Ethiopia’s Guteni Shone returns with the fastest time on paper to the 76th edition of the Seoul Marathon that will on Sunday (17) in Seoul, South Korea.
The 30 year-old returns to Seoul, seven years after her victory there. Since then, she has participated in five marathons with two wins in Ottawa and Seville, three silver medals in Prague in 2021, Dubai in 2020 and Houston Marathon in 2015.
Guteni comes to this race with a personal best of 2:20.11 that she got last year in Dubai and will face-off with her compatriots, Sutume Asefa, who comes to this race with a personal best of 2:20.30 that she got at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon where she won the bronze medal. Asefa is also the 2019 Beijing Marathon champion.
Kenya’s Joan Chelimo Melly is another title contender as she comes to this race with the third fastest time on paper of 2:20.57 that she got when she finished in eighth place at the 2020 Valencia marathon. The 31 year-old who has competed in six half marathon races and lost known. She holds the fastest time of 1:05.04 over the distance which ranks her as one of the fastest women of all time for the distance.
Shure Demise comes to this race with fourth fastest time on paper of 2:20.59 that she got on her debut at the 2015 Dubai marathon where she finished just outside the podium. The 26 year-old has gone on to win in Toronto twice. Demise also finished in third place at the 2019 Tokyo marathon and in Chicago in 2018.
The 2018 World Half Marathon Champion, Netsanet Gudeta who has only competed in two marathons to date comes to this race with a personal best of 2:26.09.
Other title contenders lined up include Agnes Jeruto Barsosio, who was third in Seoul in 2016, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, and Celestine Chepchirchir, who was third in Seoul in 2019. Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba, seventh at the Olympics last year, is another one to watch.
The race organisers have put together this deep elite field to chase and lower the race course record of 2:19.51 that was set in 2006 by Zhou Chunxiu from China.
LEADING RESULTS
42KM WOMEN
- Guteni Shone (ETH) 2:20.11
- Sutume Asefa (ETH) 2:20.30
- Joan Melly (KEN) 2:20.57
- Agnes Barsosio (KEN) 2:20.59
- Shure Demise (ETH) 2:20.59
- Selly Kaptich (KEN) 2:21.06
- Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:23.10
- Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:23.38
- Netsanet Gudeta (ETH) 2:26.09
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