Jepkesho, Yegon headline Vienna’s jubilee start list

Fine elite fields have been assembled for the Vienna City Marathon now in its 40th edition set for 23 April.

Kenya’s Visiline Jepkesho and Norwegian Sondre Moen are the fastest on the start lists of the jubilee edition. Ten athletes have personal bests of sub 2:30 and four of them have already run faster than 2:23:30.

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The former Paris and Rotterdam Marathon champion Jepkesho is the fastest woman in the field with a PB of 2:21:37. It looks likely that a Kenyan woman will win the Vienna City Marathon for a sixth time in a row since the next couple of athletes on the entry list are also from Kenya.

Magdalyne Masai (PB: 2:22:16), Rebecca Tanui (2:23:09), and Agnes Keino (2:23:26) should be among the contenders in Vienna. Fellow Kenyan Caroline Jepchirchir hopes to improve her PB of 2:26:11 and could be among the top finishers.

The men’s field includes eleven athletes with personal bests of sub 2:10. While Moen features the fastest personal best with a time of 2.05:48, the Norwegian former European record holder will concentrate on running a solid sub 2:10 race to come back from a less successful period.

Abdi Fufa and Bethwel Yegon, who have both been added to the field in recent days, as well as Samwel Mailu and Titus Kimutai, are more likely regarded as favorites.

Ethiopia’s Fufa has a PB of 2:05:57 from 2021 and knows the Vienna City Marathon well. He placed tenth a year ago with 2:10:32.

Yegon is the fastest Kenyan on the start list and is said to be in fine form. He ran 2:06:14 in 2021 when he surprised with a second-place in Berlin.

Mailu looks well placed for a personal best. The Kenyan ran 2:07:19 in Frankfurt for the runner-up position last October. It was an unexpected marathon debut by Mailu since he was originally entered as a pacemaker.

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Fellow Kenyan Kimutai ran his marathon debut last autumn as well. He clocked 2:08:31 and was seventh in Linz, Austria.

Kenya’s Charles Ndiema and Ser-Od Bat-Ochir of Mongolia, as well as Ethiopia’s women-only 5k world record holder Senbere Teferi, had to withdraw from the race recently.

Men

Sondre Moen NOR 2:05:48

Abdi Fufa ETH 2:05:57

Bethwel Yegon KEN 2:06:14

Elias Kemboi KEN 2:07:04

Samwel Mailu KEN 2:07:19

Titus Kimutai KEN 2:08:31

Joshua Kogo KEN 2:09:09

Weldu Negash ERI 2:09:14

Felicien Muhitira RWA 2:09:18

Abe Gashahun ETH 2:09:25

Joel Melly KEN 2:09:45

Sebastian Hendel GER 2:10:37

Kamil Jastrzębski POL 2:11:08

Sibusiso Nzima RSA 2:11:43

Dominic Letting KEN 2:12:03

Josphat Bett KEN 2:13:59

Marcus Schöfisch GER 2:15:05

Andreas Vojta AUT 2:23:21

Elvis Cheboi KEN Debut

Yakoub Labquira MAR Debut

Women

Visiline Jepkesho KEN 2:21:37

Magdalyne Masai KEN 2:22:16

Rebecca Tanui KEN 2:23:09

Agnes Keino KEN 2:23:26

Caroline Jepchirchir KEN 2:26:11

Gadise Mulu ETH 2:26:20

Angelika Mach POL 2:27:48

Nuriet Shimels ETH 2:27:58

Viola Yator KEN 2:28:11

Branna MacDougall CAN 2:28:36

Cavaline Nahimana BDI 2:30:09

Eva Wutti AUT 2:30:43

Sasha Gollish CAN 2:31:40

Valdilene Silva BRA 2:32:01

Julia Mayer AUT 2:46:35