Kimaiyo, Jepchirchir headline Munich’s elite lists

Kenyans Edwin Kimaiyo and Caroline Jepchirchir will be among the favorites at the Generali Munich Marathon set for 8 October.

With personal bests of 2:09:12 and 2:26:11 respectively the duo heads the current start lists of Germany’s fourth biggest marathon.

A year ago, the organizers staged an impressive comeback with regard to elite racing. There had been no international elite fields for over 20 years in Munich.

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Organizers decided to reverse this approach and they were rewarded with two fine course records as Kenyans Philemon Kipchumba and Agnes Keino clocked 2:07:28 and 2:23:26 respectively.

“In 2022 we successfully came back with international elite racing and it is now our aim to further establish our position at this higher level. Last year’s course records proved that our course is not only very attractive regarding the sight-seeing features but very fast as well. A marathon weekend trip to Munich is definitely worth it,” said Race Director Gernot Weigl. 

Kimaiyo returns to Munich with the advantage of knowing the course. A year ago, the Kenyan was fifth in the Olympic Stadium with 2:11:02. His personal best (PB) time of 2:09:12 set in Shanghai in 2017 points to his abilities to challenge the course record. 

The 37-year-old is a very experienced marathon runner, who took a fine third place in the 2011 Berlin Marathon with 2:09:50. It was the race in which fellow-Kenyan Patrick Makau broke the world record with 2:03:38.

Challenging Kimaiyo will be Cosmas Kiplimo, still a newcomer to international road racing. He ran his international debut at the Linz Marathon in Austria a year ago, clocking 2:09:44 for eleventh place. This spring he showed good form again, when he was third in Geneva with 2:10:44.

Sebastian Hendel will be returning to the race as well. The German ran his debut marathon in the Bavarian capital in 2022 and achieved a fine 2:10:37 for fourth place. This spring the 27-year-old clocked 2:11:29 at the Vienna City Marathon in unusually warm conditions.

Hendel intends to make the next step in his marathon career in October in Munich, where he targets a sub 2:10 time. If he achieves his goal he should be among the first couple of athletes who cross the finish line in the Olympic Stadium. 

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Kenyan athletes are dominating the women’s elite start list as well.

With a PB of 2:26:11 Jepchirchir is the fastest on the field. The 35-year-old ran this personal best in Enschede, Netherlands, a year ago when she was fourth.

Fellow-Kenyan Tecla Chebet will be among her challengers. While she has not yet raced at any major international marathons the 32-year-old has been extraordinary successful.

Chebet won six of her seven international marathons. This year the Kenyan took the Linz Marathon with a personal record of 2:27:18.