Kenyans Bernard Koech and Rebecca Tanui lead strong fields in Hamburg
Two-time Hamburg champion Bernard Koech and fellow-Kenyan Rebecca Tanui head the start list of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg on Sunday. Germany’s major spring marathon has made a very strong development with regard to elite performances and organisers are expecting another fast race. With 2:03:46 and 2:17:23 Hamburg’s course records are among the fastest in the world.
The men’s field has a strong depth once again. Six athletes on the start list feature personal bests of sub 2:06 while another six have run below 2:07. Bernard Koech returns to his favourite marathon, which he won twice: Three years ago he tied his personal record here with 2:04:09 and in 2024 he won with 2:04:24. Now the Kenyan hopes to make it three out of three. Among his rivals are Gashau Ayale and Abdisa Tola. Ayale is a former Ethiopian who competes for Israel. He clocked his PB of 2:04:53 in Valencia in 2024 and won a silver medal in the marathon at the European Championships last year. Abdisa Tola, the brother of the reigning Olympic Marathon Champion Tamirat Tola, won the Dubai Marathon in 2023 with 2:05:42 in his debut at the distance.
There are hopes that Germany’s Samuel Fitwi can produce a strong performance. With a PB of 2:04:56 he is the second fastest national marathon runner ever. If Samuel Fitwi was able to build good form during his training camp in Addis Ababa he might be in contention for a place on the podium.
With a personal best of 2:21:08 Rebecca Tanui is the fastest woman runner in the elite field. Organisers of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg had to accept a number of late cancellations this year. Among them were world-class runner Tigist Ketema and fellow-Ethiopian Degitu Azimeraw, who would have been the favourites. Now Rebecca Tanui has taken over that role. The Kenyan has shown great consistently in the marathon. She won three of her past five races – Mersin in Turkey in 2025, Kosice in Slovakia in 2024 and Venice in 2023 – and achieved a podium position in the other two. Three athletes with personal bests of sub 2:23:00 will probably be her strongest challengers: Kasanesh Baze, fellow-Ethiopian Muluhabt Tsega and Marion Kibor of Kenya.
Elite Runners with Personal Bests
MEN:
Bernard Koech KEN 2:04:09
Gashau Ayale ISR 2:04:53
Samuel Fitwi GER 2:04:56
Othmane El Goumri MAR 2:05:12
Kennedy Kimutai KEN 2:05:25
Abdisa Tola ETH 2:05:42
Tsedat Ayana ETH 2:06:18
Balew Yihunle ETH 2:06:22
Felix Kibitok KEN 2:06:28
Shumi Dechasa BRN 2:06:43
Mohamed El Aaraby MAR 2:06:45
Belay Bezabeh ETH 2:06:58
Taresa Tolosa ETH 2:07:01
Vincent Nyageo KEN Debut
Aaron Bienenfeld GER Debut
WOMEN:
Rebecca Tanui KEN 2:21:08
Kasanesh Baze ETH 2:22:06
Muluhabt Tsega ETH 2:22:21
Marion Kibor KEN 2:22:35
Brillian Kipkoech KEN 2:23:56
Mercy Kwambai KEN 2:23:58
Manon Coste FRA 2:32:46
Vibeke Jensen NOR 2:34:22
Aselef Amare ETH Debut
Selamawit Teferi ETH Debut