News Archive

<p">The

major marathons in April are finished but there is more to come this spring: On

7^th May the 23^rd edition of the Vienna City Marathon will

be started. Organisers of the biggest one day sporting event in Austria expect more than 20,000 runners in various events

next week. The prime race will of course be the marathon for which a high-class

field has been put together.

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There are few top marathon runners from Europe who are able to keep up with the Kenyans at present.

One of them will be running the Vienna City Marathon on 7^th May:

Dmytro Baranovsky. The 27 year-old Ukrainian is the winner of the Fukuoka

Marathon 2005. When he took this prestigious Japanese marathon he clocked a

personal best of 2:08:29 hours with which he was number three in Europe last year. But winning Vienna next week will be a tough task for Dmytro Baranovsky

although his personal best is six seconds faster than the course record.

Kenya’s Samson Kandie had clocked 2:08:35 in 2004.

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Kenya’s runners will once again have a strong impact on

the race. One of the pre race favourites is Peter Chebet. The 31 year-old has a

personal best of 2:08:43 with which he had finished fourth in the Chicago

Marathon in 2003. Though his PB is slightly slower than that of Dmytro

Baranovsky he has again and again produced strong performances in recent years.

It was in September 2005 when Peter Chebet finished second at the Berlin

Marathon with another sub 2:09 time (2:08:58). His personal best at the half marathon suggests

that he might be able to run an even faster marathon. He had clocked 60:56

minutes when finishing 7^th at the World Half Marathon Championships

in 2001.

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Another one to watch will be Frederick Cherono. The

28 year-old Kenyan has as well already broken 2:09 twice. When he won the Rome Marathon in 2003 he

clocked 2:08:47. A year later he improved to 2:08:38 when taking the Turin Marathon. Noah Bor

(Kenya) is another top name on the starting list. The 28

year-old had placed second in Rome 2003 with 2:08:48. William Todoo Rotich could cause a surprise. The

Kenyan will run his marathon debut in Vienna. Three months earlier he had won the Rome-Ostia half

marathon with a high-class time of 60:12 minutes.

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<p">For

the first time Japanese elite women’s runners have entered the Vienna City

Marathon. As already announced Chieko Yamasaki, who has a personal best of

2:27:22, and Tomo Morimoto (2:27:46) have been signed. Austria’s Susanne Pumper has meanwhile also entered the race

which will be her marathon debut. The 35 year-old has a good track record and

broke the Austrian half marathon record a year ago in Vienna with 73:20 minutes. Another one added to the women’s

field is Tiziana Alagia. She features a personal best of 2:27:53 and wants to keep up the tradition of strong Italian

women’s performances in Vienna. There have been three Italian winners since 2000.

Six years ago Maura Viceconte set the course record of 2:23:47.</p">