A week after German record-holder Arne Gabius was confirmed for the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, the organisers have also announced that last year’s runner-up Fate Tola will also be returning to the start-line for the 37th edition of this race, which has a five-star certification rating from Running for All, on 29 October.
In her first marathon since acquiring German citizenship last June, Tola crossed the finish-line inside the Festhalle in 2:25:42, the fourth fastest time in history by a German athlete. She only finished 15 seconds behind Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska - who slowed dramatically in the last two kilometres - and Tola admitted she could have caught Daska had she caught sight of the leader earlier.
Tola’s citizenship arrived two weeks too late for Olympic selection but she donned the German vest at the IAAF World Championships in London last month. The 29-year-old stayed with the leading group in the marathon through until the 30km checkpoint but a hamstring injury forced her to slow in the closing stages, finishing 22nd in 2:33:39.
There were happier times for Tola at the start of the season in the Hannover Marathon where she claimed victory in 2:27:48. This will be her third marathon in under seven months and Tola will face a strong international field, including Ethiopia’s Abebech Afework and Sara Hall from the United States.
Another top domestic name in the women’s race is Katharina Heinig, the daughter of marathon great Katrin Dorre-Heinig. Like Tola, Heinig underperformed at the World Championships - finishing 39th in 2:39:59 - but she does have a lifetime best of 2:28:34 set in the Berlin Marathon last September.
The European Running Business Conference will be held in Frankfurt from 27-28 October and conference participants are invited to attend the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon the following day. Registration to attend the conference remains open until 26 October and prospective attendees can register by following this link.
The IAAF Road Running Commission also meets in Frankfurt on the afternoon of 26 October and the morning of 27 October.
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The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]
More information on the European Running Business Conference:
Registration page: https://registration.mylaps.com/business-conference
Contact: [email protected]