25 NOVEMBER 2007: 24TH FIRENZE MARATHON, ITALY The race start at Piazzale Michelangelo, across the River Arno from the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio offers a stunning view of the city. The course is mainly flat but it twists and turns all over Florence. We ran along the south bank of the river, coming back around the Palazzo Pitti, and past the Ponte Vecchio, crossing the river a little futher and making another out/back eastward along the north bank. Halfway came at the athletic stadium and after a downbeat section crossing the railway a couple of times the route heads in to the most spectacular parts of the city past the stunning Duomo, Campanile and Baptistery, through the Piazza della Republica, and out for a third out and back along the river, this time heading west along the north side from the 30km point. The best was saved for last, along the river to the Ponte Vecchio, sharp left and round to the Palazzo Vecchio, Loggia Dei Lanzi and the Uffizi Gallery, and back up to the Duomo at 40km. Then back to the river, and round to finish in the spectacular Piazza Santa Croce. MEN: 1 Paul Kipkemboi NGENY KEN 2:12:50 2 Alberico DI CECCO ITA 2:13:52 3 Daniele CAIMMI ITA 2:14:47 4 Denis CURZI ITA 2:15:11 5 Kemei Kennedy KIMELI KEN 2:17:17 WOMEN: 1 Vincenza SICARI ITA 2:33:14 2 Hirut Lagesse ABERA ETH 2:42:39 3 Aurora PEREZ ESP 2:52:02 4 Loretta GIARDA ITA 2:53:22 5 Patrizia CINI ITA 2:53:49 25 NOVEMBER 2007: MARATHON OF LA ROCHELLE — SERGE VIGOT, FRANCE With 8600 registered, the participation record was again surpassed. Hopes were also high, with a strong male elite field, that the 2003 course record of 2:11:34 would fall. But the rain fell first, just before the start, and played on the morale of the field. Kenyan pacemakers Kyui and Kurgat led the troops. France's James Theuri, a favourite, followed closely with another Frenchman, Loïc Letellier, in tow. The rain had already slowed the pace and any hope of breaking the record was lost. Passing halfway in 1:06:40 James Theuri started vomiting at 27km and could not dethrone the event record holder, Elijah Yator. The pace was now headed for a 2:13 finish with Loïc Letellier, Johnstone Chebii, and debut marathon runner Akello Rutto still contesting. The trio flew away towards the finish with the 39-year old Chebii getting there first. In the women's race Carmen Oliveras, Leopoldina Silveira and Flora Kandie formed the lead group before Kandie moved ahead at the halfway point for her second victory of the year, after winning Helsinki in August. MEN: 1 Johnstone CHEBII KEN 2:14:17 2 Loic LETELLIER FRA 2:14:37 3 Akello RUTTO KEN 2:14:49 4 James THEURY FRA 2:17:19 5 Wilson P KORKOR KEN 2:20:34 WOMEN: 1 Flora KANDIE KEN 2:37:12 2 Carmen OLIVERAS ESP 2:37:32 3 Leopoldina SILVEIRA 2:39:30 4 Corine HERBRETEAU-CANTE FRA 2:44:09 5 Dorota USTIANOWSKA POL 2:44:55 25 NOVEMBER 2007: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON MEDICAL CENTER SEATTLE MARATHON, USA MEN: 1 Andy MARTIN USA 2:27:12 2 Brett WINEGAR USA 2:29:12 3 Jesse WILLIAMS USA 2:33:10 4 Jesse STEVICK USA 2:34:48 5 Jimmy GRANT USA 2:39:33 WOMEN: 1 Trisha STEIDL USA 2:59:21 2 Annie THEISSEN USA 3:01:22 3 Sarah Louise CUMBER USA 3:04:31 4 Annett KAMENTZ CAN 3:07:10 5 Marisa RUHTER USA 3:09:57 HALF MARATHON MEN: 1 Kota REICHERT USA 1:09:10 WOMEN: 1 Caryn HEFFERNAN USA 1:21:54 1 DECEMBER 2007: REGGAE MARATHON, JAMAICA International participants came out on top in this year’s edition with Belgium’s Rik Ceulemans and Jeanette Seckinger USA winning the marathon, while the Half Marahton event belonged to the Jamaicans. Defending champions Andrew Gutzmore and Euleen Josiah Tanner placed third and second respectively MEN: 1 Rik CEULEMANS NED 2:31:43 2 Rupert GREEN JAM 2:37:22 3 Andew GUTZMORE JAM 2:41:32 4 Christopher STEWART USA 2:47:04 5 Enos BENBOW JR USA 2:47:37 WOMEN: 1 Jeanette SECKINGER USA 3:00:57 2 Euleen JOSIAH-TANNE USA 3:08:37 3 Terri REJIMBAL USA 3:24:21 4 Cara MEARS USA 3:36:58 5 Karlene BLAGROVE JAM 3:38:40 HALF MARATHON: MEN: 1 Kemoy CAMPBELL JAM 1:10:26 WOMEN: 1 Tanice BARNETT JAM 1:28:48 LA ROCHELLE 2 DECEMBER 2007: 61ST FUKUOKA INT’L OPEN MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIP, JAPAN Samuel Wanjiru, the World Half Marathon record holder, won in a new course record writes Ken Nakamura. Deriba Merga of Ethiopia also finished under the previous course record with a personal best time by nearly seven minutes. Atsushi Sato, the Japanese half marathon record holder improved his best by 1:23 and staked his claim for the Olympic team. Former national record holder Atsushi Fujita finished a disappointing eighth, while the current national record holder Toshinari Takaoka was tenth. Pacemakers Isaac Macharia and Fabiano Joseph kept a steady 3 minutes per kilometer pace as contenders gradually fell behind. After passing halfway in 1:03:30 national record holder Toshinari Takaoka started to fall behind. The pace increased and by 25km, 10 runners, including pacemakers, remained. Soon it was down to Wanjiru, Sato and Merga as Fujita, Shigeru Aburaya and Kensuke Takahashi were dropped soon after 30km. Wanjiru increased the pace after 34km and Sato fell back, soon enough to avoid a dramatic slowdown. Wanjiru led Merga through a 2:52 35th kilometre. The 39th kilometre was a slow 3:11 but Wanjiru kicked at around 40.5km and the race was over. Wanjiru plans to improve to 2:05 in a spring marathon to make the Olympic marathon team for Kenya. His second marathon will be awaited with much anticipation. Sato is likely to be selected for the Japanese Olympic team. He married 2004 Olympic 800m competitor Miho Sugimori recently and they have a chance to make it to Beijing together. MEN: 1 Samuel WANJIRU KEN 2:06:39 2 Deriba MERGA ETH 2:06:50 3 Atsushi SATO JPN 2:07:13 4 Yukou MATSUMIYA JPN 2:09:40 5 Shigeru ABURAYA JPN 2:10:30 6 Kensuke TAKAHASHI JPN 2:11:52 7 Daniel YEGO KEN 2:11:57 8 Atsushi FUJITA JPN 2:12:29 9 Naoki MISHIRO JPN 2:12:56 10 Toshinari TAKAOKA JPN 2:13:40 2 DECEMBER 2007: MILANO CITY MARATHON, ITALY A record 5726 runners assembled in the Piazza Castello in cool conditions writes Diego Sampaolo. Recent bronze medal winners in the World Road <strong>Running</strong> Championships in Udine, Kenya’s Evans Cheruiyot and 64 <strong>Distance</strong> <strong>Running</strong> January – March 2008
<strong>Distance</strong> <strong>Running</strong> January – March 2008 65