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HALF MARATHONMEN:1 Norber GUTIERREZ CUB 1:06:412 Livan LUQUE REYES CUB 1:06:573 Richar PEREZ COBAS CUB 1:07:25WOMEN:1 Mariela GONZALEZ TORRES CUB 1:18:082 Yudileivis Castillo TUMBAREL CUB 1:18:423 Dalin Belmonte TORRES CUB 1:20:1723 NOVEMBER 2006:ATLANTA MARATHON ANDHALF MARATHON, USASee feature on page 3824-26 NOVEMBER 2006:MALTA INT’L CHALLENGEMARATHON, MALTAThe Christmas lights might have been switched onearlier during the week, but it was a 27-year oldRussian Konstantin Kochkin who really lit up Valletta’sRepublic Street writes Paul Grech.He covered the total ‘Challenge’ distance of42.2km, run in three consecutive daily stages of 11.2km.6km and 25km in a cumulative time of 2:24:, almost 10minutes ahead of his opposition. “It isn’t good enoughto beat Dale Rixon’s record of 2:15.49 way back in 1992,”said race director Barry Whitmore, “but it is the fastestrun we’ve seen in a long time.”“It is an excellent race and the scenery is verybeautiful” said Kochkin. “The hills make it quite tough,particularly the final one that leads to the finish. So itis truly a challenge - but a nice challenge.”Four-time winner David Mansbridge, who finished thirdon the day (1:34:58) and second overall was visiblydisappointed. “Perhaps age is catching up with me,” hesaid.An athlete with whom age doesn’t seem to becatching up is Carol Walsh who, as expected, was thefirst woman in at the City Gate gantry at the end ofthe 25km and confirmed her overall victory. Walsh’sinclusion was a surprise - she last took part in this race13 years ago but she didn’t regret her choice.“I really enjoyed myself. At first I was a little bitapprehensive because you have to watch yourselfwhen you’re running three races in consecutive days. Iused my experience and held back a little in the firsttwo races,” she said. Doreen Vella’s second place - bothin the final race and overall - was a surprise asshe started the day in third. “It gave me something toaim for” she said. Carmen Hili, winner of the past foureditions, finished third with a slow third stage. “I didn’tfeel good today although I don’t really know why”, shesaid.MEN:1 Konstantin KOCHKIN RUS 2:24:412 David MANSBRIDGE GBR 2:34:293 Terentiev STANISLAV RUS 2:35:094 Drew LANG MLT 2:36:235 Johann GALEA MLT 2:37:00WOMEN:1 Carol WALSH MLT 2:50:272 Doreen VELLA MLT 3:01:103 Carmen HILI MLT 3:04:064 Paola VIGNANI ITA 3:20:245 Marica MICALLEF MLT 3:21:2525 NOVEMBER 2006:TORAY CUP SHANGHAIMARATHON, CHINANo results obtainable26 NOVEMBER 2006:TOYOTA GREAT ETHIOPIAN RUN10KM, ETHIOPIAWith race favourite Ibrahim Jeylan not starting it wasEthiopian 20km champion Deriba Merga whopreserved the home nation’s 100% record in the sixthrunning of Africa’s largest 10km writes Elshadai Negash.In the women’s race little-known runner BelayneshFekadu took a surprise victory over defendingchampion Genet Getaneh as both winners smashed thecourse record. Young Lyneth Chepkurui equalledKenya’s best-ever placing in this race as the 18-year oldled for the final 2km but was unable to match Fekadu’sfinish.A leading group of eight distanced themselvesfrom the rest of the field with four Kenyans also vyingfor a chance to upset the form book. At 5km Tola tookthe initiative and his pace dropped two runners fromthe pack. Three more were left behind soon afterwardsso that Tola led Merga and Eshetu Wondimu. Tola andMerga dropped Wondimu with 2km to go and Mergapulled clear with 500m to go. Henry Sugut, in ninth,was the fastest non-Ethiopian.Belaynesh Fekadu shocked defending championGenet Getaneh and race favourite Bezunesh Bekeleto take an upset victory in the women’s contest.Fekadu had finished 14th last year and started off byrunning behind a large leading group of nine runners.Only over the last 2km, when the pack dwindled tofive runners, did she take