Why Chepkemoi faces tough task in defending Vienna City Marathon title
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 25.03.26. | 18:27
Eyes are on the course record set by Kenyan Vibian Chepkirui in 2022
Defending champion Betty Chepkemoi has her work cut out as she sets out for her title defense at this year's Vienna City Marathon set for Sunday, 19, April.
A year ago she ran a remarkable race in freezing conditions.
The 25-year-old was more than a minute ahead when she clocked a huge personal best (PB) of 2:24:14.
In what was her second marathon she was more than ten minutes faster than in her debut in Istanbul five months earlier.
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"My training is going well and I am happy to come back to Vienna. The goal will be to improve my PB and if possible defend my title,“ said Chepkemoi, who trains in Kapsabet under the guidance of Claudio Berardelli, the coach of Sabastian Sawe.
The field is headlined by Ethiopians Haftamnesh Tesfaye and Tigist Gezahagn who are keen to produce some fast racing as organisers hope that the 2:20:59 course record will be broken and the 2:20:00 mark as well in the process.
Could the event witness a Tesfaye 2.0 on 19th April? It was Foyten Tesfaye who ran an astonishing marathon debut earlier this month, winning in Barcelona. Crossing the line in 2:10:51, she instantly became the second fastest woman ever over the distance.
While these sort of times will be out of reach, her sister Haftamnesh, who is three years older, will travel to Vienna as one of the favourites and could produce a strong performance.
The 31-year-old ran a fine 2:20:13 debut in the 2018 Dubai Marathon which remains her PB.
Haftamnesh took a break from the sport in 2020 for several years and became a mother of two boys.
Now she will run her first marathon since her return and is said to have trained well, having joined the extraordinary successful training group of Gemedu Dedefo in Addis Ababa to prepare for the Vienna City Marathon.
Meanwhile, Gezahagn has already won a marathon this year. The-26 year-old took the race in Doha in January, improving her PB record to 2:21:14.
She now intends to run even faster in Vienna, where she targets the 2:20:59 course record set by Kenyan Vibian Chepkirui in 2022.
"Tigist has recovered well after Doha and her preparations for Vienna are going well. If the weather will be suitable a very strong performance is possible,“ said her manager Tadesse Abraham, who is the retired Swiss marathon record holder.
Elsewhere, Lindsay Flanagan is the fastest non-African woman on the current start list. The American ran a fine PB of 2:23:31 in Chicago two years ago.
However, due to a hamstring tear she has not been able to run a marathon since. The Vienna City Marathon will now be a comeback race over the classic distance for the 35-year-old.
A surprise might come from Faith Chepkoech. The 28-year-old Kenyan has already produced an upset at the Vienna City Marathon two years ago. Entered as an athlete of the "OPEC Fund Rookie Team" she ran her marathon debut here and finished runner-up with 2:26:22.
This remains her PB and she will be eager to break that when she returns to Vienna.
