Largest hella hamburg half marathon ever

About six weeks ago, the last of 18,000 bib numbers went over the virtual counter. It has been clear for much longer that more half marathon runners than ever before will be taking to Hamburg’s streets this Sunday. With an increase in registration of almost 42%, it is by far the largest race in the event’s 31-year history.

Running is currently experiencing a historic boom, and urban races are particularly popular. The half marathon through the Elbe metropolis boasts all the attractions that make road races so popular: an attractive route with many sights, a great entertainment program along the course, and the loud support of the Hamburg crowd.

Whether the top athletes will have an eye on this on Sunday is doubtful. Rather, they will try to assert themselves in a top-class, international field. Richard Ringer, one of Germany’s most important long-distance runners (including 2022 European Marathon Champion, 2023 German 10 km Road Race and Half Marathon Champion) will be there.

“The hella hamburg half marathon is the ideal preparation for the upcoming World Championships for me. The course has a similar profile, with the downhill gradient in the first few kilometers and the uphill gradient to the finish, and the warmer temperatures are also comparable. The race itself is well-populated with international competitors, who will really challenge me,” Ringer says, looking forward to the race.

The 36-year-old Olympian from LC Rehlingen begins his journey to Hamburg with a personal best of 1:00:51 h (Berlin, April 2025). This puts him within touching distance of the course record (1:00:52 h, Merhawi Kesete, 2015). However, since the course in Hamburg is more challenging, a similar result is not expected.

Samwel Mailu’s chances are significantly better. The 32-year-old Kenyan returns to the Elbe with positive memories, having already won the race in 2022 and 2023 (1:01:52 h and 1:01:09 h, respectively). If the current weather forecast is correct, he will face significantly better conditions on Sunday than in the 2022 and 2023 heat races.

He is likely to face tougher competition from his compatriots Hillary Kipchirchir and Edward Cheserek. Both have very fast personal bests: 58:53 min in Valencia in 2023 and 59:11 min in Copenhagen in 2023, respectively. However, these times were achieved on former world record courses – how these results translate to Hamburg will become clear on Sunday.

In the women’s race, the top field will likely be led by Lonah Salpeter. The 2022 winner and reigning course record holder (1:10:05 h) already proved in Prague in 2019 that she has nothing to fear on the international stage (1:06:09 h). It remains exciting to see what the 36-year-old can achieve on the course in more run-friendly temperatures. Kenyans Viola Chepngeno (personal best: 1:06:43 hours / Copenhagen 2024) and Carolina Korir (1:07:23 h / Rome 2023) will likely be hot on her heels. If the three run together from the start, they could push each other to new heights.

No German women will be able to reach these dimensions. Lisa Huwatschek (Hannover 96, p.B.: 1:14:00 h) enters the race as the favorite for the German podium. The decisive factor will be who she competes with. Will she manage to establish herself in a men’s group, or will the German women’s field keep pace? It will certainly be very difficult for her on her own.