2014 Frankfurt Marathon: Late-entry Cherop out to shine in German city
What you need to know:
- The 30-year-old Cherop is one of the world’s most consistent marathon-runners with eleven podium finishes from fourteen starts. Kenya’s
- Vincent Kipruto will be defending his title but against a strong field that has Ethiopian pair who have run sub-2:05.
The 2011 World marathon bronze medallist Sharon Cherop is the latest entry at the 2014 Frankfurt Marathon due Sunday in the German city.
Entry by the 2011 and 2012 Boston Marathon champion brings an interesting mix to the women’s race that has fellow Kenyan Flomena Chepchichir and Ethiopia’s Aberu Kebede.
The 30-year-old Cherop is one of the world’s most consistent marathon-runners with eleven podium finishes from fourteen starts.
Cherop’s most distinguished performances includes her successful title defence of the Boston Marathon in 2012 before finishing second behind Florence Kiplagat at Berlin Marathon last year. That supplemented her bronze medal exploits at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu in 2011.
Cherop finished eighth in Boston in 2:23:00 in April in a race won by Rita Jeptoo in a course record 2:18:57.
(READ: Rita Jeptoo wins Boston Marathon)
Chepchirchir returns to Frankfurt hoping to better her second placing last year with victory. She clocked a Personal Best of 2:23:00 even though she lost the battle to Caroline Kilel, who won silver medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July.
Chepchirchir made her debut over the distance at the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon, taking third place on the podium with a time of 2:24:21. She would finish second in her second marathon at the 2012 Prague International before coming fourth at the 2012 Berlin Marathon.
CAME SECOND
She finally claimed her maiden victory at the 2013 Seoul International Marathon in 2:25:43 before finishing second in PB 2:23:00 at the 2013 Frankfurt Marathon.
Kebede has shown good form - finishing fifth in the London Marathon in 2:23:21 before Philadelphia Half-Marathon in 68:40 last weekend - but the fastest runner in the field with a 2:20:30.
MEN'S RACE
Meanwhile, in the men’s race, Kenya’s Vincent Kipruto will be defending his title but against a strong field that has Ethiopian pair who have run sub-2:05.
Last year, 27-year-old Kipruto braved stormy conditions to win in 2:06:15. This year, the conditions will be the least of his worries as he will be up against Tsegaye Mekonnen and Getu Feleke.
Mekonnen won this year’s Dubai Marathon on his debut over the distance in 2:04:32, the fastest time ever by a junior athlete. Feleke, meanwhile, smashed the Vienna course record this spring in 2:05:41 and has a PB of 2:04:50.
Mark Kiptoo, 37, who chased Kipruto right to the line in Frankfurt last year, is back and will be hoping to topple the reigning champion. Kiptoo clocked a PB of 2:06:16 in 2013 and finished just a second behind Kipruto.
Gilbert Yegon, who won the Duesseldorf Marathon in the spring, missing the course record by just 18 seconds with 2:08:07, is also in the field.
