FRANKFURT MARATHON 2026 PREVIEW: THREE GERMANS UNDER 2:05 CHASE THE NATIONAL RECORD

The 43rd Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday, October 25, brings three German men with personal bests under 2:05 to the same start line. Amanal Petros, the German record holder, leads a men's field in which four runners have broken 2:05 and four more have run under 2:07. The women's race has five starters with bests under 2:22.

The German Record Question

Petros holds the national record. Samuel Fitwi has run 2:04:45 and Richard Ringer 2:04:47, which puts all three German starters within seconds of one another on paper.

The course suits a fast time. The men's course record of 2:03:42, set by Wilson Kipsang in 2011, has stood for 15 years. Every men's winner since 2010 except one has finished under 2:07.

The Men's Field

Andualem Belay of Ethiopia is the fastest non-German entrant at 2:04:44. Benard Biwott of Kenya returns as the 2024 champion, when he won in 2:05:54. His best is 2:05:25. Haimro Alame of Israel has run 2:06:04.

The next group includes Ethiopians Antenayehu Dagnachew at 2:06:55 and Jiregna Geleta at 2:06:57. Derara Hurisa, Jirata Dinki and Abe Gashahun have all run between 2:08 and 2:09, and Austria's Lemawork Ketema is entered with a best of 2:10:44.

Defending champion Belay Asfaw, who won last year in 2:06:16, is not on the start list.

Recent Winning Times

The closest any man has come to Kipsang's record since 2011 was Brimin Misoi of Kenya, who won in 2:04:53 in 2023. Kipsang himself won twice, running 2:04:57 in 2010 before his record the following year.

Ethiopian and Kenyan men have won every edition since 2010. A win for Petros, Fitwi or Ringer would be the first by a German man in that span.

The Women's Field

Zeineba Yimer of Ethiopia leads on time with 2:18:47. Betsy Saina of the United States has run 2:19:17, and Meskerem Assefa returns to the city where she set her best of 2:20:36 when she won in 2018.

Siranesh Yirga of Ethiopia at 2:21:08 and Marion Kibor of Kenya at 2:21:12 complete the group under 2:22. Janet Ruguru of Kenya has run 2:23:00 and Mehret Gemeda of Ethiopia 2:23:29.

Germany's Blanka Dörfel makes her marathon debut. Switzerland's Martina Strähl is entered with a best of 2:28:07.

The Women's Record

Hawi Feysa set the women's course record of 2:17:25 here in 2024. She is not in Frankfurt this year after defending her Chicago Marathon title on October 11 in 2:13:33.

Last year's women's winner, Buze Diriba Kejela, ran 2:19:34 in Frankfurt. She is also absent, having won the Amsterdam Marathon on October 18 in a course record 2:16:12.

No one in this year's field has run faster than Feysa's record, which leaves it about 80 seconds clear of Yimer's best.

What to Watch

The German record and the course record sit about 20 seconds apart, so a race paced for one puts the other within reach.

In the women's race, Yimer's best gives her a margin of 30 seconds on Saina and close to two minutes on Assefa. The race finishes on a red carpet inside the Festhalle.