Weidlinger upstages Wanjiru in Melbourne
The W’s dominated the lead-up to the Great Australian Run. Sammy Wanjiru, Olympic marathon champion, World Marathon Majors champion, World record holder in the Half Marathon and Benita Willis, Australia’s only World Cross Country champion, hogged the publicity.
Surprisingly, a third ‘W’ came through on the day, Austria’s Gunther Weidlinger upstaging Wanjiru, Australia’s Collis Birmingham and the likes of Athens Olympic 2004 marathon champion Stefano Baldini and Spain’s former European 10,000 metres champion Jose Manuel Martinez to take the men’s race win.
Even more of a surprise, on reputation, if not form, was Nikki Chapple’s victory over Willis in the women’s race. Along with Birmingham, who finished second to Weidlinger, she became the Australian road champion.
For the second weekend in a row, Melbourne was hit by late-spring rain, the runners splashing their way through puddles to the finish on the Albert Park F1 Grand Prix circuit. Fortunately, the downpour was neither as heavy nor as prolonged as the one which disrupted the finish of the men’s 50km Race Walk championship a week earlier.
MEN
Mere rain could not have wiped the smile off Weidlinger’s face. A man of records, the versatile Austrian holds every national record from the 1500 metres to the marathon, he is not accustomed to beating Olympic marathon champions, much less two of them at a time.
“It’s probably one of my biggest victories because I have beaten two Olympic champions and I have beaten the European champion,” Weidlinger said.
“(Wanjiru) showed already from the start that somebody should lead with him and after 1.5km I thought ‘I feel good and I am in the race and in the rhythm’, so I tried to push a bit and split up the lead group.”
The win came just five weeks after Weidlinger’s national marathon record in Frankfurt and he revealed he psyched himself into believing he had an edge over Birmingham, with whom he has been training at Falls Creek on the Victorian High Plains.
“We were doing 1km reps at Falls Creek last week,” Weidlinger said. “Birmingham stopped after eight, I did two more. So I told myself I was two better than him. It didn’t mean anything, of course, but it can give you some confidence, it doesn’t matter.”
Weidlinger sprinted to the line in 43:01, 21 seconds slower than Haile Gebrselassie last year. Birmingham followed 18 seconds behind with a national title and a personal best: Martin Dent, Australia’s leading finisher in the world championships marathon, also passed Wanjiru for third.
Wanjiru arrived less than 36 hours before the race as his daughter, Allie, fell ill in Kenya. Today was not my day,” he said.
“I can come here to try again (next year), maybe to break the course record or World record for 15km” (which he shares at 41:29 with Felix Limo and Deriba Merga).
WOMEN
After the late withdrawal of Irina Mikitenko (illness) and Deena Kastor (family reasons), it was widely assumed the women’s Great Australian Run would be a further winning step along Benita Willis’s rehabilitation. The 2004 World Cross Country champion has struggled through injuries, the death of her father, and a marriage break-up in the past 18 months.
This sentiment ignored the recent form of Chapple, a 28-year-old who showed immense promise as a junior before losing her way. Two months ago, both she and Willis ran the Great North Run, with Chapple fourth in 70:03 and Willis almost two minutes back in 71:57.
The women’s field set off 15 minutes before the men and Chapple, Willis and 1996 Olympic 10,000 metres champion Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal led. Chapple took control in the middle stages around Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens.
Chapple won in 50:18, rating it her biggest win (she thought the Great North Run a better performance). Willis, an isolated fourth at 10k, surged back over the final stages to take second in 51:15, ahead of Britain’s Helen Clitheroe (51:17) and Ribeiro (51:41).
A fourth Olympic champion took part, Great Australian Run ambassador Cathy Freeman going around the course with the masses. So, too, did Australian 5000 metres record holder Craig Mottram and triple Olympic marathoner Lee Troop.
Len Johnson for the IAAF
Race records tumble at Nyeri Half-Marathon
Nyeri, Kenya - Race records fell in the 13th Safaricom Nyeri Half Marathon today despite the course being tougher than in previous editions.Thirty-four days since winning the Standard Chartered Nairobi Half Marathon, Ernest Kebenei continued with his winning ways by taking the 13th edition of the Safaricom Nyeri Half Marathon in Nyeri town, 160km north of Nairobi on Sunday (29).
Tesco Prague Grand Prix 10km champion Gladys Kerubo was winner in the women's category in yet another course record.
Kebenei won in style after clocking a new record time of 1:01:31 after trailing early leader Enock Mitei who ran 1:01:45 before shooting into the lead in the closing stages.
