AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Rankings
  • Radio
  • TV

Philipp Sanga gets a second chance in Duesseldorf

4/13/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Philipp Sanga in photo above (Photo credit: Victah Sailer / photorun.net)


Philipp Sanga is the fastest runner on the start list of the METRO GROUP Marathon Duesseldorf on 24th April. He features a personal best of 2:06:07. A number of fellow Kenyans plus defending champion Marius Ionescu of Romania are among the men’s elite runners. This was announced by the organisers 

today. Late entry for the METRO GROUP Marathon Duesseldorf, where the finish is besides the river Rhine, is still possible at: www.metrogroup-marathon.de

Five days ago Philipp Sanga seemed to have lost his chance to run a spring marathon. Scheduled to compete in Hannover last Sunday there was a mistake in the visa so that the 32 year-old was unable to fly out of Nairobi. However his agony ended today when the organizers of the METRO GROUP Marathon Duesseldorf offered him another opportunity in Germany just two weeks later. With his personal best of 2:06:07 Sanga is the fastest runner in the elite field. He ran this time when he was fourth in Frankfurt back in 2011. A marathon specialist the Kenyan has already run sub 2:09 eight times. The last time he achieved such a result was in Vienna two years ago where he was third in 2:08:58. Another fine performance came in Boston in 2011, where he took seventh in 2:07:10. While he was runner-up on a couple of occasions so far Philipp Sanga has never won a marathon. He will look to add a first victory in Duesseldorf next week.

Among his rivals are fellow-Kenyans Cosmas Kigen and Mathew Bowen. Kigen has a personal record of 2:09:43 from Cologne in 2011 while Bowen ran 2:10:57 in Rennes three years ago. More recently he was sixth in Toronto last autumn in 2:11:28. Defending champion Marius Ionescu will also return to Duesseldorf. The 31 year-old ran a personal best of 2:13:19 a year ago. However this time it will be much more difficult for him to win again since the field is much stronger than a year ago. For financial reasons organizers had a very limited elite field in 2015 and no African top runners were invited.

"We are happy that this year our event has a stronger elite field again so that we can position the METRO GROUP Marathon Duesseldorf much better among the international significant marathons," said Race Director Jan Winschermann.

Three German runners will try to use the final opportunity to snatch a place on the German Olympic team. As things stand at the moment Falk Cierpinski (PB: 2:13:30), Manuel Stöckert, who ran a marathon pacing the women, and debutant Hendrik Pfeiffer need to run sub 2:13:57 in Duesseldorf to have a chance for a ticket. At the moment Arne Gabius (2:08:33), Philipp Pflieger (2:12:50) and Julian Flügel (2:13:57) are the ones on the plane to Rio.
By: Editor
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    July 2024
    June 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network