OREANDA-NEWS. Promising fast times and competitive racing, Tadese Tola of Ethiopia and Kenyans Mark Korir and Cybrian Kotut will aim to steal the spotlight in the men's race and Mamitu Daska the women's at the 35th Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (30).

The weather forecast calls for good conditions, setting a likely scene for a high-class race to develop once more on the flat course beside the river Main.

Tola, Korir and Kotut are targetting a sub-2:06 performance while Daska has designs on the women's course record which would enter her into the sub-2:21 ranks.

Tola the targetted

Tola is the fastest runner on the start list and the Ethiopian has the advantage of knowing the course. The 28-year-old arrives in Frankfurt with a personal best of 2:04:49, which he ran in Dubai in 2013. In 2010 he was leading in Frankfurt with nine kilometres to go, only to be overhauled by Wilson Kipsang and had to settle for second place in 2:06:31.

"I think I can run faster now than in 2010," Tola said. "Actually, I will try to go for a personal best. I am confident, because I have trained well for three months for this race."

The three leading contenders in the men's race bring big race credentials to the start line, with each having won the Paris Marathon. Tola took that title in 2010, Korir in 2015 and Kotut this year.

"When I won in Paris last year I had not expected such a success," said Korir, 28, who clocked his 2:05:49 in the French capital in 2015. "Now I have more experience and I think that I am capable of running sub-2:05 if weather conditions are fine and we work together.