“The course was very hilly and I realised I was strong with five kilometres left and that is when I started charging up the field,” said Kebenei who has also won the Little Rock and Garry Bjorklund races in the United States this year.
Joel Maina took third in 1:01:58 ahead of fourth placed former World junior champion Gordon Mugi (1:02:05) in the race that attracted 197 runners. Last year’s winner, Peter Muriuki held the previous course record of 1:01:52.
In the women’s event, another course record performance was staged by Kerubo who breasted the tape in 1:11:44 to fend off recovering Margaret Mukunzi (1:11:47) in a close finish.
Kerubo who had never run the 21km race in her career moved to the front at the 11km mark and at the end, did enough to hold off Mukunzi who grew stronger at the latter stages of the event.
“I’m very pleased with this victory that I was not expecting being my first time to run the half marathon. I’m preparing for road races in Europe next year,” Kerubo who also won the 5km race at Masai Mara Marathon, said.
Mukunzi, a runner-up from Great North Run in the UK last year who was competing in only her third race after almost an entire season in the sidelines due to injury expressed satisfaction with her performance.
“I’m just recovering and though I did not win, I’m happy that my body was in great shape and I look forward to competing well again,” Mukunzi stated.
Event patron and two-time World Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba congratulated the winners for their good performance.
“I pay tribute to the runners who have put their best effort on a difficult course that even though I have never run on it, I know it takes a lot. Something needs to be done next year to ensure we do not have many road races so close together.
“The number of participants fell this year because there was the Nairobi Cross Country (Saturday) and Mara Marathon (a week ago) among others and runners cannot recover in good time for Nyeri,” Ndereba said.
Peter Njenga for the IAAF
MEN -
1. Ernest Kebenei 1:01:39
2. Dennis Musau 1:01:45
3. Enock Mitei 1:01:51
4. Joel Maina 1:01:58
5. Gordon Mugi 1:02:05
6. Ezekiel Cherop 1:02:28
7. Samson Mungai 1:02:32
8. Geoffrey Ngugi 1:02:42
9. Samson Kibet 1:02:55
10. Joseph Kamau 1:03:04
WOMEN -
1. Gladys Kerubo 1:11:44
2. Magdalene Mukunzi 1:11:47
3. Monica Wangari 1:12:51
4. Ann Wanjiru 1:13:06
5. Jane Nyambura 1:13:29
6. Joscah Obare 1:13:51
7. Lucy Njeri 1:14:03
8. Lydia Njeri 1:14:40
9. Antoninah Ruto 1:14:41
10. Jackline Musyawa 1:14:23
Wednesday 02/12/2009
Wanjiru and Mikitenko to defend their London titles
Reigning champions Sammy Wanjiru and Irina Mikitenko will return to defend their London Marathon titles next April against two of the strongest fields ever assembled in the 29-year-old history of the race.Wanjiru smashed the course record last April when he added the London crown to his Beijing Olympic gold, while Mikitenko will be chasing a rare triple after she retained her title in superb style in 2009. The German is aiming to become only the second woman ever to win three London marathons in a row following fellow-German Katrin Dorre’s trio of victories from 1992 to 1994.
Yet both champions face stern tests if they are to repeat their triumphs on Sunday 25 April next year.
MEN’s race
Despite his brilliant win in a personal best of 2:05:10 seconds this year, Wanjiru will be only the third quickest in the 2010 men’s field.
The line-up includes no fewer than six men who have run faster than 2:05:30, including reigning World champion Abel Kirui and three-times London winner Martin Lel, both of Kenya, plus World and Olympic bronze medallist Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, who was second in London last year, and former double World champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, who was third.
Quickest of the lot, however, is Kenyan record holder Duncan Kibet, the second fastest marathon runner of all time thanks to his 2:04:27 victory in Rotterdam this year. Like Kirui, Kibet will be making his London Marathon debut.
“I am delighted to be returning to London again,” said Wanjiru, the 23-year-old Kenyan who was crowned World Marathon Majors champion in November. “I will be doing my best to defend my title after I worked so hard to win it last year. London always has the world’s best athletes but with opponents such as Duncan, Abel and Martin it will be even tougher this time.”
There are many other likely challengers among the 16-strong elite field, including sub-2:07 World silver medallist Emmanuel Mutai of Kenya, plus two-times New York Marathon champion Marilson Dos Santos of Brazil.
Two Eritreans – Yonas Kifle, and the triple World Half Marathon champion Zersenay Tadese – will also be in the hunt for medals, while the Asian challenge comes from a trio of Japanese runners – the Matsumiya twins, Yuko and Takayuki, and Yusei Nakao.
