Four of the top-10 marathon times ever have been recorded at the real,-Berlin Marathon, and organizers hope that their flat and fast course will deliver more top performances at this year's race on Sunday, September 26. Organizers announced today their leading contenders in the men's race, and seven have career best times under two hours and seven minutes, said race director Mark Milde.
The top two athletes are Kenyans Patrick Makau and Geoffrey Mutai. Makau, who won last April's Rotterdam Marathon in the fastest time of 2010, is the fourth-fastest marathoner of all time with a 2:04:48 personal best. Mutai finished only seven seconds behind Makau in Rotterdam in 2:04:55. Makau has already tasted victory in Berlin: he's won the Vattenfall Berlin Half-Marathon twice.
Also announced were Kenyans Eliud Kiptanui (2:05:39 PB) and Gilbert Yegon (2:06:18), and Ethiopians Bazu Worku (2:06:15) and Yemane Tsege Adhane (2:06:30).
Haile Gebrselassie, who won Berlin the previous three years, setting the current world record of 2:03:59 in 2008, will not be returning to Berlin this year. He'll be making his first appearance at the ING New York City Marathon, instead.
In 2009 Berlin was Europe's second largest marathon (behind London) with 34,994 finishers.
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