Vienna City Marathon 15. April 2012 run vienna – enjoy classics PRESS-RELEASE VIENNA CITY MARATHON April 3, 2012 Gilbert Yegon and other strong contenders to challenge Vienna's champions Will there be new winner again at the Vienna City Marathon for the 20th year running? Since 1993 the men's race of the Vienna City Marathon has produced 19 different winners. No one has been able to take Austria's biggest sporting event for a second time. This year might be different since the organisers have invited four former winners back to their event. But as announced today plenty of talent has been added to the field. One of those hoping that the recent tradition of no second time winners will continue and play in his favour is Gilbert Yegon. With a personal best of 2:06:18 the Kenyan will be the second fastest in the field at this IAAF Gold Label Race on 15 April. He hopes to be winner number 20 since 1993. Gilbert to challenge Gilbert Past winners Gilbert Kirwa (2009/PB: 2:06:14), John Kiprotich (2011/2:07:08), Henry Sugut (2010/2:08:22) and Luke Kibet (2007/2:08:52), Kenyans whose starts had been announced earlier, hope to become Vienna's first double winner since Karel David (Czech Republic/1991 and 1992), but Yegon is a runner who could spoil the party. The 23-year-old won the 2009 Amsterdam Marathon with his personal best. It was his Marathon debut and Yegon broke Haile Gebrselassie's course record by two seconds. After suffering a cramp in the final stages he said that without the problem he would have run a sub-2:06 time. While Yegon is the second fastest, John Komen takes fourth spot on this list. The 34-year-old Kenyan has put together a series of fine Marathon results in France. Last year he took the Marathon in La Rochelle with a personal best of 2:07:13. Before that he competed in Paris (2:08:12 in 2009) and Reims (2:08:06 in 2008). Patrick Ivuti tries to get one better Having missed a Vienna victory by only 12 seconds last year, Patrick Ivuti wants to go one better now. The Kenyan, who had won the Chicago Marathon in very warm weather conditions in 2007, placed second with 2:08:41 in 2011. Taking the Prague Marathon in 2009 with 2:07:48 Ivuti missed his personal best by just two seconds. The 33-year-old again placed second last year, when he ran the Honolulu Marathon. Three more Kenyans will also be in with a chance of taking the race's 29th edition: Wilson Kigen has a personal best of 2:08:16 from Frankfurt in 2008 while Geoffrey Ndungu and Lusapho April had more recent success in 2011: Ndungu won the Dublin Marathon with 2:08:35 and April took the Hannover race in 2:09:25. Two of the fastest European runners of recent years will hope to achieve good placings. Iaroslav Musinschi (Moldova) produced a good performance in Düsseldorf two years ago when running alone for long parts of the race he won with a course record of 2:08:32. Russia's Dmitriy Safronov is the bronze medallist from the European Championships in Barcelona 2010. He then improved to 2:09:35 in London a year ago. Event organiser: Enterprise Sport Promotion GmbH, Gußhausstrasse 21/19, 1040 Wien Press Contakt: Andreas Maier, Tel. +43 650 350 14 88, E-Mail: [email protected] Vienna City Marathon 15. April 2012 run vienna – enjoy classics More power added to women's field as well A Russian could also play a role in the women's race, for which defending champion Fate Tola (Ethiopia/2:26:21) and two-time winner Luminita Talpos (Romania/2:26:43) have already been announced. Olga Glok won the Prague Marathon in 2009 with a personal best of 2:28:27. The Russian then took second in the Athens Marathon 2010, when the unique 2500 year jubilee of the Marathon was celebrated. Aberesh Bedasa (Ethiopia/2:29:47) and the Dublin Marathon winner from last year, Helaria Johannes (Namibia/2:30:37), have been added to the field as well. But the favourites in the women's race will have to keep an eye on a debutant: Pauline Kahenya Njeri (Kenya) showed very promising form a few weeks ago. The 26-year-old won the Paris Half Marathon with a personal record of 1:07:55, which was a course record as well. 29th Vienna City Marathon, April 15, 2012 Vienna City Marathon (42.195 kilometer), start: Wagramer Straße / UN Building / Reichsbrücke, 9 a.m. OMV Half Marathon (21.097 kilometer), start: Wagramer Straße / UN Building / Reichsbrücke, 9 a.m. Krone Relay Marathon (4-person teams: 16.1 kilometer / 5.7 kilometer / 9.1 kilometer / 11.295 kilometer), start: Wagramer Straße / UN Building / Reichsbrücke, 9 a.m. Coca Cola Run 4.2 (4.2 kilometer - for children and young people between 10 and 18), start: Lassallestraße, 8.30 a.m. Coca Cola Run 1.0 (1 kilometer - for children between 6 and 10), start: Ringstraßengalerien, 8.30 a.m. All of the races finish at Heldenplatz. For more information and online registration, visit www.vienna-marathon.com Background Information Vienna City Marathon The Vienna City Marathon (VCM) was first held in 1984 and has since become Austria’s largest sporting event, involving more than 33,000 runners. Competitors from over 100 nations underline its international reputation. 300,000 spectators cheer on the runners along a route that takes them past numerous historical monuments. The event combines running with Vienna’s classical culture and music and offers a platform for social and charity projects. The VCM provides an important boost to the economy and each year generates domestic spending of EUR 18 million. The runners will put in over 3 million hours of training in preparation for the Vienna City Marathon, making the VCM Austria’s biggest exercise and health initiative. The IAAF has awarded the Vienna City Marathon the IAAF Road Race Gold Label, the world’s highest category of road race. Event organiser: Enterprise Sport Promotion GmbH, Gußhausstrasse 21/19, 1040 Wien Press Contakt: Andreas Maier, Tel. +43 650 350 14 88, E-Mail: [email protected] Vienna City Marathon 15. April 2012 run vienna – enjoy classics Events & Specials at the Vienna City Marathon 2012 World Class in Vienna Running legend Haile Gebrselassie, marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe and other elite runners in an „IAAF Gold Label“ Road Race. „A Kiss Moves The World“ An arts and charity project celebrating the 150th birthday of famous painter Gustav Klimt to support the charity organisation Menschen für Menschen in Ethiopia. Vienna Sports World Austria’s biggest sports fair on April 13 and 14, 2012, at the Messe Wien, Hall D. International Friendship Party Runners, friends and children enjoy traditional Austrian „Kaiserschmarrn“ ( a pancake) and quintessential Italian pasta in the ballroom of the Vienna City Hall on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Hospitality & Party The finish area at the Heldenplatz in the heart oft he city turns into a huge celebration zone on race day. Enjoy music, food, drinks and the excitement of the marathon. „Marathon Sound of Vienna“ Classic music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, waltz king Johann Strauß and others will accompany the runners on the impressive course covering the most important modern and classic sights of Vienna. Ready – Healthy – Go VCM Medical Centre and VCM Emergency System for the health and security of the runners. Clean Running The VCM Manifesto about fairness in sports was signed by more than 50,000 supporters already. VCM Friendship Runner Runners from 27 countries who live in Vienna and act as „ambassadors“ for their fellow runners who take part in the Vienna City Marathon. Event organiser: Enterprise Sport Promotion GmbH, Gußhausstrasse 21/19, 1040 Wien Press Contakt: Andreas Maier, Tel. +43 650 350 14 88, E-Mail: [email protected] .