The entry list for the BMW Berlin-Marathon, a platinum label road race at the World Athletics Championships, taking place on September 29th, features four women with personal best times under two hours and 20 minutes, and six men with times under two hours and five minutes.
Ethiopia's Tigist Ketema and Kenya's Rosemary Wanjiru topped the women's entry list with personal bests that would put them in the top 10 of world marathon history.
Ketema was known as an 800m and 1500m specialist, but she first came to the attention of the marathon world when she ran 2 hours 16 minutes 7 seconds in Dubai in January, making her the ninth-fastest woman in history. She then came in seventh in London in April with 2 hours 23 minutes 21 seconds, and Berlin will be her first race since then.
Next to Ketema on the all-time list is Wangjiru, who came in second at the Tokyo Marathon in March with a time of 2 hours 16 minutes 14 seconds. This comes on the back of a sixth-place finish at the World Championships marathon in Budapest last year and a win at the Tokyo Marathon. Wangjiru also came second at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, clocking 2 hours 18 minutes in her debut race.
Joining them on the starting line will be Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba and Ebulgal Merese, with PRs of 2:18:05 and 2:19:36 respectively, plus compatriots Mestawot Fikir (2:20:45), Asmera Gebru (2:20:48), Sisay Gora (2:20:50), Ababbel Yeshaneh (2:20:51), Fikrute Weleta (2:21:32) and Japan's Mizuki Matsuda (2:20:52).
A total of 13 world records have been set at the Berlin Marathon, the most recent being 2 hours 11 minutes 53 seconds, set by Tigist Assefa in last year's women's race.
Eliud Kipchoge won the men's title at the tournament, winning for a record fifth time.
This year's men's race will not feature Kipchoge or Kenenisa Bekele for the first time since 2014. Between them they have won seven times, including two world records for Kipchoge, but fast times will still be the target.
Among the athletes returning to Berlin are Ethiopia's Tadese Takele and Kenya's Ronald Korir, who came third and fourth last year in personal best times of 2 hours 3 minutes 24 seconds and 2 hours 4 minutes 22 seconds respectively.
Kenya's Cybrian Kotut came second in Amsterdam last year and will compete in his Berlin Marathon debut in a personal best of 2 hours 4 minutes 34 seconds, while Ethiopia's Hailemariam Kiros and Basezew Asumare have also both run under 2 hours 5 minutes in their careers, having recorded 2 hours 4 minutes 41 seconds in Paris in 2021 and 2 hours 4 minutes 57 seconds in Amsterdam in 2022, respectively.
This will be Kenya's Kibiwott Kandie's third marathon. The former half marathon world record holder, who ran 13.1 miles in 57 minutes 32 seconds in 2020, is aiming to beat his personal best of 2 hours 4 minutes 48 seconds, set last year in Valencia.
Also aiming for a place on the podium will be Kenya's Samwell Miles, the world half marathon bronze medallist who continues his comeback from injury after winning last year's Vienna City Marathon in a course record time of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 8 seconds.
Elite Field
woman
Tigist Ketema (ETH) 2:16:07
Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:14
Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 2:18:05
Yebrugal Merese (ETH) 2:19:36
Mestavot Fikir (ETH) 2:20:45
Asmera Gebru (ETH) 2:20:48
Sisay Gora (ETH) 2:20:50
Ababbel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:51
Mizuki Matsuda (Japan) 2:20:52
Fikrute Wereta (ETH) 2:21:32
male
Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:24
Ronald Korir (Kenya) 2:04:22
Cybrian Cotut (KEN) 2:04:34
Hailemariam Kiros (ETH) 2:04:41
Kibiwott Kandi (KEN) 2:04:48
Basel Asmare (ETH) 2:04:57
Samwell Miles (KEN) 2:05:08
Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 2:05:29
Haymanot Areu (ETH) 2:05:30
Philimon Kipchumba (Ken) 2:05:35
Stephen Kiprop (Kenya) 2:07:04
