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Press Release - Istanbul Marathon - 11/4/22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                    N Kolay Istanbul Marathon on Sunday:     

      Records targeted in Istanbul while Sultan Haydar starts comeback

Twelve runners with personal bests of sub 2:10 will feature in the N Kolay 
Istanbul Marathon on Sunday. Marius Kimutai of Bahrain and Kenya's Samuel 
Kosgei head the start list with times of 2:05:47 and 2:06:03 respectively. 
With this great strength in depth it is expected that the Turkish 
allcomers' record of 2:09:27 will be attacked in Turkey's major marathon 
event. Meanwhile the national record holder Sultan Haydar starts a comeback 
on Sunday. The Turk  is the fastest athlete on the women's start list with 
her personal best of 2:24:44. Seven women entered into the 44th edition of 
the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon have PBs of sub 2:28. 

With a total of around 60,000 entries including races at shorter distances 
the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will be among the world's biggest road races 
since the times before the Corona pandemic. The intercontinental course 
leads the runners from the Asian side of the city into Europe and then 
features a tough uphill stretch to the finish on Sultanahmet Square in the 
historic center. The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon, which is a World Elite 
Label Road Race of World Athletics, starts at 9 am on Sunday. A live stream 
with English commentary available worldwide can be accessed at: 
https://maraton.istanbul

With both the 2:09:44 course record of Kenya's Daniel Kibet from 2019 and 
the Turkish allcomers' record in mind the race organisers plan for a fast 
half marathon split time of 63:30 to 63:45. A negative split is not likely 
in Istanbul because of the uphill section late in the race, which leads the 
runners to the spectacular finish. "I am okay with this sort of pace if the 
weather conditions are suitable and there is good pacemaking," said Marius 
Kimutai, who switched from Kenyan citizenship to Bahrain in 2017. "I have 
trained for three months in Kapsabet for this marathon and I am also 
prepared for the climb up to the finish."

Marius Kimutai trained together with Samuel Kosgei in the high altitude 
training camp in Kapsabet. "We will probably help each other during the 
race as we are training partners," said the Kenyan, who is the only one in 
the field who once broke a world record. In Berlin's 25k race he clocked 
1:11:50 in 2010. "That is a long time ago, so I don't rate this that high 
any more," said Samuel Kosgei, who took the Barcelona Marathon with his 
current PB of 2:06:03 a year ago. The Kenyan returned to the race in Spain 
this spring but this time had to settle for 12th position in 2:08:59. "I 
had a hip injury at that time, but I am fine now," said Samuel Kosgei, who 
hopes to improve his personal best in the future. "If pacemaking works fine 
on Sunday I think we have a good chance to break the Turkish allcomers' 
record here."

A year ago there was a surprise victory by Victor Kiplangat in Istanbul. 
While the defending champion will not run on Sunday there could still be 
another Ugandan triumph since Geofrey Kusuro is said to be in fine form. He 
has a personal best of 2:08:46. Another athlete who is tipped to do very 
well in Istanbul is the former long distance track runner Yenew Alamirew. 
He was 12th in the 5,000 m final of the London Olympics in 2012. So far the 
32 year-old has only run two marathons with a personal best of 2:08:56 from 
Dubai in 2018.

Record times are not targeted in the women's race with the 2:18:35 course 
best from Ruth Chepngetich out of reach. Additionally Kenya's Agnes 
Barsosio, who had been the fastest on the start list, had to withdraw due 
to an injury. Two Ethiopian runners who clocked their personal bests this 
spring are now among the top favourites: Sechale Dalasa won the Rome 
Marathon in 2:26:09 and Melesech Tsegaye was fourth in Milan with 2:24:47. 
An athlete who could be in for a surprise is Stacy Ndiwa. The Kenyan, who 
will run her marathon debut on Sunday, has a strong half marathon PB of 
67:16. She was fifth in the World Cross Country Championships in 2015.

While Sultan Haydar now is the fastest on the start list with her Turkish 
record time of 2:24:44 she is not expected to be in contention for victory 
on Sunday. Six years after running her last race at the Rio Olympic Games, 
where she finished 111th in the marathon, she will start a comeback at the 
N Kolay Istanbul Marathon. The 35 year-old never planned to have such a 
long break from professional running, but she endured a very tough time. 
After the Rio Olympics she first had some injury problems. But then things 
turned much worse. "In 2018 I lost my husband," recalled Sultan Haydar, who 
then turned to her elder brother for help and support. „But he died as well 
just two months after my husband. It was a terrible time and I got mental 
problems. I tried to start running again a couple of times, but it did not 
work. Whenever I started I had to stop again." 

One of the persons who helped her and finally persuaded her to come back to 
running was fellow-marathon runner Meryem Erdogan. Also a former Ethiopian 
who competes for Turkey she will run the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon as well 
on Sunday. Erdogan, who has a PB of 2:29:08 and helped translating during 
an interview with Haydar, trained together with the Turkish record holder 
in Addis Abeba recently for one month. "Sultan has now trained for three 
months", she says. Both will probably run in the second group on Sunday 
which is expected to go for a 2:26 time. "I missed running a lot and now I 
hope to come back and then reach peak form early next year. I think it is 
still possible for me to break my Turkish record," said Sultan Haydar.

Elite runners with personal bests

Men:
Marius Kimutai          BRN 2:05:47
Samuel Kosgei           KEN 2:06:03
Abayneh Ayele           ETH 2:06:45
Tadesse Mamo Temechachu ETH 2:07:04
Robert Kipkemboi        KEN 2:07:09
Alemayehu Mekonen       ETH 2:07:23
Evans Kiplagat          KEN 2:07:46
Dechasa Alemu           ETH 2:08:07
Yergalem Shewalem       ETH 2:08:32
Geofrey Kusuro          UGA 2:08:46
Yenew Alamirew          ETH 2:08:56
Francis Cheruiyot       KEN 2:09:57
Moses Kemei             KEN 2:10:28
Hillary Kipchumba       KEN 2:10:43
Benard Sang             KEN 2:10:49
Mert Girmalegesse       TUR 2:11:07
Mengistu Nigatu         ETH 2:11:15
Chalachew Tiruneh       ETH 2:11:21
Sila Kiptoo             KEN 2:11:32

Women:
Sultan Haydar         TUR 2:24:44
Meselech Tsegaye      ETH 2:24:47
Sechale Dalasa        ETH 2:26:09
Judith Jerubet        KEN 2:26:17
Winny Jepkorir        KEN 2:27:18
Mercy Kwambai         KEN 2:27:32
Truphena Chepchirchir KEN 2:27:52
Shewarge Alene Amare  ETH 2:28:16
Meryem Erdogan        TUR 2:29:08
Betty Chepkwony       KEN 2:30:28
Stacy Ndiwa           KEN Debut
Ethlemahu Sintayehu   ETH Debut

More information is available at: https://maraton.istanbul

                                    ###

 

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