Two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui has landed an invite for this year’s Hamburg Marathon set for April 28th in Germany.
The two-time world marathon champion, who registered back-to-back IAAF world marathon titles in 2009 and 2011, said he is already looking beyond the event as he wants to cap the year with his third World Championship marathon medal in Doha, Qatar.
“I have had a good training since joining Global Sports Communication and my skills have improved tremendously. I look forward to a good event in Hamburg,” said the Kapsabet-born runner.
The 2012 London Olympic Marathon silver medallist failed to retain his Chicago Marathon title last year after winning in 2016. Home boy Galen Rupp won the title in 2017 while multi Olympic champion Mo Farah won last year. Kirui said has been motivating and refreshing training with top athletes including world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (2:01.39), former New York marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, two-time Toronto marathon winner Philemon Rono and 2012 Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda. Kirui, the 2008 Vienna marathon winner, suffered a knee injury that kept him off competition for about three years and on his return in 2016, he won Chicago (2:11.23). “I want to end the Ethiopian dominance in Hamburg and I know I now have what it takes to deliver,” he added.
The man, who started his career as a pacesetter, finished second at the 2007 Berlin Marathon, third at 2009 Rotterdam Marathon, won 2007 Paderborn Half Marathon and finished 4th at 2010 London Marathon. Lucas Rotich is the last Kenyan to have won Hamburg in 2015 and Ethiopians have since dominated for the last three years.
Kipchoge holds the Hamburg Marathon course record of 2:05.30, having won the event in 2013. Others Kenyans are—Wilfred Kigen (2010) in 2:09.22, David Mandago in 2008 (2:07.23), Rodgers Rop (2:07.32) in 2007, Christopher Kandie (2:10.17) in 2002, David Ngetich (1999) 2:10.05 and Stephen Kirwa, who was the first Kenyan to win the race in 1997 in 2:10.37.