Running News Daily

Abdi Gelelchu and Margaret Agai took the honors at Copenhagen Marathon

With all 15,000 entries sold out in January, the Copenhagen Marathon already set a historic record since the race was born in 1980. But the elite runners were aiming for more records Sunday May 5th as they took on the newly designed, fast and flat course in near perfect marathon weather.

Edition number 43 of Copenhagen Marathon was a new breakthrough for the race with the strongest starting field ever sent out into the streets of the capital of Denmark. The female winner of the day was Margaret Agai from Kenya, who surprised the favorites and finished in 2:27.31.

“I’m very, very happy. The spectators were amazing and carried us through,” Agai said shortly afterwards and found a smile when talking about meeting the Danish crowd.

In the men’s race, favorite Gadisa Birhanu was also challenged by a strong field of favorites and was ultimately beaten by Abdi Gelelchu from Bahrain, who followed up on the surprises and crossed the finish line at Øster Allé in a winning time of 2:09.11.

“I’m very happy,” were the words that came out of the mouth of a hard-pressed winner who managed to lift his thumbs in triumph.

Last year’s female winner Rodah Chepkorir came into the race as the clear favorite with her race record from 2023 of 2:23.14. However, the 33-year-old Kenyan faced very strong competition. A total of 11 women were entered with times under 2 hours and 30 minutes. Mongolia’s Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh surprisingly broke into the top 10 at the Tokyo Marathon this year and initially conquered the pacer and opened a small gap to Chepkorir and the other favorites. After 20 kilometers, she extended her lead to over a minute and was on course for direct Olympic qualification.

But her energy ran out and instead Agai came blowing from behind in a more measured race strategy to take the win and receive the flowers and be wrapped in the Kenyan flag.

Favorite defeat in the men’s raceIn the men’s race, expectations were high for Birhanu. The 31-year-old Ethiopian ran 2:04.59 when he won the Seville Marathon last year. The pacer was booked for a finishing time of just under 2:07 hours. It was a strong signal that the race record set by Eritrea’s Berhane Tsegay two years ago with 2:08.23 should be put to bed in the good conditions on an improved route. At the same time, it was well below the current time requirement for direct Olympic qualification of 2:08.10.

That goal was sought after early in the race when the favorite field of just under 10 runners completed 5 kilometers in 14.51. 25 seconds faster than the previous course record and also a pace well below the direct Olympic qualification requirements. It wasn’t enough for Gelelchu, but a lot of effort was put in to give the Danish audience a record.

After 25 kilometres, the front runners were still within reach of the race record. And after 35 km, a trio of Birhanu, Kenyan James Kiplagat and Abdi Gelelchu were decisively free and set the biodynamic GPS after breaking a yellow triumphal ribbon at the finish on Øster Allé.

Top-3 men and women

Women’s top three1: Margaret Agai, Kenya 2:27:312: Mercy Kwambai, Kenya 2:28,123: Alisa Vainio, Finland 2:28:21

Mens top three1: Abdi Gelelchu, Bahrain 2:09:112: Gadisa Birhanu, Ethiopia 2:09:553: Abebaw Muniye, Ethiopia 2:10:27

Course records could fall at Copenhagen Marathon this weekend

Sunday’s Copenhagen Marathon can once again boast a strong, East African dominated start field. In the women’s race, Rodah Chepkorir of Kenya is returning to the scene of her record-breaking race from last year, while Ethiopia’s Gadisha Berhanu in the men’s race holds the role of favorite.

With all 15,000 start numbers sold out as early as in January, the 44th edition of the Copenhagen Marathon has already set a record. At race day, Sunday the 5th of May, further records could as well be broken. In the women’s race, eyes are set on Rodah Chepkorir Tanui, who won last year’s edition in a race record of 2:23,14 hours. However, the 33-year-old Kenyan will be up for a tough task defending her title in the Danish capital. Among her strongest opponents is Derartu Gerefa of Ethiopia, who finished fourth at the Seville Marathon in February.

