Records could tumble in Sunday’s GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON despite a relatively warm weather forecast. Kenya’s silver medallist from last year’s World Half Marathon Championships, Daniel Ebenyo, is regarded as the favourite.
While he targets the course record of 58:42 there is a German favorite in the women’s race: Ethiopian born Melat Kejeta, who won the silver medal at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2020, could produce a rare home victory and might go for her own German record of 65:18.
The 65:15 European mark from Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands would then come under threat as well. Germany’s biggest and most prestigious race at this distance registered a record entry of 38,712 runners.
The Men’s Race
It would be a major upset if the winner of the men’s race would not be an athlete from Kenya. All the six runners that have personal bests of sub 60 minutes are from Kenya.
Daniel Ebenyo is most likely the athlete to beat on Sunday. The 28 year-old has not yet run sub 59:00 and his PB stands at 59:04. But since taking the runner-up spot in the World Half Marathon Championships in Riga, Latvia, last October Ebenyo has won all of the following races.
Among these was a victory in Kalkutta’s 25k race with a world best time of 1:11:13. This record he set in India indicates that Ebenyo should be capable of running well under the course record in the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.
“It is my goal to run faster than ever before,“ said Ebenyo.
Another runner from Kenya who could do very well in Berlin is Bravin Kiprop. He took the Sevilla Half Marathon earlier this year and improved to 59:21, which at that time was a world leading time.
“It is my aim to improve my personal best in Berlin,“ said Kiprop.
Simon Boch is the fastest German on the start list with 61:23 while Samuel Fitwi returns to the race where he set his personal record of 61:44 a year ago.
Fitwi smashed his marathon PB in Dubai in January when he ran 2:06:27 and became the second fastest German ever.
“I trained in Addis Ababa and I am in fine shape. My goal is to run well under my personal best,“ said Fitwi, who could cause a surprise in Berlin.
The Women’s Race
Fifteen years after Sabrina Mockenhaupt won the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in 2009 there could be another German victory. Germany’s record holder Melat Kejeta, who also holds the European women only record (races without male pacemakers) with 65:18 returns to the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.
Kejeta has indeed won the race before. But when she triumphed in 2018 with 69:04 she still competed for Ethiopia. A year later Melat Kejeta received German citizenship.
“My first goal is to run faster than the 66:25 I ran in Valencia last year. If all goes well during the race then I will try to attack my personal best,“ said Kejeta, who is not too worried about the warm weather forecast.
Kejeta’s former fellow-countrywomen Ftaw Zeray and Yalemget Yaregal from Ethiopia will probably be the strongest opponents for Melat Kejeta. Zeray has a PB of 66:04 while Yaregal was third at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON last year in 66:27.
Elite runners with their personal bests:
MEN
- Daniel Ebenyo KEN 59:04
- Bravin Kiprop KEN 59:21
- Isaia Lasoi KEN 59:27
- Cosmas Boi KEN 59:29
- Amos Kurgat KEN 59:34
- Benard Biwott KEN 59:44
- Jake Smith GBR 60:31
- Pasquale Selvarolo ITA 60:32
- Diego Estrada USA 60:49
- Kipsambul Kimakal KEN 61:20
- Simon Boch GER 61:23
- Simon Debognies BEL 61:25
- Samuel Fitwi GER 61:44
- Johannes Motschmann GER 61:45
- Davor Aaron Bienenfeld GER 61:49
- Sebastian Hendel GER 61:52
- Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 62:05
WOMEN
- Melat Kejeta GER 65:18
- Ftaw Zeray ETH 66:04
- Yalemget Yaregal ETH 66:27
- Tekle Muluat ETH 67:41
- Fabienne Schlumpf SUI 68:27
- Sofiia Yaremchuk ITA 68:28
- Deborah Schöneborn GER 69:41
- Miriam Dattke GER 69:43
- Lauren McNeil GBR 70:02
- Winnie Kimutai KEN 70:08
- Lelise Wakweya ETH Debüt
