With three big names headlining the field, the course record might well be broken in the women's section at the 41st Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday (October 27, 2024). Yeshi Chekole, Hawi Feysa and Magdalyne Masai will all aim to break the record, which currently stands at 2:19:10. (More Sports News)
The Ethiopian Chekole is the fastest on the start list this year with 2:21:17, while Elisha Rotich is the quickest man among the elite. The Kenyan won the Paris title in 2021 with 2:04:21 and still retains the course record there.
The men’s entry offers five athletes with best times under 2:07, while a further ten have broken 2:10. For the women, five have run under 2:23. Despite some late withdrawals, Frankfurt’s elite field still offers the chance of fast and enthralling competition.
“We are delighted to have another world-class and exciting race to offer which has every chance of producing one or two surprises,” said the race director Jo Schindler. Germany’s oldest city marathon has this year around 14,000 entrants.
Taking into account events held in conjunction, more than 25,000 will be in action. The Frankfurt Marathon is a member of the Elite Label Road Race Events under the auspices of World Athletics, the international governing body.
Looking at previous results, Elisha Rotich perhaps has the best claim to be considered the men’s favourite. The Kenyan has proven form over the years in producing strong results in major marathons. His greatest day, so far, was victory in the Paris Marathon in 2021. The course is by no means easy and Rotich ran 2:04:21 to break the event record. Also notable was his feat in surpassing the course record time of no less than the great Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele.
“I’ve trained intensively for five months with the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon as my sole aim. If the weather conditions are good – I’m hoping for somewhat cooler temperatures and that us runners in the leading group help each other – good times will come. this would make results under 2:05 possible,” the Kenyan said.
Rotich will have to reckon with strong opposition on Sunday, including four fast Ethiopians: Lencho Tesfaye (2:06:18), Aychew Banti (2:06:23), Abay Alemu (2:06:50) and Birhan Nebebew (2:06:52). The lead group is likely to be aiming for a finishing time of between 2:04 and 2:05.
The leading German runner among the men is Tom Thurley. He ran a personal best of 2:14:52 in Hanover in the spring, which earned second place in the integrated national championships.
Frankfurt Marathon 2024: Live Streaming Details
When and where will the Frankfurt Marathon 2024 be held?
Frankfurt Marathon 2024 will be held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 2:30pm IST.
Where will Frankfurt Marathon 2024 be telecast and live streamed?
Frankfurt Marathon 2024 will be live streamed on the Frankfurt Marathon official website as well as their YouTube channel. The race will be commented on by Martin Gruning, former long-distance runner and editor-in-chief at Runners World, and Claudia Dreher, former German long-distance runner. It will not be broadcast on any TV channel in India.
