Samuel Kosgei defends 2021 title and record
BARCELONA, 5 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The 43rd edition of the Zurich Marató Barcelona, which takes place this Sunday, will be more supportive than ever with aid to the refugees from Ukraine –through the 10-kilometre race– and more feminine, with the participation of older women. high in the history of the Barcelona marathon.
This 2022, the marathon will have a total of 10,073 runners, with a 25 percent female presence in the Marató, which represents a growth of 5 percent compared to the 2021 edition, and with 27 percent of foreign participation with up to 86 different nationalities.
Once again, Avenida Maria Cristina will once again be the starting point for a “fast and monumental” circuit presented this morning at the Museu Olímpic i de l’Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch. A route that will pass through several emblematic points of the Catalan capital such as the Plaça d’Espanya, the Camp Nou, the Sagrada Família, the Forum, the monument to Columbus, the Torre de Glòries, the Arc del Triomf, the Passeig de Gràcia or the Plaça de Catalunya.
The director of the Zurich Marató Barcelona, Cristian Llorens, highlighted that for two consecutive editions the race has broken its own record, both in the men’s and women’s categories, in terms of participation. “It means that the small modifications to the circuit have had their effect. We hope that, in this edition, we can once again enjoy seeing how both brands will beat each other and consolidate ourselves as one of the fastest marathons in Europe”, he predicted.
This year’s novelty, in addition to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona ’92 Olympic marathon, is the 10K BCN, which will start 20 minutes after the Marató starts and part of the registration will go to refugees and refugees from Ukraine through the Red Cross.
On a sporting level, the Kenyan athlete Samuel Kiplimo Kosgei and the Ethiopian runner Tadelech Bekele Alemu are the big favorites to win this 43rd edition of the Barcelona marathon. In fact, Kosgei defends the 2021 title and record with a time of 2:06.03 hours that he will try to beat in this new edition.
He will have important rivals, such as the double world marathon champion, also Kenyan Abel Kirui, in a new attempt to improve the records of the Barcelona marathon below two hours and six minutes. Kirui also won the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
From the women’s list, the favorite to win this 43rd edition of the Marathon is the Ethiopian Tadelech Bekele Alemu. Bekele is a two-time winner of the Amsterdam Marathon, in 2017 and 2018, and had her fastest time (2.21:40) at the 2018 London Marathon.
In addition, Bekele is accompanied by three more compatriots. The most outstanding, Meseret Gebre Dekebo, winner of the Zurich Donostia-San Sebastián Marathon 2021.