TOP RUNNERS – MEN'S RACE 1 – KOMEN John Kipkorir (KENYA)

Marakwet, Kenya 28 August 1977 173 x 58

2:07:13

PB * MAR: 2:07:13 (La Rochelle 2011) – HMAR: 61:57 (Turin 2009) WON VENICE MARATHON IN 2009 WITH A CR 2:08:13 Won La Rochelle marathon in 2011 HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Reims 2008 & La Rochelle 2014; 4th Turin 2008; 6th Turin 2010 & Wien 2012; 7th Boston 2010; 9th Paris 2009 IN ROME * In 2012 was a pacemaker Lives and trains in Iten – Married, his wife is a nurse - Has three children: two daughters (9 and 7-year-old) and a 2-year-old son – Started running in 2005 – Before running he used to play soccer as a wing – Debuted in 2008 in Turin (2:10:25) – Then some months later closed Reims marathon in 2:08:06 – When winning in Venice, did a surprising negative split of 1:03:41 – Has run 12 marathons and broke 2:10 for 5 times – In 2013 did not race for a hamstring injury – Self coached in a group with former WR holder and 2 times London marathon champion Wilson Kipsang (2:03:23) and other athletes like Luka Kanda, Rome marathon champion in 2012 Holland's Gerard van de Veen is his manager

2 – ETANA Teshome Gelana (ETHIOPIA)

2:07:37

PB * MAR: 2:07:37 (Houston 2010) 2015 * MAR: 2:12:33 (Tiberias 9-1) WON HOUSTON MARATHON IN 2010 Won marathons in Varsavia 2009, Miami 2007 and Placentia 2006 HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Florence 2010 & Tiberias 2015; 4th Marrakech 2012; 5th Tiberias 2008; 6th Madrid 2006 & Toronto 2010 Was born in a little place near the city of Ambo, in central Ethiopia – Lives in Addis Abeba – Married, has three children (5, 3 and 1-year-old) – Coached by Haji Adilo – Yonas Mekonnon, a former 1:05 HM runner, is his manager – Has run 17 marathons – In 2010 broke twice the 2:10 wall (the PB in Houston and 2:09:31 in Toronto) – Two months ago ran in Tiberias Ambo, Ethiopia 31 October 1983

3 – EL AZIZ Mustapha (MOROCCO)

2:07:55

PB * MAR: 2:07:55 (Seoul 2013) - HMAR: 62:05 (Rabat 2010) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Casablanca 2011; 3th Seoul 2013 Was born in Meknèsm, where now lives and trains – Coached by his manager Gianni Demadonna, who sends his also the training programs – Started running in 2000 – Before running used to play soccer – Also races on the track: in 2014 ran a PB 28:11.36 when winning a silver medal on the 10,000m at the African Championships, two decades after the medals by Brahim Boutayeb and Khalid Skah – Debuted on the marathon in 2011 (2nd in Casablanca: 2:13:54) – Was preselected by Morocco's Athletics Federation for 2015 WCh in Beijing Meknès, Morocco 24 December 1985

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

4 – WAKEYO Habtamu Assefa (ETHIOPIA)

2:08:28

PB * MAR: 2:08:28 (Dubai 2013) - HMAR: 61:05 (Lille 2013) 16TH AT HALF MARATHON WCH IN 2012 HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Florence 2012 & Toronto 2013; 7th Padua 2012, 9th Dubai 2013 Born in Ambo, in the central Ethiopia - Lives in Addis Abeba – Has 4 brothers and 5 sisters – Trains with strong 2:04 marathon runners like Tsegay Mekonnen and Dino Sefir, and also with Abebe Negewo Degefa, who is in the start list here in Rome – Started running in 2006 – Debuted in Padua in 2012 (7th, 2:15:53)

Ambo, Ethiopia 29 March 1985

5 – DEGEFA Abebe Negewo (ETHIOPIA)

