Yoshimi Ozaki wins the Tokyo Marathon. © www.photorun.net

A 30-year tradition came to a close Sunday in Japan when Tokyo hosted its last running of the Women’s Marathon. Citing concerns for clearing Tokyo’s busy streets for two separate marathons, the city’s police department decided to combine the men’s and women’s marathon starting next February.

In Sunday’s final running of the race, a hometown favorite prevailed: 27-year-old Yoshimi Ozaki. Ozaki won the race in blistering 2:23:30 hours—the ninth-fastest marathon run this year. With this time, Ozaki qualified for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

“I’m both delighted and surprised to have won the final edition of the Tokyo Marathon,” Yoshimi Ozaki told the IAAF website (iaaf.org). Before Sunday, Ozaki’s fastest time was 2:26:19 (her marathon debut).

Going into the race, Yoko Shibui was the favorite. After all, she was the 2004 Berlin Marathon champion-winning it in 2:19:41. And so she took the lead early on—passing through the first 10 kilometers in 32:55 minutes (2:19 hours pace). Only Magdaline Chemjor, a top-seeded Kenyan, could keep Shibui company. But Chemjor dropped off soon afterwards. Through the half it was still Shibui’s race: the clock read 70:07.

Yoko Shibui looked well on her way to victory, but began to struggle over the last few kilometers—difficult, uphill kilometers. It was on these hills where Ozaki made her move. She first passed second-place runner Yuri Kano and then made her way to the leader, Shibui, 4 kilometers from the finish. (Yoko Shibui eventually finished fourth in 2:25:51.) Behind Ozaki, Kano finished second in 2:24:27 and British runner Mara Yamauchi placed third in 2:25:03. The Kenyan Salina Kosgei finished fifth in 2:30:34.

Ethiopians Win on the Seven Hills

It’s not surprising that the winner of one of Holland’s largest road races, the Seven Hills race, was an Ethiopian. It is, however, a surprise that the winner wasn’t Kenenisa Bekele. The world-famous, double-Olympic champion and multiple world-record holder placed third on Sunday in the 25^th edition of the race which drew nearly 30,000 runners. Bekele had run well previously in this 15K, out-and-back race from Nijmegen to Groesbeek. But it wasn’t to be Sunday.

The winner, fellow Ethiopian Ayele Abshiro, broke the tape in 42:17. The lead pack hit 5K at 14:09—a bit off course-record pace. At that point, Kenenisa Bekele was three seconds behind Isaac Kiprop of Uganda. (Kiprop eventually finished second in 42:19). Ayele Abshiro was in third. Then Bekele, the Olympic champion, surged into the lead. He reached 10K in 27:57, leading Kiprop and Abshiro by 15 seconds. However, Bekele started having problems over the last 5K and dropped back—still coming in 22 seconds ahead of his younger brother, Tariku.

Mestawat Tufa comes close to the 15K world record in Holland. © www.photorun.net

In the women’s race, Mestawat Tufa put on an incredible performance—running 46:56. This time was one second shy of Kayoko Fukushi’s world record! (Fukushi had set the time during the 2006 Marugame Half-Marathon.) Tufa’s split at 5K was 15:56 and 31:32 at 10K.

Tufa, who took the silver medal this year at the World Cross-Country Championships behind her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba, ran the last 10K in 31:00. Putting this amazing split in perspective: German runner Irina Mikitenko’s world best 10K for this year is 30:57! The Kenyans Martha Komu (50:06) and Gladys Otero (50:35) finished second and third respectively.

Nuta Olaru Wins San Antonio’s Inaugural Marathon

San Antonio’s first marathon champion, Nuta Olaru, breaks the tape. © www.photorun.net

Nuta Olaru, a 38-year-old Romanian, surprised the women’s field on Sunday in San Antonio. Going into the race, the clear favorite was Margaret Okayo. The Kenyan’s record racing in the U.S. is practically unmatched. She owns the records on two of the three courses that comprise the American marathon majors: Boston and New York. She is also a former London Marathon champion.

So as expected, Okayo took the early lead. But just shy of the 10K mark, Olaru surprisingly seized the lead. Okayo couldn’t counter the Romanian’s move, and by 15K, was unfortunately forced to drop out of the race—citing foot problems.

By the half (1:13:12), it was Olaru’s race to lose. She ran the rest of the race unchallenged and broke the finishing tape in 2:28:54—nearly a minute ahead of second-place finisher, New Zealand runner Liza Hunter-Galvan, who came in at 2:29:37. Third place went to Karolina Jarzynska of Poland (2:33:19).

After the race, Nuta Olaru had this to say about her win: “The San Antonio course is great and the weather was perfect. It’s a wonderful feeling to have won the very first edition of a race like this.”

Olaru, who has already competed in several World Championships and Olympic Games, has run a 2:24:33 personal best marathon (Chicago, 2004). She now intends to run the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

The fastest man in San Antonio was the Kenyan, Meschack Kirwa, who crossed the line 2:14:36. He made his move late in the race, pulling ahead of the American, Matt Downin, and the Russian, Dmitry Safranov. “At 30K, I knew I could win, because I could have gone faster still. The cheers from the spectators along the course made me run faster,” Kirwa said during the post-race press conference.

