That is the story of the 2025 Gutenburg Mainz Half Marathon in Mainz, Germany. The story is from Race Information Providers and photographs by Norbert Wilhelmi.
GUTENBERG MAINZ HALF MARATHON
Robust course data by James Kipkurui and Esther Chemtai in Mainz
Robust course data have been established on the Gutenberg Mainz Half Marathon: Debutant James Kipkurui was the shock winner with 60:50 and fellow-Kenyan Esther Chemtai took the ladies’s race with 68:52. With these outcomes the race confirmed its place because the presently second quickest half marathon in Germany behind Berlin. Organisers registered 8,500 entries for the half marathon. Including occasions at shorter distances the whole was 13,700 athletes.
After some very quick preliminary kilometers, when the main group was heading in the right direction for a sub one hour ending time, the tempo calmed down. A gaggle of six males then reached the 10k level in 28:35, which pointed in the direction of a 60:20 time. Surprisingly it was the 23-year-old debutant James Kipkurui, who broke away from the group earlier than the 15k mark. In good climate situations the Kenyan prolonged his lead. The newcomer, who was unknown internationally, improved the course document by eleven seconds to 60:50 and achieved the primary outcome beneath 61:00 in Mainz. “This victory comes as a shock to me. My subsequent aim now could be to enhance my time to round 59 minutes,“ stated James Kipkurui, who comes from the broader Eldoret space (Eldama Ravine). The 1992 Olympic 3,000 m steeplechase champion Matthew Birir is a part of his teaching staff in Kenya.
Germany’s marathon document holder Samuel Fitwi (2:04:56) moved up from third to second in the course of the remaining two kilometers and crossed the road as runner-up with 61:22, lacking his private finest by simply 5 seconds. “I’m pleased with second place, though I used to be unable to run sub 61 immediately. The course is absolutely good and the ambiance was improbable,“ stated Samuel Fitwi. Kenya’s Joshua Kithuku was third with 61:24.
Within the girls’s race three athletes reached the 10k mark in 32:36, which was 68:45 tempo. Esther Chemtai, fellow-Kenyan Rency Kogo, who ran her half marathon debut, and Belgium’s Hanne Verbruggen fashioned the main trio whereas Domenika Mayer of Germany started to free contact on this part of the race. Quickly afterwards the 2 Kenyans dropped Hanne Verbruggen as effectively. Working behind Rency Kogo for the a while Esther Chemtai then moved forward with two kilometers to go. Profitable in 68:52 she was virtually a minute quicker than the earlier course document of 69:46. Behind the 31 year-old Rency Kogo took second with 69:04 and Hanne Verbruggen adopted in third in 69:43. This was an enormous private finest for the Belgian who broke 70 minutes for the primary time.
“It was solely my second half marathon and my first time beneath 70 minutes. Now I want to enhance to round 67:00. I’ll run a marathon sooner or later, however first I wish to get quicker within the half marathon,“ stated Esther Chemtai, who trains within the Ngong Hills close to Nairobi. Again in 2010 she was the bronze medallist on the World Junior Cross Nation Championships.
Fourth positioned Domenika Mayer was the fourth girl to clock a sub 70:00 time in Mainz on Sunday. With 69:56 the German ran her second quickest time ever and missed her PB by simply ten seconds. “However this was not my day. Proper from the start I used to be by no means capable of finding any rhythm. At some stage I didn’t even count on to complete,“ stated Domenika Mayer.
Outcomes, Males:
1. James Kipkurui KEN 60:50
2. Samuel Fitwi GER 61:22
3. Joshua Kithuku KEN 61:24
4. Nickson Kogei KEN 62:15
5. Calistus Kitoo KEN 62:19
Girls:
1. Esther Chemtai KEN 68:52
2. Rency Kogo KEN 69:04
3. Hanne Verbruggen BEL 69:43
4. Domenika Mayer GER 69:56
5. Rita Jelagat KEN 71:44
Extra data is offered on-line at:Â www.halbmarathon-mainz.de
Please notice: The connected photographs, displaying the winners, can be utilized solely along with this press launch and with the next credit score: Norbert Wilhelmi
