Aniko Kalovics triumphed again in Italy. © www.photorun.net
Once again the Amsterdam Marathon produced high-quality performances in the men’s race. Emmanuel Mutai achieved a surprising victory in highly favorable weather conditions, clocking the second fastest time of the year. The Kenyan crossed the line in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium in 2:06:29, improving his personal best by more than 6 minutes. Only Haile Gebrselassie, with his 2:04:26 world record at the Berlin Marathon, has run faster this year.
In his debut, Richard Limo placed second and scored third place on the world best list for 2007 in Amsterdam, running 2:06:45. A sprint duel decided third place, won by James Rotich (Kenya) in 2:07:12 from his compatriot Paul Kirui, who was given the same time. A total of seven athletes ran under 2:08 in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is also proving to be a good place for women to make their marathon debut. In 2002, the winner was Gete Wami (Ethiopia), who recently won the Berlin Marathon for the second time in succession and took the lead in the World Marathon Majors series. This time Magdaline Chemjor (Kenya) debuted and won on the flat course in the Netherlands. She ran 2:28:16, finishing almost two minutes clear of Dorot Gruca of Poland (2:30:10). Third was the Ethiopian Ayelech Worku in 2:30:15.
Chinese Showing Shape for Olympics
Leonid Shvetsov won the Dresden Marathon in miserable weather. © www.photorun.net
Just ten months before the Olympic Games, a 20-year-old Chinese caused a big surprise at the Beijing Marathon. Ren Longyun, 49th in the World Championships in Osaka only two months ago, missed victory by a mere six seconds in running a national record in 2:08:15. The Kenyan Nephat Kinyanjui (2:08:09) went clear only in the final kilometer. Another Chinese, Han Gang, was third in 2:08:56.
In the women’s race the Chinese showed their Olympic potential by dominating the competition. Particularly noticeable was that the first three women were all under 20 years of age. Chen Rong won in 2:27:05 from her compatriots Zhang Yingying (2:27:20) and Bai Xue (2:27:46).
Another Win for Aniko Kalovics in Carpi
Hungary’s defending champion Aniko Kalovics dictated proceedings in the Carpi Marathon. She won easily in 2:28:17 over Ornella Ferrar (2:30:22) and Justina Bak (2:30:45). Kalovics seems to enjoy racing in Italy—she had already won the Turin Marathon and the Stramilano Half Marathon this year. “I was really wanting to run under 2:28, but it was too cold,” said Kalovics, who plans her next race to be the European Cross Country Championships in December. Kenyans dominated the men’s race in Carpi, with Noah Kiplagat winning in 2:11:18 over Philip Kiplagat (2:11:29) and James Cheruiyot (2:12:52).
Leonid Shvetsov Battles the Elements in Dresden
Leonid Shvetsov and Krystyna Kuta took the Morgenpost Dresden Marathon, battling not only against their rivals but also against the elements. In dreadfully wet and cold conditions Russia’s Shvetsov clocked 2:16:19, while Kuta of Poland ran 2:41:54. A total of 7,505 runners took part in the event.
A number of marathons ran into problems this year because of high temperatures, most recently in Chicago two weeks ago. In Dresden, it was the other way round. Organizers, who had put together the strongest men’s field in race history, were greeted on race day by temperatures barely above freezing, rain and even slight hail. Russia’s national record holder Shvetsov (2:09:16) ran his own race through the streets of Dresden, with its famous landmarks like the Opera House or the Frauenkirche, which had been destroyed in World War II. Not long ago the rebuilding process was finished: the church is back to its former glory. Bringing some glory to a race, which has promising future potential, was the aim of Shvetsov.
“I had hoped to have a chance to run sub 2:12. But at least sub 2:13 seemed realistic,” said Shvetsov. Guided by three pacemakers, the 38-year-old took the lead right from the start, and passed halfway in 66:42, more than two minutes ahead of Edwin Yano (Kenya). At 25K—5 kilometers earlier than planned—Shvetsov was on his own. “I think in normal weather conditions I would have run two to three minutes faster,” said Shvetsov, who will now go to the New York Marathon with a different mission. “I am coaching a group of athletes. Among them are Ukrainian Oleksandr Kuzin [winner of Linz with 2:07:33] and Boston Marathon winner Lidiya Grigoryeva.” At the finish in Dresden, Shvetsov was more than four minutes ahead of his nearest rival Emmanuel Lagat (Kenya/2:20:46). Oleksandr Holovnytskyy (Ukraine) took third with 2:22:17. A number of Kenyan favorites either dropped out or finished a long way behind. But not only runners gave up on a miserable day. Conditions were so bad that elite race director Christoph Kopp stopped his motorcycle at halfway and took a bus instead to follow the race!
Three women led the race at halfway: Kateryna Karmanenko (Ukraine), Remalda Kergyte (Lithuania) and Kuta passed that point in 1:21:21. Kuta was the one who managed to run even faster on the second half. The 40-year-old mother of two clocked 2:41:54. “Taking into account the weather I am happy with my time,” Kuta said. As she did last year, Kergyte took second (2:45:14). Karmanenko was third in 2:46:50.