Downin went on to place second in 2:15:36 and Safranov placed third in 2:15:58.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon received 30,000 entries. Approximately 25,000 runners started the race. In addition to the marathon, the race organizers also staged a half-marathon.

Paul Lekuraa outsprints Julius Kiprotich for the win. © www.photorun.net

It’s hard enough to run a marathon healthy. Running one sick while winning the whole thing and setting an event record: is that even possible?

It is. It happened Sunday at the 26^th Annual Athens Marathon.

At the start of the race, one of the top-seeded runners, 25-year-old Kenyan Paul Lekuraa didn’t feel well. “I didn’t feel good. I had headaches,” Lekuraa said. Along with his sickness, he had another problem to deal with: He barely made it to the race. Because of an unforeseen visa mix-up, he wasn’t even allowed into the country until the day before—something that can have disastrous consequences for a runner, because of the need to acclimatize and start the race rested.

After the starting gun went off and the nearly 10,000-runners began racing along the historic Athens Marathon course, up Mount Pendeli, Lekuraa’s headache persisted. “I wanted to drop out at times,” he later recalled.

Still, he persevered.

For 20 kilometers, all uphill, Lekuraa battled on, coming to terms with his headache while struggling to keep up with the lead pack comprised of fellow Kenyans Julius Kiprotich and Paul Kogo. At the 30K mark, Kogo tried to make the decisive move, but the two countered and so the race’s dynamic remained unchanged.

Running through his pain, Lekuraa reminded himself to wait and see—that perhaps it would get better. He ran with the leaders until the last kilometer. “I might even win this,” he eventually told himself.

In the final sprint, Kogo couldn’t keep up and it came down to a footrace between Lekuraa and Kiprotich. They passed through the gates of the venue for the first modern Olympic Games of 1896: Panathinaikos stadium. Several thousand spectators cheered them on.

In the end, it was Lekuraa who prevailed. He edged out Kiprotich by two meters! Both runners were given the final time: 2:12:42 hours. But Lekuraa was awarded the win and the event record. 2004 Olympic gold medalist Stefano Baldini’s course record of 2:10:55 still stands, but Lekuraa’s finishing time was the eighth-fastest ever on the most famous marathon course in the history of the event. Paul Kogo, who lost contact in the final kilometer, finished third in 2:12:49. His time was well inside the previous event record of 2:14:40, set by Benjamin Korir in 2007.

A final interesting factoid about Lekuraa: It turns out the former world-record holder, Paul Tergat, advised him to enter the race. Apparently, Tergat trains in the same group with Lekuraa. In a recently workout, Tergat noticed that Lekuraa appeared to be in peak shape and so he phoned Lekuraa’s manager, Zane Branson, and asked him to find a race for Lekuraa. Branson chose the Athens Marathon: a wise choice. Lekuraa’s victory was worth 6,000 Euros in prize money plus a time bonus of 3,000 Euros—a total worth nearly $12,000!

Mai Tagami celebrates the biggest race of her career in Athens. © www.photorun.net

In the women’s race, Japanese runner Mai Tagami emerged victorious. Her time, 2:36:58, was the third-fastest women’s time in the history of the event. Tagami is a prolific runner: the Athens race marked her 20^th career marathon.

In contrast to the men’s race, the outcome of the women’s was clear-cut. Tagami crossed the line nearly almost four minutes ahead of second-place finisher Elena Tikhonova of Russia who ran 2:40:45. Georgia Ampatzidou of Greece finished third in 2:40:53.

Mai Tagami ran a brilliant tactical race on a difficult course. Having won the Melbourne Marathon in 2:38:46 last month, she waited till halfway before making her move. At that point she broke away from her remaining rival, Elena Tikhonova. “I didn’t have any problems in the first half as the course started to climb because the pace wasn’t fast. But it was harder when I was running on my own,” Tagami later commented. “I’m proud to have won in Athens,” she said. Tagami received 6,000 Euros (nearly $8000) in prize money for her victory. Tagami is hoping to qualify for the World Championships in Berlin in 2009 by running the Osaka Marathon at the end of January. “I want to improve my personal best in Osaka,” said Tagami, whose fastest time is 2:29:43.

In preparing for her marathons, Tagami logs incredible mileage—over 300K a week which is more than a marathon a day on average! She is sponsored by Aruse, a Japanese chain of amusement arcades and gambling parlors. “But I don’t bet on myself!” Tagami joked after the race.

Top Times at the Delhi Half-Marathon

Countries in the developing world are gaining increasing attention with the successful staging of large-scale, highly successful events—events like the Delhi Half-Marathon race on Sunday with its 25,000 participants. The course, fast and flat, wound through the Indian capital. Accordingly, it produced high-class winning times.

Three men went under an hour: Deriba Merga of Ethiopia won in a sprint finish in 59:15 by just one second ahead of Wilson Kipsang (Kenya). Third was another Kenyan, Wilson Chebet (59:34). Another four athletes dipped under 61 minutes. The 26-year-old Deriba Merga improved his personal best by one second, equaling the fastest time in the world this year which was set by Haile Gebrselassie. A year ago, Merga ran 59:16 for fourth place at the World Half-Marathon Championships. In the past two years he has established himself as a world-class road runner. In April he finished sixth in the London Marathon in 2:06:38.

