FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milan Wants To Move Its Marathon Up The Scale,
Italy's All-Comer Record Targeted

Famous for fashion, the Scala Opera House, the Cathedral or in sporting
terms the two football giants (AC and Inter) Milan is lesser known for its
marathon so far. But this is what organisers of the event intend to change.
Compared to the prominent synonyms of Italy's second biggest city ,La
Marathona di Milano' is still a very young child with plenty of potential
to develop for the future. When the Milan City Marathon will be started for
the ninth time on 23rd November a field of about 6,000 runners is expected
to run the classic distance. Among them will be a number of world-class
athletes who will go for fast times. In the men's race the Milan City
Marathon should confirm its position as Italy's fastest marathon. Online
entries for the event will be still accepted at: www.milanocitymarathon.it
Late entries will also be possible on the days before the race. Information
is available on the web page.

"It is our target to break the Italian all-comers record in the men's
race," announced Federico Rosa, who is the Elite Athlete Coordinator of the
race. That mark stands at 2:07:45 and meanwhile is seven and a half years
old. Ethiopia's Semretu Alemayehu had established the record by winning the
Torino Marathon in 2001. Milan's course record is just 13 seconds slower.
Benson Cherono (Kenya) had clocked 2:07:58 two years ago. Chasing top times
next week it will be helpful for the elite runners that the flat course was
slightly altered and thus is said to be even faster than before. Start and
finish of the race are now both located at the Piazza Castello in the
centre of the city. This will also suit the fun runners.

After a fine marathon debut in warm weather in Vienna this spring Duncan
Kibet will be one of the favourites in Milan. The 30 year-old Kenyan had
clocked 2:08:33 for second place in Austria. Featuring a promising personal
best of 60:22 in the half marathon Duncan Kibet should have the potential
of running sub 2:08. One of his rivals will be the silver medallist of the
World Championship's marathon in 2005. Few will remember the name of
Christopher Isegwe, who caused a major surprise in Helsinki three years
ago. The Tanzanian ran a personal best of 2:10:21 in that championship race
but then failed to finish his next two marathons in 2006 (Melbourne and
London). After not competing at all in 2007 Christopher Isegwe has run two
10 k races this autumn and now comes back to the marathon.

The experienced Danilo Goffi will be the main Italian contender in Milan.
The 35 year-old is the silver medallist of the European Championships in
1998 and features exactly the same personal best as Duncan Kibet (2:08:33).
While that PB is ten years old Danilo Goffi more recently took the Torino
Marathon (2:11:13 in 2005). Portugal's Helder Ornelas, who had won the
Milan City Marathon in 2005 with a personal record of 2:09:59, will be
another European runner to watch.

The women's race will see the return of the defending champion Pamela
Chepchumba. The 29 year-old Kenyan had established her personal best in
Milan a year ago: Clocking 2:25:36 she achieved the second fastest winning
time in the history of the race. Little more than a month ago Pamela
Chepchumba showed fine form, when taking a bronze medal at the World Half
Marathon Championships in Rio. In Milan she will be up against Olivera
Jevtic (Serbia). The 31 year-old is an experienced marathon runner who has
a slightly faster PB than Chepchumba: In 2003 Jevtic had won the Rotterdam
Marathon with 2:25:23. She was sixth in the Olympic marathon in 2004 and is
the silver medallist from the European Championships in 2006. Anna Incerti
carries the Italian hopes in Milan. The 28 year-old has shown an impressive
performance in the Olympic Marathon, when she came in 14th and improved her
personal best to 2:30:55 in the tough Beijing conditions.

More information is available online at: www.milanocitymarathon.it

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