Tadese Tola in the 2016 Bogota Half Marathon (© Organisers / Victah Sailer)
Tadesse Tola, Lani Rutto and Mamitu Daska will be returning to the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 30 October, organisers have announced.
Tola, the 2013 world bronze medallist over the distance, finished second in Germany’s oldest city marathon six years ago. Likewise Rutto, who took runner-up honours last year in 2:06:34. Daska won the women's title in 2011 clocking 2:21:59, still the 32-year-old's personal best.
In the 2010 edition, Tola went into the lead nine kilometres from the finish but couldn’t shake Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, who went on to break the world record in the marathon three years later.
Kipsang came through to win with a course record of 2:04:57 with Tola next, clocking 2:06:31. The 28-year-old has since improved his career best to 2:04:49 when he finished third in Dubai in 2013. After difficult times in 2015, Tola has returned to form in preparation for Frankfurt's 35th edition. In late July he won the Bogota Half Marathon in 1:05:16, an impressive performance over a quality field given the Colombian capital's high altitude.
Other athletes confirmed include Mark Korir, winner of the 2015 Paris Marathon with a personal best of 2:05:49, and Moses Masai, the 2009 world 10,000m bronze medallist, who is hoping to use the fast Frankfurt course to help translate his track success to the marathon. The 30-year-old has a 2:10:36 best from 2014.
As previously announced, world half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir's first serious marathon outing is expected to attract substantial attention in the women’s race. Daska, however, will bring experience and familiarity to the course on which she has produced her three fastest performances: 2:21:59 in her 2011 victory, 2:23:23 for fourth in 2013, and 2:23:52 in 2012 when she finished third.
Others expected to make an impact include Fate Tola and Sarah Chebet of Kenya. Tola, who has a 2:25:14 personal best, will be running her first marathon as a German citizen. Chebet won the Enschede Marathon in June, clocking 2:27:59.
Bob Ramsak and organisers for the IAAF