The women’s race was also a fast one. Like the men’s race, it also came down to a sprint finish with Mergia Aselefech (Ethiopia) winning in 68:17 over Genet Getanah by one second. Aselefech’s time was the third-fastest in the world this year. The Kenyan, Peninah Arusei, took third place with 68:20.

World Marathon Majors plan rule changes

Following the recent decision regarding the women’s winner of the second World Marathon Majors (WMM) Series 2007-2008, the five race directors are planning to amend the rules in case of future instances where the leaders finish tied. The German runner, Irina Mikitenko, was declared the winner after the New York Marathon after a vote by the race directors. She and Gete Wami (Ethiopia) had finished tied in points and with the same win-loss record. According to the chief executive of the London Marathon, Nick Bitel, who is also a lawyer, this decision was in accordance with the rules which could not be changed while the series was still in progress.

By the 2009-2010 series, however, other criteria will be allowed for consideration in the case of runners finishing similarly tied. It is conceivable, according to the Berlin race director Mark Milde, that a runner with fewer races or their average finishing time of their WMM results could be considered as additional tiebreaking criteria. “We want to amend the rules to avoid having a vote to decide the outcome in future,” said Mary Wittenberg the race director of the New York City Marathon.

Dos Santos celebrates his second NYC win. © www.photorun.net

Even though world-class marathons last over two hours, watching one is hardly boring; and certainly not predictable. At today’s ING New York City Marathon, this was the case. In the men’s race, after 24 long miles, the 2^nd place finisher at last year’s NYC Marathon, the famous Moroccan, Abderrahim Goumri—the owner of the sixth-fastest marathon time in the world—was virtually assured of the win. He entered the hardest part of the course, the Central Park South hills, with a comfortable lead.

But that’s when the excitement happened—that’s when the real race began on Sunday: at 24 miles.

Goumri suddenly noticed someone behind him. It was no stranger to this race; it was the Brazilian and the 2006 ING New York City Marathon champion himself, Marilson Gomes dos Santos.

Earlier in the race, through the half (66:06 minutes), the two had been in with the lead pack that was comprised of the three Kenyans, Daniel Rono, Paul Kirui, and the former world-record holder, Paul Tergat, as well the South African and 2004 Champion, Hendrick Ramaala and Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco. It had been a tight race up to that point, with the only major surge belonging to Goumri around mile 14. Up till then, the race was anyone’s—up in the air. The pack began picking up the pace

Around mile 22, on First Avenue, Goumri and dos Santos broke off from the pack for good. Goumri did the work, dos Santos followed in his footsteps, a few seconds behind. Goumri’s lead increased as he gained strength, coming to terms that his first major marathon victory was within reach.

Miles 22-24 turned out to be the most important miles of the race Sunday.

Goumri took his lead from two seconds to over six. Dos Santos apparently couldn’t keep up. But then the infamous hills of Central Park South came and the race’s dynamic changed. Gourmi began to fade. Mile 25 approached and his lead dropped to five seconds—then down to two.

Dos Santos passed Goumri in the last half mile and padded his lead to 30 meters. The crowd erupted in cheers. Dos Santos crossed the finish line pumping his fist. His time: 2:08:43 hours. 30 seconds later, Goumri finished in a respectable 2:09:07. The Kenyan, Daniel Rono placed third in 2:11:22.

Talking to the press afterwards about those final, desperate miles Goumri recalled, “I turned back and saw Marilson come back. I said, ‘I think he is going to win today.’” Still, Goumri was optimistic about his chances for a victory in the future. “I hope I can come back one day and I should win one day, no problem,” he said.

Dos Santos recalled the final mile, saying, “You can’t ever lose hope. I kept focusing. I have seen many marathons decided only in the last minutes.”

Besides Brazil, it was a good day for the United States. Four Americans placed in the top ten—something that hasn’t happened in 21 years. The American favorite, Abdi Abdirahman, who led for a while early in the race, placed sixth (2:14:17). Also noteworthy was Bolota Asmerom’s 2:16:37 finish-an impressive debut for a former 5000m runner.

Top 10 Men:

World record-holder Radcliffe crosses the line as a three-time champion. © www.photorun.net

The women’s race was equally inspiring!

As soon as the starting gun sounded, the world-record holder and last year’s champion—the prerace favorite—Paula Radcliffe took the early lead. She ran strong from the front, against a vicious headwind—proving her fitness. She hit the 4-mile mark at 23:09. Behind her, in the slipstream, was the American and debut marathoner, Kara Goucher, and the Ethiopians, Gete Wami and Dire Tune.

When asked after the race about front running alone into the wind, Radcliffe recalled, “Nobody else wanted to take the lead…I looked behind and they were all tucked in behind me, I thought C’mon ladies, we’ve got the whole road.”

At mile 6, the race’s dynamic changed slightly as Radcliffe pulled aside for her fluid bottle. The American, Kara Goucher, who had been right on her heels took the lead.

By mile 7, however, Radcliffe returned to the front.

This happened again near the half, as Radcliffe pulled aside for fluids and Goucher pushed ahead for 400 meters. Determined not to lose the lead, Radcliffe countered and surged back into the lead.

Radcliffe’s time at the half was 1:13:23.