2:08:46

PB * MAR: 2:08:46 (Beijing 2013) - HMAR: 60:40 (Ústí nad Labem 2013) 14TH AT HALF MARATHON WCH IN 2009 HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Brescia 2011 & Beijing 2014; 4th Wien 2009, Milan 2010 & Beijing 2013; 7th Xiamen 2010; 10th Seoul 2010 Born in Ambo, in the central Ethiopia - Lives in Addis Abeba – Has no brothers – Started running in 2007 – Trains with strong 2:04 marathon runners like Tsegay Mekonnen and Dino Sefir, and also with Habtamu Assefa Wakeyo, who is in the start list here in Rome – Debuted in 2008 in Milan (2:21:10) – The following year ran 2:09:52 in Wien – In 2013 ran his PB 2:08:46 in Beijing, where he came back last year and took a 2nd place (2:10:54) Ambo, Ethiopia 20 May 1984

6 – SITKOVSKYY Oleksandr (UKRAINE)

Dnipropetrovs'k, Ukraine 9 June 1978 1,83 x 69

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

2:09:11

PB * MAR: 2:09:11 (Marrakech 2015) - HMAR: 63:49 (Linz 2006) 2015* MAR: 2:09:11 (Marrakech 25-1) WON FLORENCE MARATHON IN 2013 (2:09:14) 12TH AT OG IN LONDON IN 2012 (2:12:56) Won marathons in Bila Tserkva in 2011, La Rochelle in 2009 and Ljubljana in 2007 HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Turin 2008; 4th La Rochelle 2010; 5th Shanghai 2011 IN ROME: Came for the third time after a 16th place in 2010 and the DNF in 2014 Graduated in Physical Education – Lives in Donetsk – Married with Irina, has two daughters, 6-year-old Alina and 2-year-old Darina – Used to be coached by Igor Lishchynskyy, husband of top class miler Irina Lishchynska, Olympic silver medallist in 2008 – Now is self-coached – In 2011 was the fastest in Europe on the marathon distance with the time of 2:09:26 – In November 2013 was voted the “athlete of month” on the internet site of European Athletics Association - Has run 20 marathons and has broken three times 2:10 – Two months ago in Marrakech set a PB by 3 seconds

7 – CHATBI Jamel (ITALY)

DEBUT

PB * HMAR: 62:38 (Ostia 2014) ITALIAN CHAMPION ON THE 10,000m IN 2013 & 2014 (28:14.87) ITALIAN CHAMPION ON THE 3.000m STEEPLECHASE IN 2013 Since 1996 has lived near Bergamo, in Northern Italy – Married, has a 3year-old son and a just 3-month-old daughter – Is not a professional runner and last year was forced to miss the HM WCh in Copenhagen as his boss did not give him a vacation – Since 30 September 2010 has been an Italian citizen – In 2009 had been banned for 3 years for a doping violation during the WCh in Berlin – After coming back to running, was selected for the WCh in Moscow 2013 on the 3,000 steeplechase Beni Amir Est, Morocco 30 April 1984 178 x 63

8 – GEMEDA Dadi Feyera (ETHIOPIA)

2:11:45

PB * MAR: 2:11:45 (Toulouse 2013) – HMAR: 60:29 (Yangzhou 2014) Won Hong Kong marathon in 2014 HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Toulouse 2013 & Johannesburg 2014; 3th Dalian 2012; 11th Tiberias 2012 Lives in Addis Abeba – Debuted in 2012 in Tiberias (2:12:00) – Has a very strong time on the half marathon distance (1:00:29) Wollega, Ethiopia 11 August 1983

9 – PERTILE Ruggero (ITALY)

