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L. MathekaKipchumba, Keino smash course records in Munich
Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 09.10.22. | 19:15
In the women’s race, Keino clocked a personal best of 2:23:26, improving the course record by almost nine minutes
Both the men and women course records fell as Kenya's Philimon Kipchumba and Agnes Keino raced to victory at the Generali Munich marathon held on Sunday 9 October.
On his debut Kipchumba crossed the finish line in Munich’s Olympic Stadium in 2:07:28 ahead of 23 year-old Mengistu Zelalem of Ethiopia and Eritrea’s Berhane Tesfaye who followed in 2:07:56 and 2:08:10 respectively.
The podium finishers were faster than the previous course record of 2:09:46. Fourth placed German Sebastian Hendel ran a fine debut with 2:10:37.
“I did not quite expect to run such a fast debut. But my training went very well and I just tried my best,“ Kipchumba, who hopes to achieve times of 2:04 in the future.
In the women’s race, Keino clocked a personal best of 2:23:26, improving the course record by almost nine minutes.
The 34 year-old was ahead of the 2015 marathon World Champion Mare Dibaba. The Ethiopian ran 2:24:12 while Souad Kambouchia of Morocco finished third with 2:27:35. Seven women were inside the former course record of 2:32:11.
Germany’s Susanne Hahn held the women’s mark with 2:32:11 from 2012 when she won the German Championships’ race.
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In ideal weather conditions with temperatures of 9 Celsius at the start, hardly any wind and a cloudy sky a leading group of ten runners reached the half marathon mark in 63:41.
However Mekonnen was no longer among them. The Ethiopian, who still holds the unofficial world junior record of 2:04:32 and was the fastest runner on the start list, had lost contact shortly before and later dropped out.
But a compact group remained together in the lead until the late stages of the race. Five of them passed the 35k mark in 1:45:33.
Once pacemaker Bonface Kiplimo of Kenya dropped out shortly afterwards a duel between Philimon Kipchumba and Zelalem developed. The Kenyan was able to put in a surge just before the 41st kilometer and dropped Zelalem.
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In the women’s race Keino and Dibaba were together in the lead, passing the half marathon point in 71:46 and then 30k in 1:42:01.
With around eight kilometers to go Keino, who entered the race with a PB of 2:25:08, went ahead. Former world champion Dibaba, who was the fastest on the start list with her Personal Best (PB) of 2:19:52, suffered of muscle problems and was not able to respond to the surge of her Kenyan rival.
However Dibaba finished second with 2:24:12, running her fastest time since 2019.
“It was my big goal to run a personal best and I am really happy that I achieved it. Even more so since I also won the race,“ said Keino who improved to 2:23:26.
Results
Men
1. Philimon Kipchumba KEN 2:07:28
2. Mengistu Zelalem ETH 2:07:56
3. Berhane Tesfaye ERI 2:08:10
4. Sebastian Hendel GER 2:10:37
5. Edwin Kimaiyo KEN 2:11:02
6. Rodgers Keror KEN 2:12:34
7. Meshack Koech KEN 2:14:53
8. Ngonidzashe Ncube ZIM 2:15:39
Women
1. Agnes Keino KEN 2:23:26
2. Mare Dibaba ETH 2:24:12
3. Souad Kambouchia MAR 2:27:35
4. Viola Yator KEN 2:28:11
5. Aberu Zennebe ETH 2:28:33
6. Cavaline Nahimana BUR 2:31:21
7. Helen Jepkurgat KEN 2:32:07
8. Lisa Fuchs GER 2:37:19
