Bethwell Yegon returns to Vienna with title hopes
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 03.04.24. | 07:28
The Vienna City Marathon is one of the last few races during the second half of April which provides athletes with the chance to qualify for the Olympic Games’ marathon in Paris this summer
Bethwell Yegon returns to the Vienna City Marathon where he was runner-up in unusually warm conditions last year.
The Kenyan hopes to go one better this time and win his first marathon when he headlines this year's race set for Sunday 21 April.
He will be challenged by Ethiopia’s Chala Regasa, who is also targeting a first major marathon triumph.
Both athletes have personal bests of slightly over 2:06 and head the competitive men’s field that has over 12 athletes with personal bests (PB's) of sub 2:10.
Yegon ran a stunning race in Berlin in 2021, when he came from far behind, overtook Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele and almost challenged for victory in the final stages. Yegon finished second and improved his Personal Best (PB) by more than two minutes to 2:06:14.
This remains the fastest time of the 31 year-old who trains in Iten, the heart of Kenyan long distance running.
“I am happy to return to Vienna and my goal is to fight for victory and take a place on the podium. Hopefully the weather conditions will be fine and there will be a strong group to run with,“ said Yegon, whose time in the race a year ago is the fifth fastest time ever run in the history of the Vienna City Marathon.
Meanwhile, Regasa has already run on Vienna’s roads as well, though in a different role. The 26 year-old Ethiopian was part of the pacemaking team that supported Eliud Kipchoge when he sensationally broke the two hour marathon barrier in 2019.
It was a year ago when Regasa finally ran his marathon debut in Rotterdam with a fine 2:06:11 for fifth place. With this time he is currently the fastest runner in the field.
Vienna will be his second marathon and his strong half marathon PB of 59:10 suggests that there is some room for improvement.
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His biggest career win so far came in the New Delhi Half Marathon in 2022, where Regasa clocked 60:30 and beat a strong field.
Kenya's Felix Kibitok is another runner who features both, a PB of sub 2:06:30 and a very fast half marathon PB who is out to challenge the leaders. He was was fifth in Barcelona in 2022 with 2:06:28 and achieved 59:08 in the Prague Half Marathon back in 2019. On two more occasions Kibitok ran sub one hour half marathon times.
Samsom Amare from Eritrea, who won his marathon debut in Abu Dhabi in 2023 with 2:07:10 and was ninth at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2023, plus Kenyans Albert Kangogo (2:07:48) and Leonard Barsoton (2:09:06) could well challenge for a place on the podium.
The Vienna City Marathon is one of the last few races during the second half of April which provides athletes with the chance to qualify for the Olympic Games’ marathon in Paris this summer.
The official qualifying time is 2:08:10 and the qualifying window shuts on 30 April.
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