Camposampiero, Italy 8 agosti 1974 1,70 x 55

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

2:09:53

PB * MAR: 2:09:53 (Turin 2009) – HMAR: 1:02:17 (Udine 2007) WON ROME MARATHON IN 2004 (2:10:12) WON PADUA MARATHON IN 2006 (2:11:18) WON TURIN MARATHON IN 2010 (2:10:58) 8TH AT WCH IN DAEGU 2011 (2:11:57) 10TH AT OG IN LONDON 2012 (2:12:45) 4TH AT ECH IN BARCELLONA 2010 & 7TH IN ZURICH 2014 HIGHLIGHTS * OG: 15th Beijing 2008 * WCh: 23th Paris 2003; 35th Helsinki 2005 – ECh: DNF Goteborg 2006 – Other marathons: 1st Palmanova 2013; 2nd Turin 2009 & Milan 2011; 3th Carpi 2004; 4th Padua 2003; 5th Milan 2002; 6th New York 2007; 7th Boston 2007; 8th Otsu 2005; 11th Otsu 2012 IN ROME * Won in 2004 Started running when 8 years old, following his brother – Assindustria Sport Padova is his team – Married to the former runner Chiara Arrigoni – Has a 5-year-old daughter called Alice – Coached by Massimo Magnani – Marcello Magnani is his manager – Used to work at the cheese counter of an Italian company called Ali – Has run 22 marathons - In November 2009, after the win in Turin, was the “athlete of the month” for the EAA - At the Ech in Barcelona in 2010, would have been a silver medallist behind Viktor Rothlin, but was slowed down by the cramps in the very last kilometres – Last year ran the Ech in Zurich just after turning 40 – Trained in Kenya before the Rome Marathon

12 – SHIFERAW Andualem Belay (ETHIOPIA)

Ethiopia 5 April 1992

2:09:59

PB * MAR: 2:09:59 (Dubai 2015) – HMAR: 60:10 (Lilla 2012) 2015 * MAR: 2:09:59 (Dubai 23-1) Won Castellon marathon in 2013 (2:11:59) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Xichang 2014; 6th Eindhoven 2013; 8th Sevilla 2013; 10th Dubai 2015; 15th Hong Kong 2014 Debuted in 2013 (8th in Sevilla, 2:17:17) – Two months ago set a PB in Dubai, breaking for just one second the 2:10 wall

13 – ACHAMIE Birhanu Addissie (ETHIOPIA)

2:10:20

PB * MAR: 2:10:20 (Rennes 2014) – HMAR: 63:20 (Praha 2013) 2015 * MAR: 2:12:19 (Dubai 23-1) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Rennes 2014; 14th Dubai 2015 Debuted in 2014, when he was not yet 20 (2nd in Rennes with 2:10:20) – Two months ago ran in Dubai, closing in 14th place

Ethiopia 1995

14 – TEKESTE Nekatibeb Nurelign (ETHIOPIA)

Ethiopia 1980

PB * MAR: 2:10:17 (Rome 2011) – HMAR: 62:12 (Venlo 2008) 2015 * MAR: 2:27:22 (Tiberias 9-1) Won Macau marathon in 2010 HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Enschede 2007; 4th Enschede 2006 & Rome 2011; 7th Koln 2007, Reims 2010, Cannes 2011; 9th Cannes 2009; 21st Paris 2009 IN ROME * 4th in 2011 Has run 14 marathons – Debuted in 2006 in Enschede (2:13:05, 4th)

15 – MELESE Birhanu Niguse (ETHIOPIA) PB * MAR: 2:12:29 (Sevilla 2014) HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Sevilla 2014; 11th Barcelona 2011

Ethiopia 1986

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

2:10:17

2:12:29

16 – MEDHANIE Alexsander Tekie (ERITREA)

2:15:24

PB * MAR: 2:15:24 (Ferrara 2008) Won marathons in Ferrara 2008 & Grottazzolina 2011 HIGHLIGHTS * 5th Castellon 2010; 10th Florence 2011; 14th Dubai 2009; 17th Venice 2008; 27th Frankfurt 2007 Was born in Ethiopia, but now has the citizenship of Eritrea – Debuted in 2008 and won in Ferrara in the snow Addis Abeba, Ethiopia 10 July 1985

