Megersa and Diriba among favourites in Frankfurt

Betty Chepkemoi of Kenya, the surprise winner of the Vienna City Marathon, is also among the elite athletes released today.

Organisers experience an unprecedented surge of entries and currently expect a record number of 17,000 runners. This number will also be this year’s limit for the classic distance. Entries are still accepted at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com

“The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon looks to have a well balanced and strong field of elite runners. We are looking forward to some exciting and fast racing,“ said Race Director Jo Schindler. “Because of the huge demand we encourage runners who want to run the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon to register soon to avoid missing out.“

Dejene Megersa must still be regarded as a newcomer in international marathon running. It is just one and a half years ago that he competed outside of Ethiopia for the first time. As an 18-year-old he finished third in the competitive Dubai Marathon and achieved a strong time of 2:05:42 in his debut over the 42.195km. This year, at the age of 20, Dejene Megersa was third in the Daegu Marathon in South Korea with 2:05:59. The men’s elite race on 26th October could be one of youngsters and newcomers. Emmanuel Wafula, just 20 years old as well, will run his marathon debut in Frankfurt. The Kenyan clocked a promising personal best of 59:20 in the half marathon this spring.

Filimon Abraham leads the list of German elite runner at the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon. With his personal best of 2:08:11 from Seville this year he currently sits in sixth on the list of the fastest German marathon runners of all time. “I am looking forward to the race in Frankfurt and hope that I will have better luck this time,“ said 32-year-old Filimon Abraham, who suffered from an infection shortly before the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon in 2022 and was unable to finish. “If my training continues to go well, I would like to achieve a time of under 2:08:00.“ The fastest time ever run by a German athlete in Frankfurt was set ten years ago by Arne Gabius, who broke the then 27-year-old national record with 2:08:33.

Buze Diriba will be one of the strong favourites for the women’s title. The 29 year-old is an experienced marathon runner who has already achieved a number of impressive results. In 2023 the Ethiopian won the Toronto Marathon. Two strong fourth places in the major marathons of Boston and Chicago followed in 2024. In the latter race Buze Diriba clocked her personal best of 2:20:22. Among others she will face this year’s winner of the Vienna City Marathon: Betty Chepkemoi stormed to a sensational triumph in Vienna in April with 2:24:14 despite freezing conditions. The Kenyan smashed her personal best by more than ten minutes in what was her second marathon after her debut in Istanbul last year. “I believe I can run even faster,“ said Betty Chepkemoi after her victory in Vienna.