ROTTERDAM TO HAVE STRONGEST FIELD IN YEARS

By David Monti

(c) 2007 Race Results Weekly, all right reserved. Used with permission.

The Fortis Marathon Rotterdam has assembled one of its strongest fields in years, with four sub-2:07 and eight sub-2:08 athletes expected to compete.  Felix Limo's course record of 2:06:14 could be threatened, given good weather, on Sunday, April 15.

It will be the 27th edition of the race which ushered in the modern era of speed marathons in 1988 when Ethiopian Belayneh Dinsamo ran a startling 2:06:50, the first man ever to break 2:07.  Dinsamo's record stood for more than ten years.

Here's the field for 2007 with personal best times:

MEN -

Benoit Zwierzchlewski, FRA        2:06:36

William Kipsang, KEN              2:06:39

Wilson Onsare, KEN                2:06:47

Charles Kibiwott, KEN             2:06:52

Rodgers Rop, KEN                  2:07:34

Patrick Ivuti, KEN                2:07:46

Jimmy Muindi, KEN                 2:07:50

Joseph Ngolepus, KEN              2:07:57

Salim Kipsang, KEN                2:08:04

Daniel Yego, KEN                  2:08:16

Dejene Berhanu, ETH               2:08:46

Solomon Bushendich, KEN           2:08:52

Thomas Kiplatan, KEN              2:10:03

Greg van Hest, NED                2:10:05

Isaac Macharia, KEN               2:10:09

Luc Krotwaar, NED                 2:10:13

Kamel Ziani, ESP                  2:10:18

Takayuki Matsumiya, JPN           2:10:20

Franklin Tenorio, ECU             2:10:22

Francis Kiprop, KEN               2:10:40

JuliusSugut, KEN                  2:11:29

Terefe Yae, ETH                   2:12:07

Hugo v.d. Broek, NED              2:12:08

Janne Holmen, FIN                 2:12:10

Shane Nankervis, AUS              2:12:33

Jussi Utriainen, FIN              2:13:10

Clodoaldo da Silva, BRA           2:13:12

Simon Munyutu, KEN                2:14:42

Koen Raymaekers, NED              2:15:22

Luke Kipkosgei, KEN               2:19:20 (1:01:18 half)

Ignacio Caceres, ESP              debut

Pedro Nimo, ESP                   debut

WOMEN -

Hiromi Ominami, JPN               2:23:26

Alevtina Biktimirova, RUS         2:25:12

Malgorzata Sobanska, POL          2:26:08

Adaneck Zekiros, ETH              2:27:38

Martha Tenorio, ECU               2:27:58

Nadja Wijenberg (40+), NED        2:28:45

Helena Kiprop Loshanyang, KEN     2:28:45

Ana Dias, POR                     2:28:49

Dulce Maria Rodriguez, MEX        2:28:54

Marcia Narloch, BRA               2:29:59

Rebecca Moore, NZL                2:36:31

Atseda Baysa, ETH                 2:37:48

Florence Chepkurui, KEN           debut

Save on Running Shoes