Berlin Marathon Will Have Another Fast Field
Three champion Kenyans will be among those taking on the fast course.
One year after the Berlin Marathon made global headlines with Kenyan Dennis Kimetto’s 2:02:57 world-record time, organizers today teased their elite field for the 2015 race—and Kimetto is not among the names.
Three more Kenyans were announced as headliners for the Sept. 27 marathon—Eliud Kipchoge, Emmanuel Mutai and Geoffrey Mutai. All three have sparkling resumes and strong personal bests that will once again put all eyes on Berlin to see what fast runners can do on a fast course.
Kipchoge is fresh off a London Marathon victory earlier this year. He also won the Chicago Marathon last fall. He last ran Berlin in 2013 and set a personal best with a 2:04:05 finish, placing second behind Wilson Kipsang. Emmanuel Mutai finished second at last year’s Berlin Marathon behind Kimetto. Mutai’s time of 2:03:13 was sensational, despite being overshadowed by Kimetto. Geoffrey Mutai, meanwhile, has a 2:03:02 PR from the 2011 Boston Marathon, and won the 2012 Berlin Marathon in 2:04:15. He’s also a two-time winner of the New York City Marathon. He finished sixth in the 2014 London Marathon, clocking 2:08:18 for sixth place, but dropped out of this year’s race.
Officials have yet to announce any other names participating. Last year, Shalane Flanagan ran Berlin in an attempt to set the American record, but her time of 2:21:14 missed Deena Kastor’s mark by 1:38. Flanagan has hinted that she will not run a fall marathon this year in order to keep her legs fresh for the Olympic Trials Marathon in February.
Kimetto’s only marathon since last year’s record-breaking run was at the London Marathon in April. He finished third behind Kipchoge and Kipsang in 2:05:50.
The Berlin Marathon is one of six World Marathon Major races, and the next one on the schedule. The other fall World Marathon Majors are the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11 and the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1. Tokyo, Boston and London took place this spring.