Eric Kiptanui makes a comeback in Germany

Kenya’s Eric Kiptanui will have an uphill task at the 41st edition of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon scheduled to be held on Sunday (21) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

The 34 year-old who shot to the limelight at the 2018 Berlin Half Marathon, where he set a course record of 58:42 which at the time was the fourth fastest half marathon ever, will face-off with Ethoipia’s Herpasa Negasa, who became the eighth fastest runner ever at the 2019 Dubai Marathon, with a world-class time of 2:03.40.

Negesa who two years ago clocked a very good time in Seoul Marathon where he ran 2:04.49 and crossed the finish in second again, trains with the Paris Olympic Champion Tamirat Tola and current Boston Marathon winner Sisay Lemma under the strict tutelage of Coach Gemedu Dedefo.

Kiptanui will be one of the strong challengers to Negasa as he established himself as one of the fastest half marathon runners of 2018. He first took the honors at Lisbon Half Marathon, and then ran a 58:42, a Berlin course record that still stands today.

Kiptanui who has participated in five marathons under his name, won his first marathon during the Corona Virus lockdown in Italy when he ran his life time best of 2:05.47. Despite fine results in Chicago in 2021 where he finished third and Boston in 2022 in fifth he has not yet improved on his time from Siena.

Kiptanui who is coached by Patrick Sang and runs under the Global Sports Communication stable, that houses also the living World Marathon record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, now wants to bounce back in Frankfurt.