17 – KIPKEMBOI Rogers Rop (KENYA)

2:14:05

PB * MAR: 2:14:05 (Mombasa 2014) – HMAR: 61:58 (Zhengkai 2014) HIGHLIGHTS * 7th Mombasa 2014 Ran for the first time in Europe – This is his second marathon after the debut in Mombasa last year

Eldoret, Kenya 1990

18 – KORIR Weldon Kiprono (KENYA)

2:17:40

PB * MAR: 2:17:40 (Rome 2014) – HMAR: 62:42 (Kenya 2012) HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Venice 2014; 7th Rome 2014 IN ROME * 7th nel 2014 in 2:17:40 Born in Bomet, like his friend Leonard Langat, who last year was 3th in the Rome Marathon – Debuted in 2014 in Rome Marathon and closed in 7th place – In the fall ran another race in Italy, in Venice, and took the 3rd place with a time of 2:19:34 – Ran for the Purosangue Athletics Club – Coached by Max Monteforte and Nico Pannevis

Bomet, Kenya 1 September 1987

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

19 – ROZE Renars (LATVIA)

2:19:02

20 – ZMAZNEV Ilya (RUSSIA)

PB * MAR: 2:19:02 (Barcelona 2014) HIGHLIGHTS * 7th Barcelona 2014; 33th Amsterdam 2011; 40th Rotterdam 2012 Debuted in 2011 in Amsterdam (2:22:31) – Also races in orienteering

2:23:04 PB * MAR: 2:23:04 (Moscow 2011) HIGHLIGHTS * 15th Moscow 2011 Debuted in 2011 in Moscow – His goal is to set a PB and to take a place in the national team for the World Student Games

Latvia 13 May 1986

Russia 2 November 1986

21 – NDOROBO Peter Kwemoi (KENYA)

PACER

23 – KIBOR William Koitile (KENYA)

PB * HMAR: 61:38 (Ostia 2015) 2015 * HMAR: 61:38 (Ostia 1-3)

Kenya 1993

PACER

PB * MAR: 2:08:32 (Wien 2012) – HMAR: 60:51 (Verona 2014) 2015 * HMAR: 60:55 (Ostia 1-3) Won marathons in Shanghai 2011, Sydney 2013 and Cape Town 2014

Kenya 10 January 1985

22 – LANGAT Leonard Kipkoech (KENYA)

PACER

PB * MAR: 2:14:08 (Rome 2014) - HMAR: 59:52 (Ras Al Khaimah 2011) 2015 * HMAR: 60:06 (Ostia 2011) HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Rome 2014; 8th Ljubljana 2014 IN ROME * 3th in 2014 Married, has a 4-year-old daughter, called Mildred Chepchumba – Has 8 brothers and 5 sisters – Two of his brothers also used to run at top level: David Langat won a Kolh Marathon in the past and Festus Langat ran 2:13:50 in Rome – Coached by Max Monteforte and Nico Pannevis in the Purosangue Athletics Club – Broke two times the one-hour wall on the half marathon distance: 59:52 in Ras Al Khaimah and 59:56 in Remich in 2010 Bomet, Kenya 7 August 1990

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

TOP RUNNERS – WOMEN'S RACE F1 – MAYOROVA Albina (RUSSIA)

