All eyes on Dennis Kipkogei in Mainz after Berlin pacemaking heroics
All eyes will be on Dennis Kipkogei, when the Kenyan newcomer runs only his second race outside Kenya at Sunday’s Gutenberg Mainz Half Marathon. Competing as a pacemaker for Germany’s record holder Amanal Petros at the Berlin Half Marathon six weeks ago the 24 year-old moved up to the leader in the final stages and almost won the race. With his 59:11 PB from Berlin Dennis Kipkogei is the fastest runner on the start list of the Gutenberg Mainz Half Marathon. Organisers are hopeful that the race will see its first sub one hour winning time on Sunday. For a third time in a row both course records of this upcoming German half marathon could be broken. Kenya’s Beatrice Cheserek is the fastest woman on the start list with a personal best of 66:48.
“We have the strongest field ever assembled in Mainz. Our minimum target is to break both course records. In the men’s race there is a good chance that we will see a sub one hour winning time,” said Philipp Kopp, the Elite Field Coordinator. The race is also making remarkable progress in terms of participation: within two years the number of entries for the half marathon has more than doubled, from 6,156 to 12,960 runners. “The figures show that it was the right decision to focus on the half marathon,” said Race Director Jo Schindler, who took over the race two years ago and re-structured the event. Mainly known as a marathon before, the classic distance was dropped and the focus was successfully turned to the half marathon distance.
The Gutenberg Mainz Half Marathon has already established itself as Germany’s second fastest race at this distance behind only Berlin. Defending champion and course record holder James Matelong returns to Mainz. The Kenyan won the race with 60:50 a year ago and this time remains his personal best as well. “I am well prepared and my goal is to run a sub 60 minutes time,“ said James Matelong. Defending his title will however be a huge challenge. No less than half a dozen fellow-Kenyans have run faster than the course record holder. Dennis Kipkogei must be regarded as a firm favourite and it remains to be seen what kind of pace he will run in his first international race without pacemaking duties. “My shape is not bad, training was going well as usual,“ said the Kenyan, who belongs to the group of Italian coach Renato Canova. „If weather conditions are fine I intend to run sub 60:00 again.“ There is one more athlete in the field who has already broken the hour mark: Jamal Kiprono took the Dutch Venlo Half Marathon this spring with 59:55.
Tom Thurley will likely be the strongest national runner in Mainz. Four weeks ago he became the German Marathon Champion with a PB of 2:11:02 in Hannover. His personal record over the half marathon distance stands at 63:56. “I will try to improve my PB. I know that it is possible to run fast in Mainz,“ said Tom Thurley.
Two Kenyans lead the women’s start with personal bests that are faster than the 68:52 course record: Beatrice Cheserek and Orba Chemurgor have PBs of 66:48 and 67:56 respectively. While Cheserek’s PB is back from 2022, when she took the Cardiff Half Marathon, she recently improved her marathon PB significantly to 2:21:56 when she was runner-up in Seville. Chemurgor clocked her PB when she was second in Ravenna last year. Last year’s runner-up in Mainz, Rency Kogo of Kenya, is number three on the start list with her 69:04 time from this race.
Blanka Dörfel is the fastest national runner on the start list. The 24 year-old improved to 69:46 a year ago in Berlin. After taking the German 10,000 m title last weekend the Gutenberg Mainz Half Marathon will be the first road race this year for the national age group record holder. “I prefer road running and look forward to racing in Mainz. I am not quite sure what time I will be able to run. But my watch tells me I can achieve a sub 68:30,“ said Blanka Dörfel.
More information is available online at: www.halbmarathon-mainz.de
Please note: The attached photo, showing Tom Thurley, Blanka Dörfel and James Kipkurui Matelong by the river Rhine in Mainz, can be used only in conjunction with this press release. Credit: Foto: Gutenberg Halbmarathon Mainz / Andreas Arnold
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