Press Release - Berlin Marathon - 9/23/21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                        BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday:
             Hiwot Gebrekidan sets sghts on Berlin Course Record

The women's race at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday is looking 
increasingly like an attack on the course record. The best time to date was 
set three years ago when the Kenyan Gladys Cherono ran 2:18:11. 
Half-a-dozen women will be on the start line who have run under 2:25 and 
among them is the Ethiopian Hiwot Gebrekidan, the fastest women in the 
world this year thanks to her personal best of 2:19:35 in winning the Milan 
title in April. She will be making her debut in the Abbott World Marathon 
Majors Series of which the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is a part.

In the light of the continung Corona pandemic the number of starters for 
this year has been considerably reduced. Around 25,000 runners are expected 
to compete on Sunday. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will take place under strict 
hygiene rules.

Any participant on the start line must have been vaccinated, or recovered 
from the virus or be able to produce a negative PCR Test. Over 90% of 
runners entered have been vaccinated. Spectators on the course will also be 
requested to maintain social distance and wear a mask covering nose and 
mouth.

"I've been preparing for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON for a long time and want 
to run my personal best on Sunday," said Hiwot Gebrekidan at Thursday's 
press conference in Berlin. When pressed as to what pace she would like, 
the 26-year-old answered: "I'd actually like to hold back in the first 
half. But I nevertheless plan to go through halfway in just under 69 
minutes." Such a split at halfway would put Hiwot Gebrekidan not only in 
contention for the course record but also the Ethiopian national record, 
currently held by Worknesh Degefa with her time of 2:17:41 in Dubai in 
2019.

Her fellow Ethiopian Shure Demise also has a personal best in her sights. 
She is a highly experienced marathon runner, having run a dozen of them. 
"I've spoken with other women runners and know what a fast course is 
Berlin. I have high expectations for myself and want to break my personal 
record," said Shure Demise, whose best currently stands at 2:20:59 and 
could well go under 2:20 for the first time.

"2:20 remains a breakthrough target for women in the marathon," said the 
race director Mark Milde, adding in response to Hiwot Gebrekidan's 
announcement of going for a super-fast time at halfway: "We'll have to wait 
and see what times are actually run. But a pace like that would certainly 
suit us. And a course record would be great."

A woman who has been a late addition to the elite field in Berlin but is 
capable of a surprise is Fancy Chemutai. The Kenyan has a best of 2:24:27 
and will be running only her second marathon. If she were able to convert 
her enormous potential to good effect in the classic distance she may well 
be in contention for the win. Her half marathon best of 64:52 makes her the 
seventh fastest woman at the distance of all time. No other woman on the 
Berlin start list has such a fast half marathon performance.

Rabea Schöneborn takes aim for Personal Best

Rabea Schöneborn from the local club LG Nord Berlin will be running a 
marathon for the first time in her home town. The 27-year-old improved her 
best to 2:27:03 in April in her second race at the distance, missing 
selection for the Olympics by just nine seconds. This inadvertently created 
the opportunity of turning that preparation to potentially good effect at 
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. "Berlin is definitely a highlight, I'm really 
looking forward to Sunday. Up to now I've only had the experience of elite 
marathons but now I can see and feel what's it like to be part of a big 
city marathon. Having spectators will definitely give me a lift," said 
Rabea Schöneborn.

The Berlin athlete hopes to take advantage of the fast course and what 
looks likely to be excellent weather conditions to improve her best time. 
"I always try to hold back a little so I can run the second half faster. 
That's also the plan on Sunday," explained Rabea Schöneborn. Nevertheless, 
she is still looking at a fast halfway split: "Something between 73:10 and 
73:20 is the plan."


WOMEN'S ELITE FIELD:

Hiwot Gebrekidan    ETH 2:19:35
Shure Demise        ETH 2:20:59
Helen Tola          ETH 2:21:01
Ruth Chebitok       KEN 2:23:29
Bethelhem Moges     ETH 2:23:38
Fancy Chemutai      KEN 2:24:27
Rabea Schöneborn    GER 2:27:03
Iwona Bernardelli   POL 2:27:47
Martina Strähl      SUI 2:28:07
Izabela Paszkiewicz POL 2:28:12
Grace Momanyi       KEN 2.28:18
Hanna Lindholm      SWE 2:28.59
Edith Chelimo       KEN 2:29:03
Beatie Deutsch      ISR 2:31:39
Martha Akeno        KEN 2:33:25
Nora Szabo          HUN 2:35:00
Gotytom Gebreslase  ETH Debut

More information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com

Please note: You may watch Friday's press conference with Kenenisa Bekele 
at 11.00 am here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVygAV_bj68
 
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