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The Spring marathon season nears its conclusion on Sunday with both the Hamburg and Vienna City Marathons.
The Conergy Marathon Hamburg has been one of the most reliable spring marathons in recent years in producing fast times. Indeed, since 2006 men have broken 2:08 in Hamburg six times including Spaniard Julio Rey's 2:06:52 course record set in 2006. Organizers have announced over 23,000 entrants, including 2006 European champion Ulrike Maisch who hopes to make her nation's Olympic team by posting a time faster than 2:31:00.
"I believe in the fact that I can run a personal best and hope even for a time of 2:29:00," said the 31 year-old through a press release.
Rey is also entered hoping for his fifth Hamburg victory. His top challenger will be Kenyan Wilfred Kigen, who was second last year in 2:07:33.
In Vienna organizers are making their final preparations for the 25th edition of that event. Combining all events to be contested, organizers report 30,000 athletes from more than 100 nations will take part (the marathon itself had 5498 finishers in 2007).
Kenyan athletes are the most prominent in the men's field, led by Abel Kirui (2:06:51, Berlin, 2007), Wilson Onsare (2:06:47, Paris, 2003), and Paul Biwott (2:08:17, Paris, 2005). Compatriots Duncan Kibet and Philemon Kisang are making their marathon debuts.
Tomo Morimoto of Japan, who won Vienna in 2006, and Luminita Talpos, who won in 2007, lead the women's field. Morimoto is an alternate for the Japanese Olympic team. Morimoto's Tenmaya teammate, Yurika Nakamura, was given the final Japanese Olympic team berth after her surprise win at the Nagoya International Ladies Marathon last March. Nakamura's time of 2:25:51 was actually slower than Morimoto's in Osaka last January (2:25:34), but Nakamura was given the nod because she beat a very strong domestic field.
"On Sunday my aim is to run another personal best," said Morimoto via a media release. Her 2:24:33 winning time from Vienna in 2006 remains her career best time.
In sunny and warm conditions last year, Talpos won Vienna in a modest 2:32:21. She's looking for a much faster time this year so that she can qualify for the Beijing Olympics on the Romanian team. "My aim is to qualify for the Olympic Games," she said. "Probably a time of about 2:28 would be enough to go to Beijing. But I am in shape for a faster time. So I hope to improve to 2:25." So far she has a personal best of 2:27:32.
Kenyan Beatrice Omwanza is also entered with a career best time of 2:27:19 from Berlin 2004.
There are also noteworthy marathons this weekend in Nashville, USA; Louisville, USA; Carmel, USA; Enschede, NED; Lyon, FRA; Madrid, ESP; and Padova, ITA. The traditional spring marathon season concludes with the Volkswagon Prague International Marathon on Sunday, May 11.
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