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Shyline Torotich to battle Nazret Weldu at Vienna City Marathon

Reigning Enschede Marathon champion, Shyline Jepkorir Torotich will carry the Kenyan flag high at the 40thh edition of the Vienna City Marathon slated for Sunday (19) in Vienna, Austria.

The 29 year-old comes to this race with the third fastest time on paper of 2:22.45 that she got last year in Netherlands.

Torotich will battle the second fastest athlete on the start list, Nazret Weldu Gebrehiwet from Eritrea, who holds a life time best of 2:20.29 that she got at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she finished in fourth and missed the bronze medal by just eleven seconds. The 34 year-old who is the second oldest athlete in the elite list and is a training partner to the 2022 World Athletics marathon champion, Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia, will be chasing for the podium and Paris 2024 qualifying time which she has not achieved in her last two attempts, at the Boston marathon and Budapest.  

“Last year I was unlucky since I was injured two weeks before the race. During training a motorcycle hit me from behind. This year I am fine,” said Tanui. “For me the cooler conditions forecasted now are better than the warm weather we had last year. So I hope to run a PB on Sunday.”

The two will face the oldest and fastest athlete on the start list, the 2019 World marathon bronze medallist, Helalia Johannes of Namibia who comes to this race with a personal best of 2:19.52 that she got at the 2020 Valencia marathon, where she finished in third place.

 Another title contender is the reigning Venice Marathon champion, Rebbeca Sirwanei Tanui from Kenya who also comes to this race with the fourth fastest time of 2:23.09 that she got two years ago at the Zurich marathon, where she took the honors.

Jovana de la Cruz Capani of Peru will probably join this group as well. To be among the three fastest runners of her country during the qualifying period she needs to improve her PB of 2:26:49 by just three seconds.

With a surprise improvement to 2:26:43 in Valencia last year Austria’s Julia Mayer has achieved the Olympic qualifying time. “I am ready to go on Sunday; it is a home game for me. I don’t expect to run a PB, but the goal is to achieve a very good place,” said Mayer.

LEADING TIME

42KM WOMEN

  1. Helalia Johannes                 (NAM) 2:19.52
  2. Nazret Weldu                      (ERI)  2:20.29
  3. Shyline Torotich                 (KEN)  2:22.45
  4. Rebecca Tanui                    (KEN 2:23:09
  5. Julia Mayer                        (AUT) 2:26.43
  6. Jovana de la Cruz Capani  (PER)  2:26.49
  7. Lilia Fisikovici                   (MLD) 2:27:26
  8. Zaida Ramos                       (PER)  2:29.49
  9. Diana Bogantes Gonzalez  (CRI)  2:32.09
  10. Alina Armas                        (NAM) 2:33.09
  11. Faith Chepkoech                 (KEN) Debut
  12. Winny Kosgei                     (KEN) Debut

Author

  • John Vaselyne is the founder of Athletics News. Africa’s only Independent Athletics News website. He has covered World U18 and U20 Championships, World Cross Country Championships, Four Continental Tour Gold Series, Wanda Diamond League. He has passion for the Sport and has over seven years experience in this area of sport. He is also the Leading Athletics Pundit in the Country, having been hosted in ALL leading TV stations in Kenya

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