SEPTEMBER 2008 – Distance Running - Distance Running magazine

unners from 49 countries in the title event, a half
marathon, 10km and 5km. Most foreign runners came
from the USA (370), followed by Canada (142), Australia
and Britain (134) and Germany (116).
Temperatures of around 18°C and dry conditions
assisted some record performances at the front of the
field and allowed slower runners to complete their
challenge in relative comfort. Even so, the common
view is usually: “that was the hardest thing I’ve ever
done in my life” coupled with “but it is also one of the
most enjoyable and satisfying”.
Romualdo Sanchez Garita, a 2:29 marathoner, cut
four minutes from the previous record with a
convincing win. The Great Wall Marathon course
includes 3km on the wall itself. Those in the marathon
run this twice, interspersed by an undulating 25km
section through Chinese villages that have hardly
changed in centuries. Participants in the shorter events
run across the wall once, then also enjoy some
kilometres running through local villages before
returning to the finish line in Ying and Yang Square.
MEN:
1 Romualdo S GARITA MEX 3:18:48
2 Yunfeng WANG CHN 3:44:09
3 Michael BUFE GER 3:46:37
4 Peter ANDERSON GBR 3:47:41
5 Daniel PHILLIPS AUS 3:57:27
WOMEN:
1 Leanne JUUL RSA 4:09:10
2 Marion WOOD GBR 4:14:24
3 Ilona RIEDO-BAERISWYL SUI 4:18:59
4 Juana C GAMEZ ESP 4:22:34
5 Charlotte BURTT NZL 4:25:00
17 MAY 2008:
GOTEBORG HALF MARATHON,
SWEDEN
MEN:
1 Sylvester KIMELI KEN 1:01:21
2 Silas SANG KEN 1:01:24
3 Patrick KIMELI KEN 1:02:52
4 Benjamin SEREM KEN 1:03:40
5 Japhet KIPCHIRCHIR KEN 1:03:43
WOMEN:
1 Kirsten OTTERBU NOR 1:10:19
2 Isabellah ANDERSSON SWE 1:11:06
3 Christelle DAUNAY FRA 1:11:19
4 Susan KURUI KEN 1:13:20
5 Pauline NJERI KEN 1:15:39
18 MAY 2008:
GLITNIR COPENHAGEN
MARATHON, DENMARK
MEN:
1 Julius MUTAI KEN 2:21:09
2 Martin PARKHOI 2:25:00
3 Casper HUNNERUP DAHL 2:26:10
4 Torben Juul NIELSEN 2:26:50
5 Steen PETERSEN 2:27:21
WOMEN:
1 Anne Mette AAGAARD 2:36:10
2 Anne-Sofie P HANSEN 2:44:49
3 Karina BERNER-MAGNUSSON 2:55:10
4 Nina W MADSEN 2:55:14
5 Vibeke HANSEN 3:00:24
18 MAY 2008:
SUNFEAST WORLD 10KM
BANGALORE, INDIA
A cool morning greeted the start of the men’s race, but
by the time the women’s race got underway an hour
later temperatures were seriously on the rise, writes
Ram Murali Krishnan. World Road Running champion
Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea took the men’s victory,
while there was a dead-heat in the women’s race.
South Africa’s Enos Matalane and Kenyan Ezekiel
Cherop were the initial leaders before World 5000m
bronze medallist Moses Kipsiro of Uganda and
Tanzanian Dickson Marwa joined them at the 2km
mark. Pre-race favourites Tadese and Moses Masai of
Kenya shortly moved in front and stayed there along
with Kipsiro. Tadese went past the half-way mark in
13:58 with Kipsiro and Matthew Koech (Kenya) close on
his heels. Tsegaye Kebede, the Great Ethiopian Run
winner, came from behind to join the leaders just after
7km as they were running in front of Vidhan Saudha,
the provincial Karnataka legislative assembly. The
runners then turned into the picturesque Cubbon Park
in the final stretch towards the finish where Tadese
and Kipsiro emerged as clear leaders. Kipsiro was ahead
when he entered the Sree Kanteerava Stadium but
once on the synthetic track surface Tadese ran faster
and overtook the Ugandan. “My legs were unable to
cope with the heat of the race and I wonder what
happened at the last few metres,” Kipsiro confirmed
after finishing three seconds behind Tadese.
