Shitaye Gemechu leads Ethiopian charge at Prague Marathon

Prague, Czech Republic – Kenneth Mungara will return to the streets of the Czech capital to defend his title while Ethiopian Shitaye Gemechu is aiming to end a three-year Russian victory run in the women’s race at Sunday’s 15th running of the Volkswagen Prague Marathon.

The Volkswagen Prague Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.

Hoping for a memorable anniversary celebration, organisers are aiming for a sub-2:10 performance in the men’s race and sub-2:26 in the women’s, and possible assaults on the event records of 2:08:52 and 2:26:33 set in 1998 and 2001 respectively. Given the proper conditions, both aims are in the cards.

Ivuti looking to return to sub 2:09 territory

In the men’s race, four men have run faster than the current Prague record, set 11 years ago, topped by Kenyan Patrick Ivuti whose 2:07:46career best was set in 2005. Two years later, he won the Chicago marathon and last year, he won the Honolulu marathon with time of 2:14:35. Ivuti has set himself a goal for the Prague race to run below 2:09 to again dip under 2:10.

Others in the hunt include Kenyans David Kemboi Murkomen (2:08:34), Leonardo Mucheru (2:09:37) and Stephen Kipkoech Kibiwot (2:10:10); Moroccan-born Spaniard Hicham Chatt (2:07:59) and Oleksandr Sitkowski from Ukraine (2:10:18).

Familiar to the thousands who are expected to line the charming streets of Prague will be last year’s winner Kenneth Mburu Mungara, who won last year in 2:11:06 after running solo over the last few kilometres. He is aiming to break his personal record of 2:10:37 set at the 2008 Tiberias Marathon.

Chief local attention will focus on Czech Robert Štefko. Now 41, Štefko has a 2:09:53 career best from London in 1998.

Among the several notable debutantes are Kenyans Jonathan Maiyo (1:00:10 in this year’s Rotterdam Half Marathon) and Stephen Kosgei, who has a Half Marathon best of 60:34 from this year’s Nice Half Marathon where he finished third. Belgian track standout and 2008 Olympian Monder Rizki will also be making his debut.

Gemechu leads Ethiopian assault – Women’s race

Russian women have won the last three editions of the Prague Marathon, and this year a trio of Ethiopians will be looking to aim that stretch. Leading the field is the diminutive Shitaye Gemechu, who at 150cm and 39kg packs a deceiving wallop. Her 2:26:15 personal best was set at the 2008 Paris Marathon and is hoping to dip under 2:26 should the conditions allow.

Eyerusalem Kuma Mutal, who returned from maternity leave a year ago, brings 2:26:51 credentials with her, a performance from this year’s Dubai Marathon where she finished a respectable sixth.

The third Ethiopian looking to get noticed is Mulu Seboka Seyfu, who has a 2:29:06 personal best.

Leading the European charge is Russia's Olga Glokova (2:30:40) and Malgorzata Sobanska of Poland who has run 2:26:08, but in the past three years hasn’t run faster than 2:31:10.