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Helen Bekele aims for a record: marathon hit in Lindau!
Helen Bekele and Mark Kiptoo lead a strong field of participants in the 3-country marathon on Lake Constance on October 13th.
Helen Bekele aims for a record: marathon hit in Lindau!
On October 13th, the running elite will gather at Lake Constance when the 3-country marathon starts in Lindau. This year the focus is particularly on the Ethiopian-born Helen Bekele, who is running for Switzerland. The 29-year-old caused a sensation with her impressive 22nd place at the Olympic Games in Paris (2:29:43) and now wants to cross the finish line under the finish line in Bregenz in less than 2:25:00 hours. This would significantly exceed the current course record of 2:30:02, held by Aynalem Kashu from Ethiopia.
Before that happens, however, Bekele will be accompanied by Kenyans Gladys Kimaina and Gode Jijo. Kimaina has her first marathon at Lake Constance, while Jijo has a personal best of 2:33:22. Race director Günter Ernst is optimistic about the possibilities of these athletes: “Both Kimaina and Jijo can run well below the current course record.”
Mark Kiptoo: The defending champion
Another interesting personality at the marathon is last year's winner Mark Kiptoo. He holds the men's course record of 2:09:15 and will also compete on Sunday. “He probably liked it so much with us last year that he wanted to come back,” says Ernst. It remains to be seen whether Kiptoo can run his best time again, as his strongest competitors this year come primarily from Europe. The main competitors include Matthias Nüesch from Switzerland (PB 2:22:59), Benjamin Polin from France (PB 2:23:02), Patrick Spettel from Austria (PB 2:29:53) and Martin Bader also from Austria (PB 2:31:56). Spettel also has the chance to win the title of Vorarlberg state champion on this route.
The marathon begins on Sunday at 9:45 a.m., followed by the half marathon, which starts at 10:30 a.m. This could also be exciting, as Swiss Seare Weldezgi wants to achieve a new personal best. His current record is 1:03:46:48 and he is challenged by other strong runners such as Josef Raphael, Dario Weder and Thorben Dietz.
Information source shows that runners can expect an exciting weekend of competition. The combination of top-class athletes and a picturesque backdrop on Lake Constance promises a unique sporting event that will captivate spectators. The signs point to fast times and exciting duels for both men and women!