By mile 14, the chase pack began to drop—most notably the Olympic silver medalist, Catherine Ndereba. Behind Radcliffe were Goucher, Tune, Wami, and the 40-year-old Russian, Ludmila Petrova.

At mile 20, with the ominous Central Park hills and the infamous “wall” ahead, the race’s dynamic began to change. Tired from the strong winds and relentless pace, Tune and Wami began to fade. Radcliffe held the lead and only Petrova was able to hang with her. Goucher held on for third. Into Central Park, it was Radcliffe’s race. Petrova and Goucher battled for second and third place.

Slowing slightly to celebrate in the final miles, Radcliffe still finished strong. She crossed the line in 2:23:55. Behind her, 40-year-old Ludmila Petrova finished in 2:25:43—breaking Priscilla Welch’s world record for the fastest women’s master (2:26:51). Third place went to the American Kara Goucher. Her 2:25:52 also set a record-the fastest debut by an American woman.

Radcliffe’s victory Sunday was her third ING New York City Marathon win. “New York is just a place I love to come but it was different this year. The last two times it was really close at the end but it was nice to make it a little bit easier on my husband and help him stay more relaxed,” she joked after the race.

Besides Radcliffe and Dos Santos, two other world-class runners won big on Sunday in New York: Irina Mikitenko and Martin Lel. Even though neither of them ran the race, they were in the competition for the $1M World Marathon Majors purse—a purse that was determined at the conclusion of the ING New York City Marathon.

With first place clinched for the men, Martin Lel was assured of his victory, but not Mikitenko. The German newcomer in the marathon was competing for the purse with the Ethiopian, Gete Wami. In order for Wami to defeat Mikitenko, she needed to place first or second at New York—something that she wasn’t able to achieve (Wami finished sixth in 2:29:25.)

As a result, the two were tied and it came down to a vote.

After the race, the directors of the World Marathon Majors (Boston, Chicago, Berlin, London, and New York) voted unanimously to award the $500,000 prize to Mikitenko who earned her points in fewer races and who’s average race time in those races was faster than Wami’s.

All in all over 38,000 runners from hundreds of countries competed in the world-famous marathon on Sunday. The race was broadcast on television and over the internet to an estimated 315 million people.

Top 10 Women:

Paula Radcliffe and Gete Wami: Two of the favorites in New York. © www.photorun.net

How can anyone forget it: that famous finish at the 2005 ING New York City Marathon—a finish that came down literally a fraction of a second between the former world-record holder, Paul Tergat, and the 2004 New York Marathon champion, Hendrick Ramaala? The two battled it out in the final mile—back and forth, throwing their arms wild; using every inch of their reserves to try and win. In the end, it was Tergat who prevailed—but barely (three-tenths of a second!). Their exciting rivalry continues this year as both Ramaala and Tergat return for a friendly rematch.

And they have good company.

Joining them at the starting line will also be the 2006 champion, the Brazilian, Marilson Gomes dos Santos. Gomes dos Santos is the only South American champion in the race’s 38-year history. He is the fastest half-marathoner from the Western hemisphere (59:33 minutes) and holds the South American record in the 10,000 meters (27:28.12). His recent running success (8^th at the 2008 World Half-Marathon Championships last month and 2^nd at the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York last May) puts him in contention for the win.

Representing North Africa’s best chances is the Moroccan record holder, Abderrahim Goumri. Goumri is no stranger to New York: he finished 2^nd in last year’s marathon behind Martin Lel, running with him up the Central Park hills all the way to the final half mile. Last year’s Flora London Marathon was Goumri’s debut—an impressive one, 2:05:30 hours and the sixth-fastest of all time.

Besides Paul Tergat, there are three other Kenyan prospects: Daniel Rono, Abel Kirui, and Wilfred Kigen. Of the three, Abel Kirui has the fastest marathon time: 2:06:51. Kirui is famous for his brilliant pacemaking abilities. It was Kirui who helped Haile Gebreselassie run his world record 2:03:59 in Berlin last month-going as far as 35 kilometer with him which points to a fast race for him on Sunday. 30-year-old Daniel Rono has had an amazing year. In April, he set his PR, 2:06:58, placing second at the Rotterdam Marathon. Last month, he returned to Rotterdam (a half-marathon), where he ran a 59-second personal best (1:00:27). Wilfred Kigen, the fourth-fastest-seeded Kenyan with a personal best of 2:07:33, began running late in his career (at age 24). Now 33 years old, Kigen is a three-time winner of the Frankfurt Marathon (2005, 2006, and 2007).

Not to be excluded from the contenders are the Americans. Abdi Abdirahman, a Somali-born University of Arizona graduate stands the best chance for a top-five placing. Abdirahman is a three-time Olympian (10,000m). His marathon PR of 2:08:56 was set at the 2006 Chicago Marathon where he finished an impressive fourth. Also wearing the U.S. singlets are Bolota Asmerom, Jason Lehmkuhle, and Nate Jenkins. Of the three, Lehmkuhle and Jenkins have sub-2:15 personal bests. New York is Asmerom’s debut marathon. A graduate of Stanford University, he is moving up from the 5,000m and boasts a sub 4-minute mile. It will be interesting to see how he runs, taking into account his natural leg speed.

