Kenyans Edwin Kimaiyo and Caroline Jepchirchir head Munich’s start lists
Kenyans Edwin Kimaiyo and Caroline Jepchirchir will be among the favorites at the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON on 8th October. With personal bests of 2:09:12 and 2:26:11 respectively they head the current start lists of Germany’s fourth biggest marathon. Organisers of the 37th edition of the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON expect a field of around 22,000 runners including races at shorter distances. Around 7,000 of them will run the marathon, which starts and finishes inside the famous Munich Olympic Stadium - as did the Olympic race back in 1972. Registration for the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON is still possible at: www.generalimuenchenmarathon.de
The leading group in 2022 with the Siegestor in the background, Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi
A year ago the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON staged an impressive comeback with regard to elite racing. There had been no international elite fields for over 20 years in Munich. Then organisers decided to reverse this approach and they were rewarded with two fine course records: 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 sightseeing features but very fast as well. A marathon weekend trip to Munich is definitely worth it,“ said Race Director Gernot Weigl.
Edwin 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. It was in 2017 when he clocked his PB of 2:09:12 in Shanghai. 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. In contrast Cosmas Kiplimo is 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 GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON 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. Sebastian 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.
Kenyan athletes are dominating the women’s elite start list as well. With a personal best of 2:26:11 Caroline Jepchirchir is the number one. 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 marathon the 32 year-old has been extraordinary successful: Tecla Chebet won six of her seven international marathons. This year the Kenyan took the Linz Marathon with a personal record of 2:27:18.
More information about the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON and online entry is available at: GeneraliMuenchenMarathon.de.
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