Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medallist, Sheila Chekirui will be only Kenyan woman at the 49th edition of the Berlin Marathon slated for this Sunday (24) in Berlin, Germany.
The 32 year-old who is also the 2016 Africa Games 5,000m champion, goes to this race with the second fastest time on paper of 2:17.29 that she got on her marathon debut last year at the Valencia Marathon where she finished in third.
Sheila will be making her third marathon appearance and she will have a very difficult time as she will be surrounded by ten Ethiopians that will be led by the defending champion, Tigist Assefa who happens also to be the fastest athlete on paper with a time of 2:15.37 that she got last year at this race. This time is also the Berlin women marathon course record.
The race has also four sub 20 athletes led by Tigist Abayechew of 2:18.03, Workenesh Edesa of 2:18.51, Hiwot Gebrekidan of 2:19.10 and Japan’s Hitomi Niiya of 2:19.24.
Lats year’s Los Angeles marathon champion Delvine Meringor, Kenyan born but now trading for Romania and Great Britain’s Charlotte Purdue of Great Britain with their respective best time of 2:20.49 and 2:23.26 will also be fighting the top podium finish on Sunday.
The organisers have assembled such a deep elite field as they target to lower Assefa’s course time.
LEADING TIME
42KM WOMEN
- Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:15.37
- Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:17.29
- Tigist Abayechew (ETH) 2:18.03
- Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:18.51
- Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 2:19.10
- Hitomi Niiya (JPN) 2:19.24
- Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19.28
- Etagegn Woldu (ETH) 2:20.03
- Gutemi Imana (ETH) 2:20.11
- Delvine Meringor (ROM) 2:20.49
- Helen Tola (ETH) 2:21.01
- Dera Dida (ETH) 2:21.11
- Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:22.50
- Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:23.26
- Senbere Teferi (ETH) 2:24.11
Facebook Comments