With 11 women entered with a personal best under two and a half hours, the international level of the race has never been higher. Alisa Vainio set a national record of 2:27,26 last year, and with the second pacemaker aiming for 2:26,59, the Finn will as well be targeting the Olympic entry standard (2:26,50). Another national record holder is Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh of Mongolia, who ran 2:26,32 when finishing 8th at the Tokyo Marathon two months ago.

Birhanu of Ethiopia is the one to beatWith a personal best of 2:04,59, Gadisa Birhanu is the one to beat in the men’s race. The 31-year-old Ethiopian ran the impressive time when triumphing at the Seville Marathon last year. 10 men are entered with a personal best under 2:10 hour, among them Japan’s Tsubasa Ichiyama (2:07,41) who will have his debut on European soil. The elite field includes as well the legendary figure of Ser-Od Bat-Ochir; the 42-year-old runner has represented Mongolia at all Olympic Marathons since Athens 2004 – and at 11 (!) consecutive World Championships.

“We are thrilled to be able to present such a strong field of elite runners at this year’s Copenhagen Marathon – both men and women,” says Dorte Vibjerg, CEO of Sparta Athletics & Running.

“This is a great endorsement of Copenhagen Marathon as an organization and of Copenhagen as a city. It shows that we have the right framework for the runners to achieve something great on a beautiful, flat and fast course through Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. So if you want to see some of the world’s fastest runners unfold, Copenhagen is the place to be on Sunday.”

Pacemaker Mathew Chekwurui of Kenya is set to aim at finishing time of 2:07 hours – well below the race record of 2:08,23 set by Berhane Tsegay of Eritrea in 2022. At the same time, it’s close to the Olympic requirement of 2:06.50, so it will be exciting to see who will join that train.

The race incorporates once again the National Championships, and with deadline for Olympic qualification approaching soon, the best Danish runners are all set for fast times.

Tanui and Kirwa are the winners at the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon

Kenyans Rodah Chepkorir Tanui and Solomon Kirwa survived the heat to win the women’s and men’s 2023 Copenhagen Marathon on Sunday (14). 

Running her second marathon of the year, Tanui pulled away from the field to better her personal best from 2:25:46, which was set in Buenos Aires on 22 September 2019. She ran 2:28:30 for sixth place in her other marathon race in 2023 in Riyadh in February.

For her top performance today, Tanui collected €$6000 for the win and an extra €$3000 in bonus prize for breaking the race record. Look for her to race in other big marathon races in the near future!

Valentina Mateiko, the 2014 World Junior 3000m bronze medalist, made an impressive start to her marathon career in the extremely hot condition in Copenhagen today, clocking in at 2:25:05 to take second place on debut before being well received by her Kenyan teammate at the finish line.

Philippa Bowden of Great Britain also smashed her personal best big time when she ran in at 2:29:16 for third place, lowering her previous mark by almost five minutes.

The top American finisher today in the women’s contest was Roberta Groner, the 2019 World Championship sixth place finisher, who ran 2:31:37 to take sixth place today as well.

Karen Ehrenreich won the Danish title with a time of 2:35:02 for 9th place overall, with Stine Schønning a distant second place in the Danish Championships at 2:45:10.

Kirwa Leads Kenyan Sweep in Men’s Race

Meanwhile, Solomon Kirwa led a Kenyan podium sweep in the men’s race at the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon. The 36-year-old, running for the first time in the Copenhagen race, made it a fruitful debut at the Denmark event, clocking in at 2:09:12 for first place after surging away from his rivals after the 40km mark.

Edwin Kiptoo of Kenya, who led after the halfway mark, was second in the end with a time of 2:09:51, followed by countrymen Kenneth Keter, who posted 2:09:47 for third place and Pius Karanja in fourth.

T-Roy Brown was the best-placed male runner from the United States today, taking 18th place with a time of 2:21:17.

Karen Ehrenreich was crowned the Denmark champion after he finished at 2:35:02 for 9th overall, while Andreas Lommer of Denmark, who changed his race plans to work with Tanui in her chase for glory today, ran out of gas and finished with a time of 2:23:50.