Spanish Olympic Trials / National Championship - Flattest Marathon In Europe With 13,000 Participants
This Sunday (9AM) a strong pro field with more than 250 athletes looking for a new course record or Oympic Qualifying Standard for Rio is ready to run fast at the flattest marathon course in Europe, the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla. In its 32nd edition was again sold out one month in advance and there will be lined up 13,000 participants expecting to complete this stunning course that crosses one of the biggest historical city centre in the world, beside the main monuments and historical streets and finishing at the same track of the stadium that hosted the Athletics World Championship in 1999.
Zurich Maraton de Sevilla has been awarded by the Spanish Federation to host the National Marathon Championship and will offer a direct qualification to Rio 2016 for the male and femal champions if they achieve the qualifying standard. This event got the prestigious IAAF Bronze Label status for the third year in a row and is also awarded as “5 stars” by the European Athletics Association. As it happened in the last year, many European and South American runners come to Seville to try to achieve the Olympic Qualifying Standard for the upcoming Rio Games or just to set their Personal Best. This scenic and incredible fast course (flattest in Europe) shows all the monuments and the city centre: 10 meters elevation change from start to end. Whole course at sea level. Seville, in the well known region of Andalusia in Spain, also offers perfect weather conditions in February and it is an unique city ready for culture, fun, gastronomy and an experience for life.
Zurich Maraton de Sevilla 2016 takes place on Sunday (9h00) and achieves a new participation record in its history with 13,000 athletes. It will be broadcasted on Spanish TV (Teledeporte and rtve.es).
Pro Start List
The flattest marathon race in Europe attracts many top Africans athletes looking for a new course record and many Europeans and South Americans trying to meet the Olympic (Rio 2016) qualifying standard. The race will double up as the Spanish Championships and Olympic trials race, so there will be many Spanish athletes looking to prove their form ahead of Rio.
Kenyan Cosmas Kiplimo Lagat has already confirmed his participation. He run on his own and made an awesome debut on the distance in Sevilla in 2014 breaking the course record: 2h08:33. Berhanu Shiferaw from Ethiopia (2h04:48) with the 18th best time in hisotry, is the main favourite. There will be as well some newcomers such as Dawit Weldeselasie (ERI) with 60’ in half marathon, or 2013 winner Moroccan Mohamed Blal, who will fight for the victory. Moroccan veterans Adil Annai and Hassane Ahouchar, 2:07:43 and 2:08:47 performers respectively, are also in the field. Spanish Jesus España (one of the last athletes who beat Mo Farah on the track), Carles Castillejo (2h10), Jaume Leiva, Jose Carlos Hernandez or Javier Diaz Carretero, amongst other, will be racing to become Spanish Champion and to get a place to Rio 2016. Alemayehu Bezabeh finally will not compete due to an injury.
In the female pro start list there will be a huge number of contenders: Kenyan Miriam Wangari (2h27:53), Brazilian Marily Dos Santos, Zarife Worku Boku and Serkalem Taye Guiliat (ETH)… Last year, portuguese Filomena Costa who had a personal best of 2h31, got the victory in 2h28:00. Paula Gonzalez Berodia (Spanish favourite to win), Estela Navascues, Esther Hidalgo, Sonia Bejarano, Estela Navascues or Marta Silvestre, are the female “Spanish Armada”.
Formers Marathon World Champions such as Abel Anton and Martin Fiz have already confirmed their presence in the race.
13,000 athletes will be lined up at the startline in La Cartuja to face this unique and special challenge. This is one of the cheapest marathon races worldwide, and the finish line is located at the athletic track of the Olympic Stadium which hosted 1999 IAAF World Championship. This urban, flat, fast and beautiful brand new race course will drive athletes through the most beautiful monuments of the city. Zurich Maraton de Sevilla brings the unique opportunity to brake the Best personal result over the mythical distance to all the athletes, professional or age groupers, in one of the most perfect international marathon circuits.
This fast marathon takes place through the streets around well known monuments such as the Giralda, the third largest Cathedral in the world, La Real Maestranza bullring, Torre del Oro, Plaza de España, Archivo de Indias, Reales Alcazares –Royal Palace and many beautiful and traditional streets in one of the largest historic old city centre in the world. In addition, athletes will cross the modern side of Sevilla, in La Cartuja (the site of the 1992 World Exposition) and some of the most important and picturesque neighborhoods: Triana, la Macarena...
Last year, 712 athletes (11,500 participants) run sub 3 hours the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla, a new record in Spain at this moment. Portuguese Filomena Costa (2h28:00) and Kenyan Lawewnce Cherono (2h09:39) were the winners of the 31st Zurich Maraton de Sevilla 2015.
Zurich, New Balance, Cruzcampo Radler, CaixaBank, Carrefour, ABC de Sevilla and Coca-Cola are the proud sponsors and partners of the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla 2016.
Please visit ZurichMaratonSevilla.es for further information, video streaming, tracking and live coverage on social media on race day.
Website: ZurichMaratonSevilla.es.
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