The women’s field in New York may be one of the deepest in history. At the top are the only two women in the world that have run under 2:19: the current world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe (United Kingdom), and the former world record holder, two-time silver medalist Catherine Ndereba (Kenya). It’s hard to tell which of the two is the favorite. They have both been running incredibly strong recently. Just last week, Radcliffe smashed a 17-year-old British record, running an amazing 51:11 at the 10-mile Great South Run. Ndereba has run equally well. She won the Olympic silver medal in Beijing and placed second overall in the Philadelphia Distance Run last month (a half-marathon) that she ran in 1:10:51.

And then there are the Ethiopians, 23-year-old Dire Tune and 33-year-old Gete Wami: Both are equally capable of the win. Wami’s personal best (2:21:34) is faster than Tune’s (2:24:00). Wami was last year’s World Marathon Majors champion having won in Berlin and, a month later, placing second behind Paula Radcliffe at the ING New York City Marathon. She has won three Olympic medals and 10 World Championship medals. Tune (23 years old) is the reigning Boston Marathon champion—having edged out Russia’s Alexa Bikitmirova in an exciting footrace at the finish. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Tune was the only Ethiopian to finish the race (15^th). She has run well in the United States. She holds the course record for the Houston Marathon where she is a two-time winner.

Never to be overlooked in the woman filed are the Russians. Two of them, Ludmila Petrova (40 years old) and Lyubov Morgunova (37 years old), stand the best chances of competing for the win. Petrova is very familiar with the New York course: she was the 2000 champion and has finished in the top ten an impressive six times. She holds the Russian marathon record (2:21:29) that she set at the Flora London Marathon in 2006. Last April, Morgunova set her personal best, 2:25:12 at the Rotterdam Marathon.

Besides Catherine Ndereba, three other Kenyans have a shot at the win: Joyce Chepchumba, Tegla Loroupe, and Rita Jeptoo. Of the three, 34-year-old Loroupe’s personal best, 2:20:43, is the fastest. Compared to the entire, extremely impressive field, she has had the most success running in New York—having won the marathon in 1994 and 1995 as well as the New York Mini 10K five times. Added to this impressive resume is the fact that she was the world record holder in the marathon in 1998 and 1999. Loroupe hopes to build on her seventh-place showing from last year. 27-year-old Rita Jeptoo calls her teammate, Loroupe, her “inspiration.” Jeptoo was the 2006 Boston Marathon champion. There, she ran her personal best, 2:23:38. Recently, she’s shown that she’s in optimal shape. Last month in Lisbon, she ran 1:09:48-the second-fastest half-marathon of her career. Chepchumba, the last of the top-ranked Kenyans, holds a 2:23:22 marathon personal best; she is also no stranger to New York and large-city marathons: In 2002 she won New York, in 1998 and 1999 she won in Chicago, and in 1997 and 1999, she won in London. In addition to all these achievements, she is also an Olympic bronze medalist (which she won in Sydney in 2000).

The greatest American prospect, Kara Goucher, is running part of her debut marathon in the place she was born: the borough of Queens. Traditionally a middle and long-distance runner specializing in the 5,000m and 10,000m events, Goucher has recently moved up in distance. Last year in her first race over 10,000m, she made headlines by setting the American half-marathon record (1:06:57) at the Great North Run—defeating Paula Radcliffe. In the Beijing Summer Olympics, she doubled the 5,000m and 10,000m and placed in the top ten in both events.

As for those not running with the elites, the ING New York City Marathon will be equally exciting to experience. Of the 100,000 people from hundreds of countries who applied to run the race, 37,000 were accepted through a lottery system. Over 315 million people worldwide will be watching the televised coverage of this famous race as it winds through all five boroughs of the city.

The weather conditions are forecasted to be ideal; the runners are ready. It’s going to be another memorable race in the Big Apple!

Cheruiyot sets course record in Frankfurt. © www.photorun.net

The young Kenyan, the debut marathoner, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, set a course record of 2:07:21 hours to win the 27^th edition of the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon, defeating fellow Kenyans Wilson Kigen (2:08:16) and KIMbia’s Stephen Kiogora (2:08:24). It was an incredible race! Seven runners dipped under 2:10—unprecedented in the marathon’s history. In fact, no other German marathon this year has produced such a showing. Until this year, Frankfurt ranked eighth in the world: something sure to change next year. The best German finisher was Andre Pollmächer (LAC Chemnitz) who ran 2:14:18—good for 18^th place (his marathon debut).

In the women’s race, Sabrina Mockenhaupt (Cologne Marathon Club) triumphed, running a personal best of 2:26:22, finishing ahead of the Russian, Olesya Nurgalieva (2:27:37), and the defending champion, Melanie Kraus (Bayer Leverkusen/2:28:20). For the first time in the history of the Dresdner Frankfurt Marathon, five women went under 2:30. Both German runners placed comfortably inside the qualifying time for the World Championships in Berlin next year: 2:32:00.

A record number of runners entered the marathon (over 12,000). Including all running events, the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon had over 20,000 participants for the first time in its history. Approximately 300,000 spectators were out on the course in near-ideal, slightly windy conditions.

