Tadesse Hailemariam (Eth) (© Getty Images)
The seventh edition of the Monaco Marathon will take place next Sunday 16 November providing a unique opportunity for over 3000 runners from some 40 nations to traverse the borders of three countries during the race.
Since 1997, the Athletic Federation of Monaco has held the Monaco & Riviera Marathon, with the backing of His Highness the Prince Albert of Monaco and the neighbouring French and Italian communities.
The race will as usual start outside the Headquarters of the IAAF in Monaco at 09.30am on Sunday, and will wend it’s way through the French communities of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Menton before heading to Vintimille in Italy, and then returning to the Principality of Monaco where the race ends in the Stade Louis II.
The best times for the event are held by Kenneth Cheruiyot of Kenya (1999 - 2:11:26) and Italy’s Maura Viceconte (1997 - 2:28:16).
There is a 3000 euro first prize for both men and women, and while neither of last year’s winners - Tadesse Hailemariam of Ethiopia and Maria Fedoseeva of Russia – will return on Sunday the event will still play host among others to Rwanda's 39 year-old Mathias Ntawulikura and Poland's Elzbieta Jarosz.
Ntawulikura's personal best of 2:09:55 was set when finishing at the 2000 London Marathon, while Jarosz, 32, was 5th in the 2001 St Paul Marathon in USA (PB 2:30:15), and won 1999 Cologne and 2000 Munich Marathons.
The major elite names in the 2003 Monaco Marathon -
Men: Mathias Ntawulikura (RWA) 2:09:55; Tony Martins (FRA) 2:12:32; Mykola Antonenko (UKR) 2:13:51; Francis Kenboi (KEN) 2:14:26.
Women: Elzbieta Jarosz (POL) 2:30:15; Krystna Kuta (POL) 2:32:49; Jeanna Malkova (RUS) 2:34:44.
