The 26-year-old German beat the qualifying time for the 2008 Olympic Marathon and fulfilled hopes of the organisers for a home win. In contrast to Irina Mikitenko’s superb debut a week earlier in Berlin (2:24:51), Mockenhaupt experienced a tough last 10k in Cologne.

But the opposition was not strong enough to make it a close race for victory. Ethiopia’s Worknesh Tola had taken an early lead, but faltered after passing half way in 73:20. She finished third in 2:34:28, while Austria’s Susanne Pumper took second with 2:33:27.

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