Amanal Petros and Domenika Mayer achieved a German double on home soil at the Hannover Marathon on Sunday (14) with both athletes smashing the course records in the process.
Petros slashed almost one minute from his course record of 2:07:02, successfully defending his title in 2:06:05 despite the blustery conditions on offer in Hannover to win by over one minute from Kenyans Boaz Kipkemei (2:07:06) and Victor Kiplimo (2:09:58).
“I did not expect to run 2:06:05 today. Without the wind I think I would have been around one minute faster,” said Petros who lowered his German record to 2:04:58 in the Berlin Marathon last September.
Petros, who will compete for Germany at the Olympic Games in the marathon in Paris for the second time later this summer, kept something in reserve for the closing stages. He covered the last 2.195km in a fast 6:18 which yielded a negative second half split of 62:54.
In the women’s race, Mayer had the company of Kenyan veteran Sharon Cherop, the 2011 Boston Marathon champion, until the last five kilometres. Mayer maintained her pace in the latter stages for victory in a course record of 2:23:50 although she missed her lifetime best by an agonising three seconds.
@: Norbert Wilhelmi
“I am really happy with my race. I was surprised that Sharon held on for so long, but I just concentrated on myself and ran my own race. I am now looking forward to the Olympic Marathon. It will of course be a very different race on a hilly course and without pacers,” said Mayer who took almost two minutes off the previous course record of 2:25:45.
Cherop faded back to second but the 40-year-old was also under the previous course record with her time of 2:24:41.
Dutch record and victory for Nageeye in Rotterdam
Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye from the Netherlands recaptured his Rotterdam Marathon title on Sunday (14) in a Dutch record of 2:04:45 to move to fourth on the European all-time list.
After the race, Nageeye described it as his easiest marathon so far. “I’ve never felt this before. It felt like we were jogging,” said Nageeye as quoted by NOS.
"I got so much adrenaline from the people. Rotterdam is great! Just 'Abdi, Abdi'."
Roared on by the crowds who thronged the roadside in the latter stages, Abdi eased away effortlessly in the last mile to recapture the title he won for the first time in 2022, defeating Ethiopians Amdework Walelegn (2:04:50) and Birhanu Legese (2:05:16).
Nageeye’s hopes will now shift to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games where the Dutchman is hoping for win his second successive medal and maybe even improve on his silver medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
"I hope so, I hope so. We are now going back to Kenya, making good plans. Paris will be very tough, it is not Rotterdam. We have to wait and see who Ethiopia and Kenya will select and then, after the best possible preparation, make the most of it," said Nageeye.