The Czech capital Prague will host one of the most important international marathons this weekend.
The marathon will be broadcasted from Czech television. An online stream will be available on this site. The coverage starts on Sunday, May 9th at 8.55AM local time (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2h).
The 27th Vienna Marathon 2010 will be streamed online by the Austrian broadcasting company ORF on this website here. The live coverage will start on race day (April 18th) at 8.40AM local time (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2h).
This year the Vienna City Marathon hosts the strongest field ever, after last year the race organisers only invited marathon debutants. This year the elite field consists of eight runners with PBs of sub 2:09h, including Luke Kibet (marathon world champ 2007) and Felix Limo (15K world record holder). The course record of 2:07:38h (Abel Kirui 2008) might be in danger.
Austrian Günther Weidlinger is trying to break the National Record (2:10:47h), which he set last year in Frankfurt and might well go sub-2:10h.
In the womens race, Austrian Andrea Mayr wants to defend last years victory in front of her home crowd.
Lead results were as follows:
marathon men:
1 Mbote Jason 77 KEN 2:13:20
2 Pflügl Christian 78 AUT 2:16:58
3 Bett Hillary 80 KEN 2:19:16
4 Prüller Florian 83 AUT 2:20:52
5 Bock Marius 75 AUT 2:30:22
6 Frick Gerd 74 ITA 2:34:13
7 Pretzl Robert 70 AUT 2:37:15
8 Stoiber Robert 76 AUT 2:37:42
9 Karl Martin 78 AUT 2:40:26
10 Stallmann Andreas 68 AUT 2:40:51
marathon women:
1 Gradwohl Eva-Maria 73 AUT 2:34:10
2 Vilisova Tatiana 79 RUS 2:45:25
3 Parits Tina Mag. 80 AUT 2:48:32
4 Rauch Helga 74 ITA 2:59:38
5 Bauer Beate 77 GER 2:59:50
6 Liebert Regina 68 AUT 3:04:07
7 Khinast-Sittenthaler Christina Dr. 71 AUT 3:04:22
8 Wohlschlager Maria 61 AUT 3:10:51
9 Bergauer Petra 68 AUT 3:12:31
10 Pröll Verena 77 AUT 3:16:12
full results of the race championchip.at
Three Kenyans led the field in Zürich/SUI. In the womens category Russian Olga Rosseeva repeated last years victory with Swede Lena Gavelin in second. Altogether around 5.000 runners participated in the biggest city-marathon in Switzerland. Temperatures were optimal but the wind hampered the chase for faster times.
The Swiss Championships that were included in the race were won by Tarcis Ancay (men) and Rachel Berchtold (women). Both performances were not enough to match the criteria for a European Championships Qualification.
Lead results were as follows:
marathon men:
1. Langat David Kiprono 1974 KEN 2:11.03,8
2. Leleito Stanley 1984 KEN 2:11.36,5
3. Kiptum Daniel 1978 KEN 2:14.00,7
4. Tuwei Kiprop Koriri 1978 KEN 2:14.32,1
5. Begashaw Hailu 1984 ETH 2:16.14,6
6. Zewdu Tewodros 1980 ETH 2:17.51,2
7. Tefera Dereje 1980 ETH 2:20.01,1
8. Ançay Tarcis 1970 SUI-Vissoie 2:20.53,3
9. Awadah Hussein 1973 LIB 2:21.16,7
10. Wieser Patrick 1979 SUI-Aadorf 2:21.25,6
11. Mengesha Feyisa 1978 ETH 2:21.53,
12. Ott Michael 1982 SUI-LAC TV Unterstrass 2:23.47,7
13. Kreienbühl Christian 1981 SUI-TV Oerlikon 2:24.54,0
14. Ruto Evans Kipkogei 1984 KEN 2:25.12,1
15. Hauser René 1972 SUI-Ennetbürgen 2:25.40,0
16. Menzi Christoph 1984 SUI-Esslingen 2:25.43,7
17. Oliver Ruben 1976 SUI-TV Oerlikon 2:25.55,4
18. Valtério David 1978 SUI-Sion 2:25.57,0
19. Yosief Georg 1982 SUI-Einsiedeln 2:26.46,2
20. Gerzner Richard 1971 SUI-Rickenbach 2:28.26,5
marathon women:
1. Rosseeva Olga 1981 RUS 2:35.43,6
2. Gavelin Lena 1974 SWE 2:38.21,4
3. Abossa Emebet 1974 ETH 2:44.40,7
4. Berchtold Rachel 1980 SUI-Zürich 2:47.10,7
5. Schmid Luzia 1974 SUI-LC Uster 2:48.06,2
6. Gezahegne Addis 1970 ETH 2:49.03,1
7. Jaun Karin 1969 SUI-Därligen 2:50.07,3
8. Wyss Sandra 1977 SUI-Olten 2:53.56,8
9. Zimmermann Denise 1975 SUI-Mels 2:56.41,1
10. Purbrick Jessica 1982 SUI 2:57.39,4
11. Meneghin-Pliska Maja 1978 SUI-Vermes 2:58.19,9
12. Müller Astrid 1972 SUI-Grafstal 2:59.28,4
13. Blatter Eveline 1970 SUI-Zürich 3:00.09,8
14. Velthuijs Corinne 1983 SUI-Muhen 3:00.48,8
15. Beck Monika 1979 SUI-St. Gallen 3:01.40,9
16. Moreira Rosa 1967 SUI-Obfelden 3:01.57,4
17. Haller Natasha 1978 SUI-Luzern 3:03.41,8
18. Beffa Heidi 1964 SUI-Puplinge 3:04.04,2
19. Tricarico Gaby 1969 SUI-Flawil 3:06.46,3
20. Leuthold Juliette 1978 SUI-Bern 3:07.08,0
full results of the race datasport.com
The 30th Fortis Marathon Rotterdam on April 11th will be broadcasted live on the internet. The race will start ar 11.00AM local time (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2h). A live coverage will be provided online via the website of UniversalSports here.
