Top Contenders - 38th BMW Berlin Marathon Tomorrow

Patrick won here last year in 2:05:08
2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie broke his own WR here in 2008
Irina and Paula with their bibs
Haile and Patrick with their bibs

'world's fastest marathon course'

2 world record holders, a world champion and an European champion will be included in the following top contenders among the 40,000 starters at the 38th BMW Berlin Marathon which kicks off tomorrow with an expected 1.2 million spectators along the widely considered as the world's fastest 42.195km-marathon course and with live broadcast to over 150 countries:

Men
1) Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 38 - PB 2:03:59 Berlin 2008 (WR)
2) Patrick Makau (KEN), 26 - PB 2:04:48 Rotterdam 2010 (7th fastest marathoner all time)
3) Gilbert Yegon (KEN), 23 - PB 2:06:18 Amsterdam 2009

Women
1) Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 37 - 2:15:25 (World Best) London 2003 ; 2:17:42 (WR) London 2005
2) Irina Mikitenko (GER), 29 - PB 2:19:19 Berlin 2008
3) Nayla Yulamanova (RUS) - 2:26:01 (European champion)
4) Florence Kiplagat (KEN), 24 - 2010 World Half Marathon champion - marathon debut

Gebrselassie is seeking his 5th victory here after having won 4 times in a row in the real,-Berlin Marathon
2006 in 2:05:56
2007 in 2:04:26 (WR)
2008 in 2:03:59 -- current WR
2009 in 2:06:08
(beginning this year the auto giants BMW is the new title sponsor of Berlin Marathon, replacing their long association with real,-)

Last year's winners:
Men : Patrick Makau (KEN) ---- 2:05:08
Women : Aberu Kebede (ETH) - 2:23:58.







Some info on Berlin Marathon:
Capacity: 40,000 - Inaugural Race: 1974 - Largest Field : 35,913 finishers in 2008
Prize Money: $340,000 ($64,000 each for the male and female champions)
An IAAF Gold Label Road Race n a component of World Marathon Majors (WMM)
It is traditionally held on the last Sunday of September

Course Records :
Men - 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 2008
Women - 2:19:12 Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) 2005

7 World records have been established here :
Men:
1998 - 2:06:05 Ronaldo da Costa (BRA)
2003 - 2:04:55 Paul Tergat (KEN)
2007 - 2:04:26 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)
2008 - 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie ===> Current WORLD RECORD
Women:
1977 - 2:34:48 Christa Vahlensieck (GER)
1999 - 2:20:43 Tegla Loroupe (KEN)
2001 - 2:19:46 Naoko Takahashi (JPN)