It was the 20-year-old, Robert Cheruiyot, who provided the surprise of the day as he maintained the Kenyan winning streak in Frankfurt (the seventh, consecutive Kenyan to win the race). Kenyans dominated the race to such an extent that they provided the top 14 finishers. After the lead pack reached the half in 63:57, the decisive moment came at the 35 kilometer mark. Cheruiyot (no relation to the Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot) broke from the pack and continued to build his lead.

“I’m completely surprised that I won here—for much of race up to 35 kilometers I never thought about it,” said Robert Cheruiyot. It wasn’t the first time that a little-known Kenyan runner had won a big marathon on his debut at the distance. Other examples are Evans Rutto (2:05:50/2003) and Ondoro Osoro (2:06:54/1998), both in Chicago.

In the contest for second place, Stephen Kiogora put up a valiant struggle and then encountered some bad luck when he fell on the last corner just before the finish. He ended up eight seconds behind Wilson Kigen in Frankfurt’s Festhalle.

The 25-year-old German runner, Andre Pollmächer, certainly achieved what he set out to do: his time of 2:14:18 on his marathon debut was inside the qualifying time for Germany’s 2009 World Championship team, a great success!

Also running well for the German team was Martin Beckmann (LG Leinfelden) who ran with Andre Pollmächer for much of the race and finished in 2:14:30: an impressive personal best.

Mockenhaupt wins Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon. © www.photorun.net

Sabrina Mockenhaupt, with an escort of rabbits, ran at the front of the women’s race from the start. The 27-year-old German reached the half-marathon in 1:12:59. Right behind her, was Olesya Nurgalieva, the 2004 women’s champion. But the Russian dropped off shortly after 25K and fell back further over the next 10K. Sabrina Mockenhaupt also slowed towards the end but she improved her personal best by over three minutes to 2:26:22 in winning the second marathon of her career after Cologne in 2007.

After the race, Mockenhaupt had this to say: “I still can’t quite take it in, but I’m delighted. The pace was very uneven at first and it took me a long time to settle into a rhythm because the tempo was going up and down all the time. In the future I have to run more kilometers in training, because I know there is still more to come from me. I run far fewer kilometers than some marathon runners.”

The fastest woman over the closing stages of the race was Melanie Kraus who put on a huge surge—moving from sixth to third place. Her time of 2:28:20 was the second-fastest in her career.

“The day was a success all-round, from the elite results to all the other runners. Once again Christoph Kopp [the elite athlete coordinator for the marathon] managed to bring a top-class field to Frankfurt. Conditions were superb today, although the wind might have cost us a little in terms of fast times. We had a course record and a record number of participants—who could ask for more?” said the race director Jo Schindler.

Paula Radcliffe wins 10-Miler, Joseph Lomala takes Venice Marathon

Paula Radcliffe ran very strong in Portsmouth this weekend—a week before she runs the ING New York City Marathon. The marathon world-record holder from Britain set a national record of 51:11 despite windy and wet conditions. “I wanted to run here again,” said Radcliffe, who finished well ahead of second-place finisher Jessica Augusto (Portugal/53:15). Bernard Kipyego (Kenya) won the men’s race in 46:43 and Martin Fagan of Ireland placed second in 46:55.

There was also a Kenyan victory at the Venice Marathon as Joseph Lomala won in 2:11:06 by one second over his teammate, Jacob Chesire (2:11:07). Aniko Kalovics (Hungary) won the women’s race in 2:31:24 from Anne Kosgei (Kenya/2:32:21).

Horst Milde: the Father of Modern Distance Running is 70

Horst Milde attending a World Marathon Majors Presentation in Boston. © www.photorun.net

When one thinks about the development of the Berlin running scene, and the organization of the Berlin Marathon, one name comes to mind: Horst Milde. In a storied career spanning 40 years—from organizing the city’s first cross country race held on November 8, 1964 on Berlin’s Teufelsberg in the Grunewald until the end of his career as the race director of the 2004 Berlin Marathon—Horst had organized over 348 races that included over 1.2 million participants. While acting as the race director of the Berlin Marathon, five world records were set—including the milestones of Naoko Takahashi and Paul Tergat. Takahashi became the first to run under 2:20, while Tergat was the first man to run under 2:05.

Today, Horst Milde celebrates his 70^th birthday amongst friends and family. At the beginning of 2004, his son, Mark, took over the role of race director of the Berlin Marathon. Horst’s other children, Karsten and Gesine, have also volunteered their time and energy to Berlin’s top races for many years.

Horst Milde grew up in the Tempelhof district of Belrin and his running career began with the local club, TSV Tempelhof-Mariendorf. As a middle-distance runner, he then switched to SCC Berlin and as a member of the club’s 3 x 1000 meter relay which included the 1966 European 1500m champion, Bodo Tuemmler, he twice won the German championships (1964 and 1965). His personal best for 800m was 1:49.8 and he also ran 2:25.00 for 1000m, 3:51.8 for 1500m and clocked 49.1 for 400m. Horst’s best time for 10,000m was 33:33.

Horst Milde was a student at the Freie Universität (FU) in Berlin when he began organizing races in 1964. Earning a business degree, he later took over the family business: the bakery and confectionery Milde on the Tempelhofer Damm. He and his wife Sabine ran the confectionery until 1998. His office in the backroom was where many ideas for Berlin’s mass-running movement were hammered out. Horst Milde has been responsible for a number of ground-breaking initiatives—initiatives like introducing national championships in cross-country, petitioning for computer timing chips before they were officially recognized, or planning the first marathon loop course held entirely within a city for the World Track and Field Championships.