Erenary, Russia 16 May 1977 1,53x42

2:23:52

PB * MAR: 2:23:52 (Nagoya 2012) – HMAR: 70:57 (Cheboksary 2010) 2015 * MAR: 2:34:46 (Tokyo 22-2) 9TH AT THE OG IN LONDON 2012 (2:25:38) Won marathons in Dubai & Omsk 2002, Nagano 2006, Singapore 2009, Nagoya 2012 & Yokohama 2013 HIGHLIGHTS * OG: 40th Athens 2004 – WCh: 21st Moscow 2013 – ECh: 17th Zurich 2014; 23th Goteborg 2006 – Other marathons: 2nd Honolulu 2002; 3th Honolulu 2003 & 2004; 4th Chicago 2003 & London 2004, Tokyo 2013, San Diego 2009; 5th Chicago 2004 & Honolulu 2006; 6th Boston 2003 & Tokyo 2014; 7th Turin 2002, Las Vegas 2005, Toronto 2010 IN ROME * 7th nel 2010 (2:30:21), DNF in 2014 Lives in Cheboksary – Nèe Ivanova, married former athlete Evgeniy Mayorov – Has a 7-year-old daughter called Olga – Graduated in Physical Education – Trains usually in Kislovodsk – Coached by Valeriy Grigoryev, husband of top marathon runner Lidiya Grigoryeva – Debuted on the marathon distance in 2001 in Omsk – Has run 36 marathons in her career

F2 – BURKOVSKA Olena (UKRAINE)

2:27:07

PB * MAR: 2:27:07 (Hannover 2013) – HMAR: 75:06 (Pila 2008) 2015 * MAR: 2:29:45 (Nagoya 9-3) – HMAR: 75:48 (Adana 4-1) 21TH AT WCH IN DAEGU 2011 (2:34:21) 48TH AT THE OG IN LONDON 2012 (2:33:26) Won Hannover marathon in 2013 Won Kosice marathon in 2009 (2:30:00) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Nagano 2010; 3th Istanbul 2014; 5th Berlin 2010, Houston & Lisboa 2013; 9th Tokyo 2011 & Seoul 2012 Lives in Kiev – Trains in Kiev and Kislovodsk – Debuted in Kosice, won and set a CR – Set the CR also in Hannover – Three weeks ago ran Nagoya marathon under 2:30 Ukraine 9 August 1981

F3 – IVANOVA Nastassia (BELARUS)

Zhodzina, Belarus 4 November 1982 163 x 50

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

2:27:24

PB * MAR: 2:27:24 (Dusseldorf 2012) 33TH AT THE OG IN LONDON 2012 (2:30:25) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Dusseldorf 2012 & Cracovia 2011; 8th Tokyo 2013 IN ROME * DNF in 2013 Was born in a little place 50km far from Minsk – Now lives in the Belarus' capital – Neè Staravoitava, changed the surname after she got married in 2013 – In 2014 did not run as she gave birth to her first child – Coached by Andrey Gordeev, a former marathon runner (PB 2:11:44) – Trains in Kislovodsk – Until 2011 had raced mostly on the track – Was junior national record holder on the 1,500m with 4:14.70 – Her PBs on the track: 4:12.11 on the 1,500m, 9:00.67 on the 3,000m, 15:36.69 on the 5,000m – In 2011 debuted on the marathon distance in Cracovia (2nd, 2:34:08) In 2012 lowered her PB by 7 minutes and was selected for the Olympic Games

F4 – TOLWAK Meseret Kitata (ETHIOPIA)

2:27:26

PB * MAR: 2:27:26 (Ottawa 2014) - HMAR: 71:31 (Madrid 2013) 2015 * MAR: 2:34:26 (Dubai 23-1) Won Marrakech marathon in 2014 (2:31:08) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Ottawa & Beijing 2014; 19th Dubai 2015 Lives and trains in Addis Abeba – Debuted last year in Marrakech

Ethiopia 8 November 1993

F5 – TONIOLO Deborah (ITALIA)

Schio (Vicenza), Italy 24 April 1977 161 x 48

2:28:31

PB * MAR: 2:28:31 (Treviso 2006) – HMAR: 72:14 (Milan 2007) WON TREVISO MARATHON IN 2006 7TH AT THE ECH IN GOTEBORG 2006 (2:31:31) 11TH AT THE ECH IN BARCELONA 2010 (2:37:10) 16TH AT THE ECH IN ZURICH 2014 (2:33:02) 26TH AT THE WCH IN OSAKA 2007 (2:39:46) HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Milan 2004, Padua 2009, Turin 2014; 8th Osaka 2014; 2012 & Cracovia 2011; 8th Tokyo 2013; 19th New York 2007 Lives in Piovene Rocchette, Vicenza – Married to former marathon runner Giovanni Ruggiero – Has a 2-year-old daughter called Giorgia – Ran for the Forestale team – Used to be coached by Massimo Magnani – Now is coached by her husband – Ran her first marathon as a not professional runner in 2003 in New York (19th, 2:45:08) – Debuted in Milan in 2004 (3rd, 2:34:24) - In 2006 and 2010 was European champion with the Italian team