command over theproceedings, moving behind leader Chepkurui with akilometre to go and sprinting past the Kenyan with500m to go.MEN:1 Deriba MERGA ETH 28:192 Tadesse TOLA ETH 28:223 Eshetu WONDIMU ETH 28:354 Tilahun REGASSA ETH 28:355 Kidane GEMECHU ETH 28:40WOMEN:1 Belaynesh FEKADU ETH 33:032 Lineth CHEPKURUI KEN 33:083 Genet GETANEH ETH 33:144 Aheza KIROS ETH 33:255 Bezunesh BEKELE ETH 33:2726 NOVEMBER 2006:XXIII FIRENZE MARATHON, ITALYA record 6.971 runners, representing 54 countriesstarted from the piazzale Michelangelo. Kutto wasenlisted to act as “hare” until 25km, but afterperforming this task was in good enough shape to goon to win.Pacemaker James Kutto seized his chance to winthe 23th edition and smashed the course record in theprocess writes Diego Sampaolo. Vincenza Sicari scoreda home victory in her first serious attempt over thedistance.The men’s race started fast, with the first 10kmpassed in 30:07. Pre-race favourite Hicham Chatt, whoran an outstanding 2:07:59 last April in London, lostground on the leading group and was forced to dropout after 15km. Six men formed the lead group whichincluded Kenyan pacemaker Benjamin Kiptoo,Caliandro (who had the task to pace his teammateIngargiola until halfway), Kutto, Ingargiola and JoelSaitoti. Kiptoo went through halfway in 63:53, 40seconds faster than the time previously agreed.Ingargiola and Kutto pulled away from the rest ofthe field after 25km (75:48). Running a 27th kilometreof 2:58, Kutto dropped Ingargiola by 10 seconds. At30km the Kenyan upped the pace to increase his leadover the Italian to 24 seconds. He had started the raceas a pacemaker, but now decided to continue to thefinish. He kept a sub-3 minutes/km pace, clocking1:45:54 at 35km (inside 2:08 pace).Ingargiola and little-known Kenyan Joel Saitoti,who were dropped by 1:40 at 35km, engaged in a neckand neck battle for second place. Over the challengingfinal kilometres of the course inside the centre of theTuscan city Saitoti faded and Kimeli Kenei camethrough to take third place - but Kutto’s victory wasnever in doubt.Vincenza Sicari was left out on her own at 30kmwhen local favourite Gloria Marconi dropped out.Sicari and Marconi had battled together in the firsthalf, passing 10km in 34:56. At halfway Sicari surged todrop Marconi by six seconds. Marconi dropped outafter 30km when Sicari, who ran her first seriousmarathon after completing a test in Carpi last Octoberin 2:37:00, was running at a 2:29 pace. Three kilometreslater she slowed dramatically with liver problems butdefended her lead to the end after building up a solidgap over Monica Carlin and Sigrid Valdre in the firstpart of the race.MEN:1 James KUTTO KEN 2:08:412 Francesco INGARGIOLA ITA 2:12:183 Kenedy K KEMEI KEN 2:13:364 Joel SAITOTI KEN 2:14:005 Philip BIWOTT KEN 2:14:29WOMEN:1 Vincenza SICARI ITA 2:34:522 Monica CARLIN ITA 2:46:313 Sigrid VALDRE EST 2:49:194 Valentina DELION MDA 2:50:255 Giulia BELLINI ITA 2:51:1326 NOVEMBER 2006:UW MEDICAL CENTER SEATTLEMARATHON AND HALF, USAMEN:1 Uli STEIDL 2:27:512 Andy MARTIN 2:29:083 Nick MERRILL 2:37:494 John BURKE 2:43:505 Craig MCMILLAN 2:45:08WOMEN:1 Trisha STEDL 3:01:362 Christine REHWALD 3:05:153 Ann ARMSTRONG 3:05:394 Annie THIESSEN 3:12:035 Marisa RUHTER 3:12:06HALF MARATHONMEN:1 Andy RAKESTRAW 1:12:572 John RIAK 1:13:263 James OCONNOR 1:13:40WOMEN:1 Rhea RICHTER 1:24:502 Jamie GIBBS 1:26:013 Marti REIMER-REISS 1:26:1526 NOVEMBER 2006:10KM CORPORE SAO PAULOCLASSIC, BRAZILMEN:1 Mathew CHEBOI KEN 29:382 Kosgei K KIPLINO KEN 29:443 Franck CALDEIRA DE ALMEIDA BRA 29:504 Paulo R ALMEIDA PAULO BRA 29:555 Cosmers K KEMBOI KEN 30:03WOMEN:1 Ednalva Lauriano DA SILVA BRA 34:412 Fabiana Cristine DA SILVA BRA 35:163 Maria Zeferina R BALDAIA BRA 36:264 Rosangela FIGUEREDO BRA 36:545 Maria L DOS SANTOS NASCIMENTO BRA 36:54Distance Running January – March 200759