Besides organizing races, Horst Milde has also run more than a few marathons himself—competing twice in New York as well as in London, Boston, Honolulu, Vienna, Stockholm and Copenhagen. His marathon personal best is an impressive 3:42. He was chairman of the Track and Field section of SCC Berlin for over a decade and was an official representative for the Berlin Track and Field Federation (BLV).

These days, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and is the spokesman for the German Road Races Organization (GRR). In these positions, he continues to play a significant role in the national and international development of the sport of running. He has, for example, supported the creation of the official AIMS Museum (The Museum of Sport in Berlin) and is chairman of the AIMS Symposium which will take place for the second time in Athens on November 8, 2008.

HORST MILDE’S FACTS AND FIGURES

Total number of race participants that he has organized since November 1964: 1,268,649

Number of events organized that he has organized since November 1964: 348

Total number of participants that he organized in his record year of 2003: 123,778

Total number of participants organized from1999 to 2003: 473,576

Increase in organized participants between 1999 and 2003: 94%

Lydia Cheromei wins her debut marathon in Amsterdam. © ING Amsterdam Marathon

Kenyan runners led the way at the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday. They ran on a flat course famous for incredibly fast times. The 2004 World Half-Marathon champion, Paul Kirui, claimed the men’s title in 2:07:52. Kirui has run well in Amsterdam. Last year, his fourth-place showing was also his personal best (2:07:12). Lydia Cheromei (running her marathon debut) won the women’s race in 2:25:57.

At the start, a pack of ten runners went through the first 10 kilometers in 29:50: sub-2:06 pace. But the pace slowed slightly going into the half (63:25). At that point, the lead pack began to thin out. Among the leaders were four Kenyans: Paul Kirui, Robert Cheboror, Jonathan Kosgei and Dennis Ndiso, as well as the Ethiopian Dejene Berhanu. Ndiso soon lost contact, leaving the remaining four runners to reach 30K in 1:30:23. At that point, Jackson Koech, also a Kenyan, caught up with the pack.

The race’s dynamic changed at 37K when Kirui made his move and surged ahead. By the 40K marker, he had built up an impressive, 30-second lead.

“When I heard that the runners in the second group had cut our lead, I decided to go it alone,” the 28-year-old Kirui said after the race.

Kirui played his cards correctly by making his late-race move, because Chala Dechase, a member of the second chase pack that Kirui had alluded to, ended up passing everyone but Kirui. Dechase placed second, crossing the finish line in Amsterdam’s Olympic stadium in 2:08:31.

Three more runners went under 2:10: Cheboror was third in 2:09:13, followed by Kosgei (2:09:22) and Koech (2:09:42). The 5,000m World champion from 2004, Benjamin Limo (Kenya), ran his marathon debut in 2:12:46 (12^th place). He decided not to go out with the lead pack at the start and reached half in 64:41.

The women’s race ended up as a duel between Lydia Cheromei and the Ethiopian, Adenech Zekiros. Along with Mengistu Asnakech (Ethiopia) who stayed with them until just before 20K and finished fifth, the pair went through 10K in a blazing 34:10. The duo reached the half in 1:12:24 and hit 25K in 1:25:36. At that point, Zekiros dropped back. Lydia Cheromei, the 2004 runner-up in the World Half-Marathon Championships and the winner of the Rotterdam Half-Marathon in 68:35 in September, went on to win, finishing in an impressive 2:25:57. Adenech Zekiros came in second place in 2:30:17. Third went to Marta Markos (Ethiopia) in 2:32:32.

19-year-old Chinese Bai Xue Wins in Beijing

Also on the busy schedule of large-city marathons on Sunday was the Beijing Marathon. Like the Amsterdam Marathon, Kenyan runners dominated the men’s race and claimed the first three places. Benjamin Kiptto won in 2:10:14—edging out Luka Chelimo (2:10:30) and Simon Wangai (2:10:52). The Moroccan, Rachid Kisri, finished fourth in 2:11:31. The highlight of the day happened in the women’s race. Bai Xue, only 19-years-old, won the women’s race in 2:26:27. She ran the 10,000m at the Olympic Games—finishing 21^st there. 2^nd and 3^rd place also went to Chinese runners: Chen Rong ran 2:28:25 and Zhang Yingying ran 2:28:52. Hellen Kimutai of Kenya was fourth in 2:29:19.

Phaustin Baha Sulle sets course record in Dresden

Phaustin Baha Sulle makes a comeback with a course record in Dresden. © www.photorun.net

Phaustin Baha Sulle of Tanzania returned to competition in style—winning and setting a course record in the Dresden Morgenpost Marathon with a 2:13:03. The outcome of the women’s race didn’t go the way of pre-race expectations as the 23-year-old, Remalda Kergyte of Lithuania, took the title in 2:38:48. The tenth edition of the race, held in one of the most historic cities in Eastern Germany, offered windy conditions. 7,000 athletes took part, watched by crowds of more than 50,000 along the loop course through the city center and along the Elbe river.

