LEMMA AND JELELA ADDED TO 2015 FRANKFURT MARATHON FIELD

Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma Kasaye, winner of this year’s Vienna City Marathon, and his compatriot Koren Jelela Yal will be two high quality additions to the elite field for the Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday 25 October, organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race announced on Wednesday (14).

All the signs from his career so far are that Lemma can produce a special performance in Frankfurt.

The 24-year-old Ethiopian, who began his career at the age of 17 running barefoot for lack of running shoes, achieved a big breakthrough this year after he had already impressed when winning the 2013 Warsaw Marathon in 2:09:02.

He began 2015 in fine style with fifth place and a personal best 2:07:06 in the Dubai Marathon in January.

In the Austrian capital in April, Lemma broke away from the field at 27 kilometres and won by almost five minutes in 2:07:31, the biggest victory of his career so far.

“If it hadn’t been windy and had I been put under more pressure from my rivals, I could have run 2:05,” reflected Sisay.

Jelela, now 28, returned to competition earlier this year after maternity leave and not racing at all internationally during 2013 and 2014.

Her goal in Frankfurt will be to get close to her best of 2:22:43, set when winning the Toronto Marathon in 2011, which also ranks her as the fastest woman in the Frankfurt elite field. Other notable successes for Jelela include winning the 2011 Mumbai Marathon and the Istanbul Marathon title a year later.

Source: IAAF.org