<\/p>\n
Brillian Kipkoech crashed the women course record at the 40th edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg held on Sunday (26) in Harmburg, Germany.<\/strong><\/p>\n The 31-year-old who smashed the previous record of 2:17.23 set four years ago by Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia with a new course time 2:17.05.<\/p>\n Kipkoech was followed in second place by her compatriot Rebecca Tanui in 2:18.25 with Ethiopia\u2019s Kasanesh Ayenew sealing the podium in took 2:19.39.<\/p>\n the women\u2019s race a leading group of six runners with Kenyan runners Brillian Kipkoech, Rebecca Tanui and Marion Kibor passed the half marathon mark in 68:42 they had already dropped their Ethiopian rivals. Shortly afterwards Brillian Kipkoech, who had entered the race with a personal best of 2:23:56, broke away and then significantly extended her lead. \u201cI never thought I could break the course record. My goal was to beat my personal best by a significant margin,\u201d said Kipkoech. With her winning time of 2:17:05 she improved the four-year-old course record held by Ethiopia\u2019s Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:17:23) by 18 seconds. With this time Kipkoech, who trains in Kapsabet and belongs to the group of new marathon world record holder Sabastian Sawe coached by Claudio Berardelli, is currently the seventh fastest marathon runner in the world this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Othmane El Goumri became the first Moroccan winner in the history of the event when he broke his own national record. In perfect weather conditions he clocked 2:04:24 while Germany\u2019s runner-up Samuel Fitwi achieved a rare national podium position in the men\u2019s race. He improved his PB to 2:04:45. It was back in 1999 when a German male runner last achieved a top three position in Hamburg: Carsten Eich was second 27 years ago. Kenya\u2019s Kennedy Kimutai finished third with 2:04:56.\u00a0<\/p>\n After a relatively slow start with a 5k split time of 15:00 the pace in the men\u2019s race picked up significantly. A very large group of around 20 runners stayed together deep into the race. They first passed the half marathon mark in 62:04 and then reached 30k in 1:28:35. More than 20 runners were on course for a finishing time of under 2:05:00 at that point. It was not to be the day of two-time Hamburg winner Bernard Koech though. The Kenyan suffered of hamstring problems, lost contact to the leading group and eventually finished 15th in 2:08:10.\u00a0<\/p>\n After an initial surge by Ethiopia\u2019s Hunde Lechisa around seven kilometres from the finish, Othmane El Goumri, Samuel Fitwi and Kennedy Kimutai closed the gap and passed Lechisa who had to settle for fourth place. El Goumri then pulled decisively away around two kilometres from the finish while Samuel Fitwi won the battle for second place. The fact that ten athletes ran under 2:06:00 showed the great depth of the race.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal was to win the race. I actually wanted to run a bit faster and tried to push the pace a couple of times. But I am delighted with the Moroccan record,\u201d said 33 year-old Othmane El Goumri, who ran his previous national record of 2:05:12 three years ago in Barcelona.\u00a0<\/p>\n Samuel Fitwi produced what was probably the best race of his career so far. \u201cIt was perfect. I am very happy that I achieved my goals: a podium finish and a personal best. The course is really very fast and the atmosphere was brilliant,\u201d said the 30 year-old German, who previously had a personal best of 2:04:56 and improved this by eleven seconds. With his new PB he is third in the European season\u2019s list. While Samuel Fitwi remains the second-fastest German marathon runner of all time, Aaron Bienenfeld\u2019s debut time of 2:08:47 in 16th place saw him move into a shared tenth position in the national all-time list. He also became Germany\u2019s fastest marathon debutant, improving the 2:09:32 by Arne Gabuis from Frankfurt in 2014. \u201cIt did go really well for me and I have reached all my goals \u2013 but I also know what to improve next time,\u201d said\u00a0Aaron Bienenfeld.<\/p>\n The fastest German woman in Hamburg was Tabea Themann who finished eighth with 2:30:32.<\/p>\n A record number of 20,000 marathon runners registered for the 40th edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg. Adding other running events staged during the weekend organisers accepted a record-total of 46,000 athletes.<\/p>\n LEADING RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n 42KM WOMEN<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Brillian Kipkoech\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 KEN \u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:17:05<\/p>\n 2. Rebecca Tanui\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 KEN \u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:18:25<\/p>\n 3. Kasanesh Ayenew\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:19:39<\/p>\n 4. Marion Kibor \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 KEN\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:21:12<\/p>\n 5. Lomi Muleta\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:24:39<\/p>\n 6. Selamawit Teferi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ISR\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:26:58<\/p>\n 7. Aselef Amare\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:28:47<\/p>\n 8. Tabea Themann\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 GER \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:30:32<\/p>\n 9. Tsiyon Abebe\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:32:37<\/p>\n 10. Manon Coste\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 FRA\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:33:02<\/p>\n LEADING RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n 42KM MEN<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Othmane El Goumri\u00a0 MAR \u00a0\u00a02:04:24<\/p>\n 2. Samuel Fitwi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 GER \u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:04:45<\/p>\n 3. Kennedy Kimutai\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 KEN \u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:04:56<\/p>\n 4. Hunde Lechisa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:05:01<\/p>\n 5. Taresa Tolosa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:05:17<\/p>\n 6. Mohamed El Aaraby\u00a0\u00a0 MAR \u00a0\u00a0\u00a02:05:18<\/p>\n 7. Ablelom Kesete\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ERI\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:05:21<\/p>\n 8. Belay Tilahun\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:05:22<\/p>\n 9. Tsedat Abeje\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:05:47<\/p>\n 10. Balew Yihunle\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:05:57<\/p>\n<\/div>\n