Meseret Mengistu fo Ethiopia (Photo credit: laprovence.com) -
Meseret Mengistu fo Ethiopia (Photo credit: laprovence.com) –

Mark Korir of Kenya and Meseret Mengistu of Ethiopia, winners of the 2015 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, will return to the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on 3 April to defend their titles.

Korir clocked a PB of 2:05:49 to win in the French capital last year in what was the first marathon victory of his career. He will be one of nine men in this year’s race with a PB faster than 2:07.

Fellow Kenyan Bernard Koech is the only man in the field whose PB is faster than Kenenisa Bekele’s 2:05:03 course record. Koech set his PB of 2:04:53 on his marathon debut in Dubai in 2013 but is yet to win a marathon.

Other athletes in the men’s field include 2014 Toronto Marathon winner Laban Korir, Commonwealth silver medallist Stephen Chemlany, 2008 world indoor bronze medallist Abraham Feleke, 2015 Paris third-place finisher Seboka Tola, and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist Micah Kogo.

Women’s Race

Mengistu smashed her PB by nearly six minutes to win last year’s women’s title in 2:23:26. The Ethiopian may need to be near her best again if she wants to become just the second woman in Paris Marathon history to win back-to-back titles.

Kenya’s Georgina Rono, a 2:21:39 runner at best, is also in the field, along with compatriots Visiline Jepkesho, who finished third in Paris last year in a PB of 2:24:44, and Rebecca Kangogo Chesir.

Organisers for the IAAF

ELITE FIELD (WITH PBS)

Men
Bernard Koech (KEN) 2:04:53
Mark Korir (KEN) 2:05:49
Laban Korir (KEN) 2:06:05
Abraham Feleke (ETH) 2:06:13
Seboka Tola (ETH) 2:06:17
Stephen Chemlany (KEN) 2:06:24
Alfers Lagat (KEN) 2:06:48
Micah Kogo (KEN) 2:06:56
Felix Kiprotich (KEN) 2:06:59
Luka Kanda (KEN) 2:07:20
Elijah Kemboi (KEN) 2:07:34
Robert Kwambai (KEN) 2:08:18
Beraki Beyene (ERI) 2:08:27
Cyprian Kotut (KEN) 2:08:55
Jackson Limo (KEN) 2:09:06
Wilfried Murgor (KEN) 2:09:37

Women
Georgina Rono (KEN) 2:21:39
Meseret Mengistu (ETH) 2:23:26
Visiline Jepkesho (KEN) 2:24:44
Rebecca Chesir Kangogo (KEN) 2:25:22
Martha Komu (FRA) 2:25:33
Fatna Maraoui (ITA) 2:30:50