Mona Stockhecke runs in Frankfurt
We predict an interesting battle for the women’s German championships. It will be, we think, between Mona and Lisa. Because after Lisa Hahner we got confirmation that Mona Stockhecke will go for the title as well.
“The race in Frankfurt last year was a great, fascinating event”, says Mona Stockhecke. The 32 year old runner managed a new personal best in 2:33:05 hours. In 2015 so far she was less fortunate having had complications from a paranasal operation followed by other health problems. She couldn’t run the Hamburg Marathon in her hometown.
But all the more reason to be excited at the prospect of running in Frankfurt. Training has gone well and without problems for weeks now which makes it possible for her to set her sights on a new personal best. Mona will come straight from the U.S. where she works and trains on a scholarship in Duluth, Minnesota.
Lisa Hahner is looking forward to her comeback in Frankfurt as well. “During the last weeks I my training units became better and better. I’ve really made progress.”, says the 25 year old pro-athlete. Like Mona Stockhecke Lisa’s personal best was achieved in Frankfurt – though in 2013. Due to a series of injuries she wasn’t able to run a marathon since then. But still she wants to qualify for the Olympics in Rio in 2016 which would mean finishing in under 2:28:30 hours. Lisa thinks it can be done in Frankfurt already. “My goal is to run fast and improve my personal best by one or two minutes. That seems very possible to me.”
Even faster than Mona and Lisa will be the top African women, especially five from Ethiopia. A favorite for the win is Meseret Mengistu, who improved her personal record by six minutes when she won this year’s Paris marathon in 2:23:26 hours. “In Frankfurt she wants to show that this was not a one time thing”, says Christoph Kopp, the man in charge of the elite fields.
The first woman in the Festhalle could however also be Mumbai winner Dinknesh Mekasha Tefera (PB 2:25:09), Ashete Bekere Dido, who finished in 2:23:42 in Dubai and the winner of the Rome marathon, Meseret Kitata, only 21 years of age but already with a personal best of 2:27:26. The fastest woman on paper starting in Frankfurt is Koren Jelala Yal (PB 2:22:43). She just finished parental leave, however.
A very interesting figur is in the endurance scene is Andrea Mayr from Austria. She is also very successfull in mountain running and cycling, works full-time a a doctor and wants to qualify in Frankfurt for the Olympics.
