On Sunday the 26th Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon will be started with a new participation record and an international elite field. While there were 18,331 athletes in last year's edition, there will be an expected figure of around 20,000 this year. With that the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon is the seventh biggest race of its kind in the world. Among the total number are runners as well as walker, wheelchair athletes, hand biker and inline skater. Furthermore the participants of the 3.5 k Vattenfall Fun Run, the Kids Race and the Skating Kids Cup are among that total number. For the first time the Vattenfall Berlin Nordic City Walk will be staged on a 6.8 k course.

The Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon will feature the best elite field in its history. The most spectacular commitment is that of US marathon star Deena Kastor. She will use the 26th Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon as a dress rehearsal for her start at the Flora London Marathon. The 33 year old had won the bronze medal in extremely hot conditions at the Olympic marathon in Athens in 2004. Last year the US marathon record holder (2:21:16 hours) bettered the national half marathon record as well. With her personal best of 67:53 minutes Deena Kastor has exactly the identical time as the second top runner at the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon: Edith Masai. The Kenyan won the Gold medal at the World Cross Country Championships three times in a row (2002 - 2004). Kastor and Masai are both able to better the current course record of 68:22 minutes.

But there is also a German runner with very good chances at the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon - which will be impossible in the men's race. Luminta Zaituc is the defending champion. The 37 year-old won in 71:04minutes in 2005. Her goal is a time of sub 70 minutes and she will try to improve her personal best of 69:35. ,,I am happy that I can compete again in Berlin," said Luminita Zaituc, who additionally finished second in last year's real - Berlin Marathon.

There will be a world record holder in Berlin, who is not unknown here: Paul Kosgei won the 25 km of Berlin' in the world record time of 1:12:45 hours in 2004. Recently the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie ran faster but there are doubts if the record will be ratified. 27 year-old Kosgei has the fastest half marathon time in the field as well. In Newcastle he won in 59:58 minutes in 2002. In the same year he was World Half Marathon Champion. If Paul Kosgei is in his best shape, the course record could be in danger. Since 2001 the Spaniard Fabian Roncero holds it with 59:52 minutes. Another Kenyan favourite is Joseph Ngolepus. The 30 year-old Kenyan has a personal best of 60:56 minutes and was runner up last year. 2001 he was the surprise winner of the real - Berlin Marathon. Currently in good shape is another Kenyan: Evans Cheruiyot finished second at the half marathon in Ostia (Rome) in 60:12 minutes a month ago.

Top Men
(Bib, Name, Age, Nation, PB)

2 Paul Kosgei 27 KEN 59:58 1. Newcastle-South 3 Lawrence Kiprotich 20 KEN 60:30 3. Mailand 05 4 Evans Cheruiyot 25 KEN 60:14 2. Rom-Ostia 06 5 Joseph Ngolepus 30 KEN 60:56 1. Den Haag 03 7 Silas Kirui 24 KEN 61:07 1. Prag 05 8 Benson Barus 25 KEN 61:14 1. Nizza 05 14 Ernest Kipyego 27 KEN 61:58 4. Berlin 05 16 Charles Ngolepus KEN 62:25 6. Berlin 05 17 Moses Masai KEN 62:48 8. Berlin 02 18 Ernest Kimeli 19 KEN 62:29 2. New Jersey 05 19 Abraham Tandoi 31 KEN 62:37 1. Knittelfeld 03 20 Azat Rakipav 37 BLR 62:56 7. Saint-Denis/Paris 03 25 Jussi Utriainen 27 FIN 63:45 3. Houston 04 26 Martin Soderberg 29 SWE 64:47 32 Joel Mwaura KEN Debut 35 Lennart Sponar 25 GER 66:48 Griesheim 50 Tom Scharff 21 GER Tempo GRR-Preistrager 2006 (s. Programmheft)

Top Women
(Bib, Name, Age, Nation, PB)

F1 Luminita Zaituc 37 GER 69:35 2. Luxemburg 04 F2 Deena Kastor 33 USA 67:53 1. Philadelphia 05 F3 Edith Masai 38 KEN 67:53 1. Nizza 01 F6 Melanie Kraus 31 GER 69:36 2. Luxemburg 99 F8 Beatrice Omwanza 32 KEN 69:47 F10 Florence Chepkurui 22 KEN 70:40 F11 Mary Ptikany 28 KEN 70.18 1. Den Haag 05 F12 Monika Drybulska 26 POL 73:34 2. Pila 02 F15 Jenny Johannesson 29 SWE 78:23