Misikir Mekonnen leads Ethiopian women’s team for Rotterdam Marathon

Rotterdam, the Netherlands - Misikir Mekonnen of Ethiopia will lead an Ethiopian women team for the ABN-AMRO Marathon Rotterdam, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, which will take place here on April 14.

Mekonnen has a personal best of 2:25:21, a time she clocked nearly two years ago finishing second in San Diego. Already this year the 26-year old has won the Hong Kong Marathon in 2:30:49, successfully defending her title from last year.

She will be joined in Rotterdam by compatriot Harun Makda. A former winner in Venice, she finished second to Mekonnen in Hong Kong and has a personal best of 2:26:46, set last year in Paris where she finished third.

Another Ethiopian, Abebech Afework, will be contesting just her second Marathon to date. The 22-year-old made her debut over the distance earlier this year in Dubai, clocking 2:27:08. Team-mate Mekuria Aberume is just a fraction slower at 2:27:20, but is a former winner in Eindhoven and Cologne.

Men’s category

The men’s category includes six athletes who ran sub-2:06 PBs – Berhanu Shiferaw, Getu Feleke, Bazu Worku and Tilahun Regassa of Ethiopia and Kenyan Wilson Chebet and Sammy Kitwara. Other notable runners are Geoffrey  Kipsang (Kenya), Assefa Bentayehu (Ethiopia) and Augustine Rono (Kenya).

Source: IAAF.org