A second option to watch live stream is the Dutch broadcasting company NOS here.
World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe announced that she is expecting her second child in September.
The 36-year old stated that she (and her husband) always planned another child before the 2012 London Olympics. After all an Olympic medal is the only thing that is missing in her great collection of victories, records etc. That’s also the reason why the comeback to racing is planned a bit slowlier this time, with the first competitions in 2011. Right now Paula is still in full training but will (of course) miss this years European Championships in Barcelona.
European Athletics published an informative article here.
With the following weekend, the marathon spring will be opened. A hot and fast spring can be expected and experience shows, that already on the first weekend fast times are on the road.
Especially the marathons in Paris and Rotterdam (both on April 11th) provide a lot of excitement with deep and fast fields. Other big marathons take place in Milan, Zürich, Linz
The marathon in Paris will be started on the Champs Elysées at 8.45AM (local time, i.e.CEST). Last year six runners ran sub-2:07h. In 2010 ten runners with PBs of sub-2:09h are on the entry list. The best chances for a victory have marathon-debutant Wilson Kipsang (KEN) with a halfmarathon-PB of 58:59min, Ethiopian Gelana Teshome (ETH, winner of last years Houston marathon with a PB of 2:07:37h on a rather slow course) and Kenyans James Rotich (PB: 2:07:12h) and Benjamin Kiptoo (last years Rome marathon winner)
In the womens race a duel between defending champion Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia and last years 3rd-place Frenchwomen Christelle Daunay (French record of 2:25:43 in last years race) is expected.
The marathon in Amsterdam will be started at 11.00 AM. Unforgotten is the 2009 finish with James Kwambai and Duncan Kibet both crossing the line in 2:04:27h. Kwambai also leads the entries of the 2010 edition of the marathon and wants to win this year. However, also last years Paris marathon winner Vincent Kipruto might be able to run under 2:05h on this super-fast course. Patrick Makau is another hot favorite. With his halfmarathon time of 58:52min he is the third-fastest man ever. Overall, eleven men have PBs of sub-2:09h in this race.
The womens race is not as open as the mens race it seems. Chinese Zhu Xiaolin (5th in the Beijing Olympics) might only be challenged by Kenyans Anne Kosgei and Irene Jerotich.
After several set-backs in the last 12 months (Pulmonary embolism in March 2009 and operation of his right heel in November 2009) Viktor Röthlin is giving his comeback at the Kerzerslauf in Kerzers/SUI. The Swiss marathon record holder (2:07:23h) decided on short notice to compete in the 15km-run on Saturday, March 20th.
After his heel-operation the 35-year old took bigger steps than expected and preponed his competitive comeback, which was actually planned for the GP of Bern (May 22nd). Röthlin stated that he is “extremely motivated” and “the fire is there”.
The big aim for 2010 remains the European Championships in Barcelona, where he wants to run the marathon on August, 1st. However, he wants to decide later in the season if he is in top shape to go for a medal. Currently, he is building up his running shape and is still doing alternative training, such as aqua-jogging and indoor cycling.
It took Thomas Dold 10 minutes and 16 seconds to earn his record-tying fifth consecutive win in the Empire State Building Run-Up to the top of New York’s tallest building.
Grimacing as he lunged across the finish line on the 86th floor observation deck, the 25-year-old from Stuttgart (Germany) beat fellow German Matthias Jahn (10:56min) up the 1,576 steps by 40 seconds. “I’m so tired … It was quite hard,” Dold said. He is the third person to win the race five times. His only loss was a photo finish in his 2005 debut.
First women was Melissa Moon, 40, of Wellington (New Zealand) in 13 minutes 13 seconds. She finished panting, but smiling. “Oh, look at that view!” she said at the top.
The unorthodox race has been run 33 times since 1978. Competitors start in the lobby, where they take just a few strides before squeezing through a doorway and into a stairwell for the long climb.
The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2010 will be broadcasted live by Dubai Sports Channel. Online streams might be accessible on this page or here. Starting time is at 6.30AM local Dubai time, i.e. 2.30AM GMT.
Let’s see if Haile can bring down the world record once again.