Rotich and Chekole head list of men and women’s elite field at Mainova Frankfurt Marathon

Elisha Rotich of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Yeshi Chekole head the elite field of the World Athletics Label Mainova Frankfurt Marathon this Sunday.

Rotich has a personal best in the marathon of 2:04:21, which he set when he won and set the course record at the Paris Marathon in 2021 while Chekole ran 2:21:17 lifetime best to place third at the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla in Sevilla in 2022.

Rotich is also the fastest this year in the event after running 2:06:54 to place third at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris in Paris in April and will look to win his second. 42.195km race of the year.

The Kenyan, 34, will be challenged by the Ethiopian trio Lencho Tesfaye (2:06:18 PB), Aychew Bantie (2:06:23 PB) and Birhan Nebebew (2:06:52 PB) with Tesfaye the second fastest this year with the 2:08:25 he ran to place eighth at the Dubai Marathon in January.

While Bantie is yet to race over the distance this year, Nebebew ran 2:11:38 to win the Yingkou – Bayuquan Marathon in Yingkou, China.

For the women, Chekole may have been the fastest ever in the line-up but compatriot, Shuko Genemo is the fastest this year after running a 2:21:35 lifetime best to place second at the Zurich Marató Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain in March.

Also coming to Frankfurt in great form is Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai who has dipped inside 2 hours 25 minutes twice this year.

The 30-year-old holds a lifetime best of 2:22:16 which she set in October 2019 but has been great on the road in the two marathons she has competed in this year. She ran 2:24:46 to win the Lanzhou Marathon in Lanzhou, China in May, three months after she ran her second fastest time ever (2:51:18) over the distance to come second at the Zurich Maratón de Sevilla in Sevilla.

Another Ethiopian, Kidsan Alema (2:22:28 PB) has also run 2:26:50 in the event this year and which also puts her among the contenders like Meseret Dinke who ran close to her lifetime best of 2:22:52 to place third (2:22:58) at the Zurich Marató Barcelona.