F6 – KIFLE Alem Fikre (ETHIOPIA)

2:30:13

PB * MAR: 2:30:13 (Rome 2013) – HMAR: 76:24 (Bologna 2012) WON MADRID MARATHON IN 2014 (2:32:11) HIGHLIGHTS * 5th Rome 2013 & Valencia 2014; 6th Lisboa 2013; 9th Mumbai 2014 IN ROME: 5th in 2013 Lives and trains in Addis Abeba

Molale, Ethiopia 22 October 1988

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

F7 – OURGE Alemu Mokonnin (ETHIOPIA)

Suluita, Ethiopia 19 June 1994

F9 – KIMUTAI Alice Jepkemboi (KENYA)

2:31:20

PB * MAR: 2:31:20 (Dubai 2014) HIGHLIGHTS * 4th Lisboa 2013 & Lanzhou 2014; 15th Dubai 2014 Lives and trains in Addis Abeba – Debuted last year in Dubai when 19 years old – In 2011 was 11th at cross country WCh in the junior race

DEBUT

F8 – ADMASU Aynadis Moges (ETHIOPIA)

PB * MAR: 2:31:51

Ethiopia 1990

F10 – JOHANSSON Annelie (SWEDEN)

PB * HMAR: 70:09 (New Delhi 2013) Lives and trains in Iten – Former 2:07 marathon runner Philip Singoei is her coach – Also WR holder on the half marathon (65:09) Florence Kiplagat trains in her group Iten, Kenya 1992

Sweden 1978

F11 – HANANE Janat (MOROCCO)

2:31:51

2:41:09 PB * MAR: 2:41:09 (Dublin 2014) – HMAR: 75:33 (Ostia 2015) 2015 * HMAR: 75:33 (Ostia 1-3) 30TH AT ECH IN ZURICH 2014 (2:42:04) HIGHLIGHTS * 4th Dublin 2014; 7th Stockholm 2013; 8th Stockholm

2:34:20

PB * MAR: 2:34:20 (Florence 2011) – HMAR: 72:16 (Ostia 2013) WON PADUA MARATHON IN 2013 (2:36:18) HIGHLIGHTS * 2nd Florence 2011, 2012 & 2013 & Rome 2014 IN ROME: 11th in 2011 (2:38:32), 2nd in 2014 (2:38:08) Lives in Rome – Ran for Lbm Sport Team – Coached by Fabio Martelli – Used to play soccer before running - Started running in 2005 when she came in Italy from Casablanca – Debuted in Rome in 2011 (2:38:32)

Morocco 17 January 1983

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

F12 – DELKEARO Firehiwot (ETHIOPIA)

DEBUT

Ethiopia 1977

F13 – ABERA Degefa Genet (ETHIOPIA)

Ethiopia 1985

F14 – SMOLNIKOVA Irina (KAZAKISTAN)

2:40:22

F15 – KUSHNERENKO Anastasiya (RUSSIA)

PB * MAR: 2:40:22 (Moscow 2014) Won marathon in Moscow in 2013 & 2014

Kazakistan 21 July 1980

© Alberto Zorzi, 2015

DEBUT

2:45:00

PB * MAR: 2:45:00 (Moscow 2014) – HMAR: 76:44 (Ufa 2014) HIGHLIGHTS * 3th Tallin 2013; 4th Moscow 2014

Russia 18 July 1989