature two runners who have clocked good half marathon times and 
could be in for a breakthrough over the full distance in Munich. 

Including races at shorter distances a record total of over 25,000 runners 
is expected to compete in the 38th edition of the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON, 
which is an increase of around 20 percent compared to last year. About 
7,000 will run the marathon. Registration is still possible at: 
www.generalimuenchenmarathon.de

"We are really happy with the strong development of our entry figures. This 
shows that our concept is working and bearing fruit," said Race Director 
Gernot Weigl.

Parts of the elite fields were announced today. Kenya's Cosmas Birech is 
currently the fastest runner on the start list. He won the 2018 Rome 
Marathon in 2:08:03. In the same year he also clocked a half marathon PB of 
60:06. While there were hardly any races during the pandemic Cosmas Birech 
was unlucky once the period of lockdowns was over. The Kenyan was injured 
for a longer time. At the age of 38 he now wants to give it another go and 
hopes to get back to his best. 

Dominic Nyairo, who has a personal best of 2:08:13, produced fine 
performances in his recent marathons. The 27 year-old will be one of the 
main favorites on 13th October. In 2021 Nyairo won his debut in Hofu, 
Japan, with a sprint finish in 2:09:34. In 2023 the Kenyan came back to 
Japan and placed 16th in the highly competitive Tokyo Marathon, improving 
to 2:08:13. He then ran the Berlin Marathon and finished 19th in a fine 
2:08:47. In contrast William Kibor achieved his personal best quite some 
time ago. He clocked 2:08:32 when he was fifth in the Vienna City Marathon 
in 2012. After a longer break, which was partly due to the pandemic, he 
came back running a couple of half marathons last year. The GENERALI MUNICH 
MARATHON will be Kibor's first race at the classic distance since 2019. 

"We have produced the fastest times in the history of our event in the past 
two years. And I hope that we will once again see results in the region of 
2:08 to 2:09," said Gernot Weigl. "In the women's race times between 2:25 
and 2:27 should be possible."

Two women who can still be regarded as newcomers could produce a surprise 
at the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON. Shamilah Kipsiror only started her career 
last year when she was already 36 years old. When she competed outside 
Kenya for the first time she had instant success, winning the Ghent Half 
Marathon in a fine 67:53. Kipsiror then ran a 2:28:13 marathon debut in 
Venice last October. She was fourth in that race and fourth again when she 
returned to Italy for the Rome Marathon this spring, improving to 2:27:33. 

One of Kipsiror's strongest rivals will be Uganda's Viola Chemos. She has 
only run one marathon so far, but that was in high altitude in Eldoret, 
Kenya. While she clocked 2:36:38 the 31 year-old followed this up with a 
fine race in July. Chemos took the Kaptagat Half Marathon in Kenya's 
well-known high altitude training region with 69:23. Because of their 
strong half marathon performances Shamilah Kipsiror and Viola Chemos could 
improve significantly at the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON.

More information about the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON and online entry is 
available at: www.generalimuenchenmarathon.de

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