German marathon stars Richard Ringer and Samuel Fitwi will run the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on 25th October. This was announced at today’s press conference with the two athletes in Frankfurt. With times of 2:04:45 and 2:05:46 Samuel Fitwi and Richard Ringer are number two and three in the German all-time list. Only national record holder Amanal Petros has been faster with 2:04:03. It is this mark that Fitwi and Ringer eye on Frankfurt’s fast record. In April Ringer ran 2:04:47 on Boston’s non-record-eligible course. Both are currently among the fastest European runners and plan to run at the European Championships in Birmingham in August as well.
“Samuel and Richard running here is proof of the strong position and the appeal of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon. We expect a spectacular race and will provide the best possible set-up for their races. And perhaps – just as we did in 2015 with Arne Gabius – we can produce a piece of German marathon history again,” said Race Director Jo Schindler. Eleven years ago Arne Gabius broke Jörg Peter’s 27-year-old German record in Frankfurt with 2:08:33.
Whilst this will be their first marathon start in Frankfurt, Richard Ringer is already familiar with the race. In 2018 he was a pacemaker here for Arne Gabius. The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon actually became the starting point of his road running and marathon career. “I have fond memories of the race and am very much looking forward to running here on 25th October,” said 37-year-old Richard Ringer, who sensationally won the marathon gold medal at the 2022 European Championships in Munich. “If we could win a medal in Birmingham, then run 2:04 and may be one of us wins the race in Frankfurt, we would have done everything right.” Of course Ringer is aware that he will have only a short recovery period after the European Championships. “With regard to the hilly course I do not expect a fast race in Birmingham. It will likely be similar to a long-run followed by a quick final 10k section.”
“I am really looking forward to another big race in Germany. It will be something of a home race for me since I do not live that far away from Frankfurt,” said Samuel Fitwi. The 30-year-old improved his personal best to 2:04:45 in Hamburg just a few weeks ago. “Frankfurt has a super-fast course. I want to try and improve my PB again. Of course I always want to win and ideally break the national record. But a personal best and a place on the podium would be a superb result for me.”
Both runners achieved exceptional positions in their marathons in April. Fitwi was runner-up in Hamburg and was the first German runner since 1999 – when Carsten Eich also finished second – to achieve a podium place in Hamburg’s men’s race. Richard Ringer finished eighth in Boston a month ago and was the first German in almost 100 years to secure a top-10 finish in the men’s race of the iconic marathon. Paul de Bruyn had won in Boston in 1932.