The elite field at the Linz Marathon on Sunday, April 19, 2015 is top-class: With the Ethiopian Abraham Girma Bekele and the Kenyans Henry Sugut and Alfred Kering, a trio with ambitions to break the eight-year-old course record is at the start.
Bekeles' personal best is 2:06:48 hours, run at the 2012 Amsterdam Marathon, while that of three-time Vienna Marathon winner Sugut is2:06:58. His training partner Kering is only slightly behind him with 2:07:11. Also among the top field are Daniel Kosgei from Kenya and - according to organizer Ewald Tröbinger "a real insider's tip" - his compatriot Anthony Maritim, who immediately took victory at his marathon debut in Cologne in 2014.
Henry Sugut 2014 at the Vienna Marathon
Three-time Vienna winner Henry Sugut comes to Linz as the top favorite They are all chasing the course record of 2:07:33 hours set in 2007 by Alexander Kusin. The Ukrainian will be at the start in Linz again this year, but in the relay. He will act as a start runner in this event, so that he can personally congratulate the winner at the finish line. The mayor of Linz, Klaus Luger, apparently has a similar schedule: he, too, will take part in the relay event - also as a start runner, in order to be able to perform his representative duties in the finish area afterwards, as he said with a wink.
Entries still possible until Saturday
In total, the organizers expect more than 19,000 participants from over 90 nations. So far, 18,670 runners have registered, 1,252 for the full distance, around 4,500 for the half distance and just under 6,600 for the quarter distance, as organizer Wolfgang Lehner calculated. In addition, there are currently 776 relay teams as well as hand bikers and inline skaters. Entries are still possible up to and including Saturday, only the children's races are already fully booked with just under 3,000 entries. The Linz Marathon is at the same time state as well as regional championship of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland and Tyrol. "Vienna did not choose the Vienna Marathon, but Linz, Lower Austria did not choose the Wachau Marathon, but Linz as well," said Günther Weidlinger, representing the Athletics Association. He added that this showed the quality of the event. The former top athlete, who collapsed during training for the Linz half marathon last year and subsequently ended his professional career, will accompany the race in a new role this year: as a co-commentator on television (ORF Sport+ will broadcast live from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday). Favorite for the national title is the Austrokenian Edwin Kemboi. In the women's quarter marathon, Upper Austrian Anita Baierl will enter the race as the local hero.