Pre-race favourite Elvan Abeylegesse, the World
silver medallist for 10,000m, led the women’s race
from the start. Berhane Adere stayed at the fore with a
big bunch of runners including her team-mate Tiki
Gelana, passing through 5km in 16:07. Gelana started
trailing off the pace leaving Abeylegessie to contest
with the Kenyan duo of Grace Momanyi and Doris
Chemwego. Abeylegesse entered the stadium with
Momanyi a metre behind. They ran neck-to-neck in the
last few metres of the race and crossed the finish-line
together in 32:02. At first Abeylegesse was announced
as winner but on verification of the tape, both
Abeylegesse and Momanyi were declared joint winners
and so split the winnings for the first two places
evenly (USD $16,000 each).
Apart from the elite races other events included a
4km wheelchair event, an open 10km race for juniors,
another 4km run for the senior citizens and a 5km
“Majja” Run. Around 5000 people took to the streets
in the open race.
In all USD 150,000 was distributed as prize money.
MEN:
1 Zersenay TADESE ERI 27:51
2 Moses KIPSIRO UGA 27:54
3 Tsegaye KEBEDE ETH 28:10
4 Moses MASAI KEN 28:22
5 Feyisa LELISA ETH 28:35
WOMEN:
1= Grace MOMANYI KEN 32:02
1= Elvan ABEYLEGESSIE TUR 32:02
3 Doris CHEMWEGO KEN 32:31
4 Tiki GELANA ETH 32:46
5 Salina KOSGEI KEN 33:18
18 MAY 2008:
NORDEA RIGA MARATHON & HALF,
LATVIA
MEN:
1 Sammy Kibet ROTICH KEN 2:16:42
2 Sergey LUKIN 2:20:30
3 Vyacheslav KOSHELEV 2:28:02
4 Aurimas SKINULIS 2:30:42
5 Tonis JUULIK 2:37:24
WOMEN:
1 Kaja VALS 3:13:54
2 Anita LIEPINA 3:15:21
3 Inga MANNECK 3:17:52
4 Jany TSAI USA 3:19:07
5 Isel MITCEL 3:20:50
HALF MARATHON
MEN:
1 Pavel LOSKUTOV EST 1:05:52
2 Mareks FLOROSEKS 1:07:33
3 Diego ABBATESCIANNI ITA 1:08:19
WOMEN:
1 Helen DECKER GBR 1:20:00
2 Ilona MARHELE 1:22:05
3 Agnese PASTARE 1:22:15
18 MAY 2008:
KARSTADT MARATHON, GERMANY
DORTMUND-ESSEN:
MEN:
1 Henry CHERONO KEN 2:11:08
2 Jonathan KEIYO KEN 2:14:42
3 Julius RUGUT KEN 2:15:50
4 Eliud KERING KEN 2:17:57
5 Richard NGOLEPUS KEN 2:18:47
WOMEN:
1 Sonja OPEL GER 3:03:55
OBERHAUSEN-ESSEN:
MEN:
1 Charles OMWOYO KEN 2:40:39
WOMEN:
1 Mary PTIKANY KEN 2:36:09
2 Selima CHELIMO KEN 2:38:04
3 Evelyne KIMURIA KEN 2:40:04
4 Irene CHEROP KEN 2:44:45
5 Svenja GAYK GER 3:04:43
18 MAY 2008:
5TH LODZ MARATHON, POLAND
MEN:
1 Richard ROTICH KEN 2:21:14
2 Adam DOBRZYNSKI POL 2:21:19
3 Reuben KWAMBAI KEN 2:21:43
4 Valerii DEKANENKO UKR 2:21:57
5 Sergey REDKO UKR 2:22:06
WOMEN:
1 Arleta MELOCH POL 2:47:24
2 Maria BUTAKOVA BLR 2:49:37
3 Renata ANTROPIK POL 2:53:39
4 Karolina RAKIEC POL 2:54:20
5 Magdelena BARTOSZEWICZ POL 3:11:38
24 MAY 2008:
TERWAMARATHON, FINLAND
MEN:
1 Andrey SMIRNOV 2:33:42
2 Pasi HAUTAMAKI 2:35:33
3 Teppo RONKAINEN 2:42:00
4 Timo NYKYRI 2:42:14
5 Petr KULIKOV 2:43:28
WOMEN:
1 Anne MAKELA 3:06:04
2 Anastasia ZAKHAROVA 3:08:44
3 Tarja KANKKUNEN 3:25:00
4 Outi SULASALMI 3:28:00
5 Pauliina AULA-KYRO 3:29:13
Distance Running July – September 2008
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