Sabrina Mockenhaupt wins Berlin women’s 10km Avon race (© Camera 4)
Sabrina Mockenhaupt won her debut marathon today in Cologne, clocking 2:29:33.
The 26-year-old German beat the qualifying time for the 2008 Olympic Marathon and fulfilled hopes of the organisers for a home win. In contrast to Irina Mikitenko’s superb debut a week earlier in Berlin (2:24:51), Mockenhaupt experienced a tough last 10k in Cologne.
But the opposition was not strong enough to make it a close race for victory. Ethiopia’s Worknesh Tola had taken an early lead, but faltered after passing half way in 73:20. She finished third in 2:34:28, while Austria’s Susanne Pumper took second with 2:33:27.
Kenyans took the first three places in the men’s race: Daniel Too clocked a personal best of 2:11:05, beating Samuel Muturi (2:11:27) and Benjamin Itok (2:11:33).
Luminita Zaituc won the Half Marathon, which was staged in parallel. Preparing for the Frankfurt Marathon in three weeks time, she clocked 71:54. Adding-up all races a record field of 28,773 athletes had entered the Cologne Marathon. About 10,200 started the marathon race.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