Britain’s hopes of a decent showing rest with Dan Robinson, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, and Andrew Lemoncello, a former steeplchaser making his debut over 26 miles 385 yards.
WOMEN’s race
Competition in the women’s race will be equally fierce. While Mikitenko heads the field with her German record of 2:19:19, the World Marathon Majors champion faces stiff opposition from Romania’s Olympic title holder Constantina Dita, all three medallists from the Berlin World Championships, and Britain’s Mara Yamauchi who produced a brilliant performance in 2009 to finish second just a minute behind the German in a personal best of 2:23:12.
“My goal is to win a third London Marathon and equal Katrin’s record,” said the 37-year-old Mikitenko. “I love running in London and I am determined to be fit and ready for the challenge, although I know it will be difficult against such strong opponents.”
In all, six athletes in the 19-strong field have broken 2:22 while 12 have run faster than 2:25. Athens Olympic medallist Deena Kastor is the second fastest in the field, and the American will be keen to repeat her 2006 London victory when she set a US record of 2:19:36.
New York silver medallist Lyudmila Petrova has the third quickest time. She is one of five strong Russians, including fellow veteran Svetlana Zakharova, three-times a silver medallist in London, Liliya Shobukhova, the 2009 Chicago champion and third here last year, and Inga Abitova, winner of the recent Yokohama marathon.
There’s also a phalanx of fast Ethiopians, including the Berlin champion, Atsede Habtamu, the 2009 Dubai champion, Bezunesh Bekele, the World Championships bronze medallist, Mergia Aselefech, and former Paris champion Magarsa Assale Tafa.
World champion Bai Xue of China leads the Asian threat, along with World silver medallist Yoshimi Ozaki and her Japanese teammate Yukiko Akaba. Two New Zealanders, Kim Smith and Fiona Docherty, and South African Tanith Maxwell make up the field.
Virgin London Marathon race director David Bedford said: “We are delighted to welcome our two champions back to head such high quality races. These elite fields are as good as any we’ve had in the previous 29 London Marathons, and I am sure they will produce two superb contests for the London crowds.”
Natasha Grainger (organisers) for the IAAF
The full elite fields and their best times
Men
Samuel Wanjiru KEN 2:05:10
Duncan Kibet KEN 2:04:27
Abel Kirui KEN 2:05:04
Martin Lel KEN 2:05:15
Tsegaye Kebede ETH 2:05:20
Jaouad Gharib MAR 2:05:27
Emmanuel Mutai KEN 2:06:15
Yonas Kifle ERI 2:07:34
Marilson Dos Santos BRA 2:08:37
Abdi Abdirahman USA 2.08.56
Yuko Matsumiya JPN 2:09:18
Takayuki Matsumiya JPN 2:10:04
Dan Robinson GBR 2:12:14
Yusei Nakao JPN 2:14:23
Zersenay Tadese ERI DNF (London 09)
Andrew Lemoncello GBR debut
Women
Irina Mikitenko GER 2:19:19
Deena Kastor USA 2:19:36
Lyudmila Petrova RUS 2:21:29
Constantina Dita ROU 2:21:30
Svetlana Zakharova RUS 2:21:31
Magarsa Assale Tafa ETH 2:21:31
Bezunesh Bekele ETH 2:23:09
Mara Yamauchi GBR 2:23:12
Bai Xue CHN 2:23:27
Yoshimi Ozaki JPN 2:23:30
Liliya Shobukhova RUS 2:24:24
Atsede Habtamu ETH 2:24:47
Mergia Aselefech ETH 2:25:02
Yukiko Akaba JPN 2:25:40
Inga Abitova RUS 2:25:55
Tanith Maxwell RSA 2:36:38
Fiona Docherty NZL 2:40:18
Kim Smith NZL DNF (New York 08)
Maria Konovalova RUS debut
Haile Gebrselassie invited by FIFA for 2010 World Cup draw
Ethiopia’s running legend, Haile Gebrselassie has been invited by the football world governing body, FIFA to the 2010 World Cup draw, scheduled to be held this week in Cape Town , South Africa.It is the first time an African athlete is chosen to grace the World Cup draw.
Gebrselassie is one of Africa’s best athlete acclaimed for winning two Olympic gold medals, four world championship 10,000m titles and multiple world records.
He is currently the holder of world marathon record.
Other African officials and football players will join the athlete at the draw.
According to the scheduled program, Gebresilassie will join Secretary General Jérôme Valcke on this important night for the 32 countries competing at the football World Cup next year.
Gebrselassie was busy training for January’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon where he is scheduled to make another world record attempt.
The Final Draw will be beamed live to an estimated audience of more than 350 million people in more than 200 territories.
