Richard Ringer had already agreed. The 33-year-old wanted to start at the 39th marathon in Frankfurt on Sunday. “We agreed,” reports race director Jo Schindler. But then came the European Championships in Munich in August, Ringer’s impressive race with this phenomenal end, which would have made him even more interesting as a German draft horse for Frankfurt, but also threw all plans upside down.
The newly crowned European champion, who ran a race as a pacemaker in Frankfurt in 2018 that encouraged him to switch to the marathon distance, hesitated for two to three weeks. Would the pain in your foot go away quickly? Do you have enough power? Then it became clear what Schindler describes today: “The plans that were already finished were shot to pieces.”
World Championships, European Championships, the usual competition runs in autumn: For Schindler and Christoph Kopp, the sports director of the Frankfurt marathon, it was not easy this year to acquire an elite field that is filled with big names and can run fast times . The marathon has been canceled for the past two years due to the pandemic. Fewer recreational athletes have registered this time, sponsors have broken away. “We have to deal with a budget that is reduced by 50 percent,” says Kopp, who negotiates the appearance fees, with a view to acquiring the top runners.
The hope of the organizers: transition year 2022
“Event organizers like Berlin and New York don’t have any problems because of the large overhang,” says Kopp. But the second row is already noticing that many runners are still afraid of “going into larger fields” because of Corona. The hope of those responsible: 2022 should be a transitional year. Even the Oktoberfest had fewer visitors, says Kopp. That’s encouraging. In 2023 and 2024 everything should go back to normal. Because of the European Championships in Munich, there are fewer European and fewer national runners at the start. But he is “actually quite satisfied” with the elite field, says Kopp. It doesn’t sound like he really is, but it is more to be seen in the context of the adversities that have accompanied him.
infographicFrankfurt marathon route 2022
The fact that Filimon Abraham and Hendrik Pfeiffer, two fast Germans aiming for a time of around 2:09:00 hours, decided to go to Frankfurt is a stroke of luck for Kopp and Schindler. As a naturalized refugee from Eritrea, Abraham is running his second marathon after dropping out in Hamburg at kilometer 35. Olympic participant Pfeiffer actually wanted to start in New York. “But they didn’t want to include me in the elite field,” he says. Pfeiffer was supposed to start five minutes later than the top guys. “That’s out of the question for me. I’m a professional athlete.” Now he’s running in “Mainhattan instead of Manhattan” – and wants to show it to everyone: “I think they’ll regret not having me in New York.”
Good reputation, fast race
Among the women, the German champion in mountain running, Laura Hottenrott, and Thea Heim are the fastest Germans in the field. But they will probably not compete for the first places any more than Abraham and Pfeiffer. Since 2008, runners from Kenya or Ethiopia have always won. The interest of the athletes from these countries in the Frankfurt marathon is great, says Schindler. Internationally, the race has a good reputation. The route is fast with only 28 meters in altitude. With 15,000 or 12,000 euros – depending on the time – there is also a decent prize money.
Many of the Africans earn their living by competing on other continents. Running is often the only way to get out of poverty. “It was already difficult for them during the pandemic. Especially for the second row,” says Kopp. Some had to earn their money again as field workers. The athletes often also buy their own piece of land, for example they grow corn. “That’s the basic security for them,” explains Kopp, who as a manager has contacts in East African countries.
Training in the morning, on the tractor in the afternoon
One person who experienced this is Martin Kosgey. During the pandemic, the Kenyan trained in the morning, sat on the tractor at noon and trained again in the evening, he says in an interview with the FAZ. Now “Mister Frankfurt”, as Kosgey is called here, wants to improve his best time of 2:06:41 hours – and after two second and two fourth places finally crossing the finish line as a winner on the red carpet in the Festhalle. But the top favorite should be Ethiopian Gebru Redahgne (best time 2:05:58).
The fastest woman in the field, Selly Kaptich (2:21:06), has announced that she wants to attack the course record. It is 2:19:10 hours and was set up by Valary Aiyabei in 2019. Kenya’s Kaptich is one of three women to have run under 2:22:00, along with Yeshi Chekole of Ethiopia (2:21:17) and Helah Kiprop of Kenya (2:21:27). But Gladys Chepkurui (2:28:55) should not be underestimated either, despite the numbers that appear in her personal best. In her first marathon in Paris, she ran the first half in 68 minutes. “Then she died a hero’s death,” says Kopp, who has great confidence in her. She ran the ten kilometers in Valencia in 30:48 minutes.
Kopp repeatedly acted as a reminder on Friday: Everyone should stick to the agreements with the pacemakers, not overdo it. He hopes the groups will stay together for a long time. work together. Until the Hammerman appears. And then a sprint to the finish – that would be great pictures. The Frankfurt marathon could use them for the restart.
