Cyprian Kotut, Mark Korir go for Frankfurt Marathon glory

Paris Marathon champions Cyprian Kotut is among a galaxy of Kenyan stars who will line up in Sunday’s 35th edition of the Frankfurt Marathon in the Germany city.

Kotut is the bookmakers’ favourite to not only claim his maiden victory on the flat course but also reclaim Kenya’s dominance in the race they had won 13 consecutive times before Ethiopian Sisay Lemma halted the run last year.

Sarah Chebet and Doris Changeywo will spearhead Kenya’s assault in the women’s race where they will be aiming to recapture the title they lost two years ago to Ethiopia.

Last year, Ethiopians dominated with Lemma going for men’s race in 2 hours, 06 minutes and 26 seconds as Gulume Tollesa won in the women’s race in 2:23:12.

Kenyan men had won the previous 13 editions with veteran athlete Mark Kiptoo winning last in 2014 before Lemma ended the dominance last year while Caroline Kilel is the last Kenyan woman to win the race in 2013 in 2:22:34.

Kotut will be eager to run another personal best on the flat course, having won this year’s Paris Marathon, improving his best by almost two minutes to 2:07:11.

The 24-year-old Kenyan will be up against fellow Kenyans Mark Korir and the 2009 World 10,000m bronze medallist Moses Masai and Ethiopia’s Tadese Tola.

Interestingly, Masai, the elder brother of the 2009 World 10,000m champion Linet Masai, will have his wife, Changeywo, battling in the women’s race.

Tola, who has a PB of 2:04:49, and Korir have been mainstays on the start list for some time. The Ethiopian is the fastest man in the race while Korir won the Paris Marathon last year in a PB of 2:05:49. It will be thrilling to see how Korir and Kotut approach the race.

Changeywo, who is the 2007 and 2011 World Military Games 10,000m champion, won the 2011 Porto Half Marathon before finishing second behind Aselefech Mergia at the 2011 Great South Run.

Chengeywo and Chebet will face last year’s runner-up Dinkinesh Mekash, who returns to Frankfurt looking to improve on the 2:23:12 PB she set in the German city in 2015.

Changeywo has a PB of 2:31:50 from Wien Marathon in April this year, having clocked 2:44:26 in her marathon debut in Singapore in 2015.

Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa has also been added to the field. The 22-year-old made her marathon debut earlier this year, clocking 2:24:00 in Dubai. She followed that with a second-place finish in Rotterdam.

Kenya’s World Half Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir decided to withdraw from the women’s race due to personal reasons.

ELITE FIELD

Men

Tadesse Tola (ETH) 2:04:49, Mark Korir (KEN) 2:05:49, Cybrian Kotut (KEN) 2:07:11, Weldu Gebretsadik (NOR) 2:09:14, Birhanu Achamie (ETH) 2:09:27, Moses Masai (KEN) 2:10:36, Samson Gezahai (ERI) Debut.

Women

Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:21:59, Dinknesh Tefera (ETH) 2:23:12, Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) 2:24:00, Fate Tola (GER) 2:25:14, Sarah Chebet (KEN) 2:27:59, Gladys Tejeda (PER) 2:28:12, Kumeshi Deressa (ETH) 2:28:42, Doris Changeywo (KEN) 2:31:5