The men’s race went out fast—the lead pack clearly intent on smashing the on the course record (2:15:26) that had been set by Kenya’s Joseph Talam in 2006. Four men, including two rabbits, went through the half in 65:21. When the last rabbit, Simon Kasimili of Kenya, dropped out at 25K, it came down to a contest between Phaustin Baha Sulle and Pharis Kimani of Kenya.

During the footrace, Sulle would gain a couple of meters on Kimani. The finishing times looked to be between 2:10 and 2:11. But from 30K (1:32:30), the pace slowed significantly. The decisive moment came when Phaustin Baha Sulle (who was the runner-up at the 2000 World Half-Marathon Championships) surged slightly at 35K. Kimani couldn’t respond; the gap was too big for him to recover. However, Kimani still held on for second place, setting a personal best of 2:14:40 in only his second marathon. Vasil Remshchuk of Ukraine finished third in 2:17:27.

“I am happy with my result. There was some wind on the course which made it difficult,” said Phaustin Baha Sulle, who has a personal best of 2:10:08. In recent years, he has struggled with a number of injuries. “In 2007 I could not run at all. I was only able to do light training back in Tanzania, because I had a joint problem in my hip,” said Phaustin Baha Sulle. „But now I’m feeling better and better. And I’m optimistic for the future. I would like to run the Dubai Marathon in January and it would be my aim there to go for a time between 2:06 and 2:07.”

The women’s favorite, Fabiola John (Tanzania), established a big lead in the early stages of the race. The 23 year-old, who had been second in Edinburgh in 2005 and has a personal best of 2:34:41, passed the half in 1:17:40. While she was well ahead of Remalda Kergyte (1:19:31) at that stage, she started losing ground soon afterwards. In the end Fabiola John had to settle for second place in 2:40:53.

“At 28K I knew I would have a chance to catch her,” said Remalda Kergyte, although she was still about 60 seconds behind. At 36K, the Lithuanian took the lead and went on for her biggest career win thus far. “I have now qualified for the World Championships in Berlin next year and intend to run there. These will be my first major championships,” said Kergyte, who placed second in Dresden in 2006 and 2007. “As a defending champion, of course, I also want to return to Dresden next year.”

Evans Cheruiyot wins the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. © www.photorun.net

When Sammy Wanjiru set that famous breakneck pace in the Olympic Marathon this past summer—a pace so fast in the75-degree temperatures that no one predicted he could hold it—he unknowingly set a new precedence for warm-weather marathoning: he demonstrated that it is indeed possible to run aggressively and fast in the heat and win. On Sunday, 26-year-old Kenyan, Evans Cheriuyot, reinforced this notion in the 31st running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon by clocking a 2:06:25 in unseasonably warm and humid temperatures (over 70 degrees Fahrenheit at the finish). This was the 6th triumph in a row at Chicago for a Kenyan man.

Like the Olympic marathon, the pace was brutal from the moment the starting gun sounded. The lead pack went out in the first 5 kilometers in a mind-numbing 15:00 and didn’t let up from there. It was so fast, it even dropped the race’s pre-arranged rabbits—going under 30 minutes for 10K (29:24), sub 60 minutes for 20K (59:15), and on track for a sub 2:05 marathon at the half (1:02:27).

Racing alongside Cheriuyot the entire way were fellow Kenyans David Mandango and Emmanuel Mutai. After the 25K mark, the race took on a new dynamic. Mutai was the first to drop back. Despite gallantly, holding on with Cheriuyot and Mandango all that way, he couldn’t maintain the suicidal, sub 4:50-per mile pace.

It then became a footrace between Mandango and Cheriuyot—both still clocking sub 30-minute 10K-pace. Mandango surged first—after the 35K, he took the lead up a slight hill.

Cheriuyot flagged—dropping as far back as 30 feet near the 1:50 mark. The race looked like it was Mandango’s for a mile, but Cheriuyot, the winner of last year’s Milan Marathon, a 59-minute half-marathoner and racing his second marathon of his life, refused to give in. He caught back up to Mandango and then dropped him-securing a 17-second lead at the 40K mark and crossing tape the victor. At the post-race press conference, Cheriuyot recalled this decisive moment as follows: “He [Mandango] was looking side [to] side…Me: I was feeling to push the pace.”

Mandango, the fourth-place finisher of this year’s London Marathon held steady and crossed the line in second place (2:07:37). Third place went to the Kenyan, Timothy Cherigat (2:11:39).

Lidiya Grigoryeva and Alevtina Biktimirova battled it out in a hard-fought race. © www.photorun.net

In the women’s race, it was a good day for the Russian contingent. The winner of the 2007 Boston Marathon, 34-year-old Lidiya Grigoryeva (2:27:17) finished first, running an incredible 3-minute negative split for the second half. The whole race, she battled back and forth against her teammate Alevtina Biktimirova, the two exchanging the lead, until the 35K mark when Grigoryeva hammered it home for the win. Biktimirova finished second with a very respectable sub-2:30 performance (2:29:32). Kiyoko Shimahara from Japan placed third in 2:30:19. Romania’s Constantina Tomescu-Dita, the Olympic Marathon champion, finished in fourth (2:30:57). Defending champion, Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere, finished 10th in 2:34:16.

“The race developed slowly today which worked in my favor,” said Grigoryeva (through a translator). “The pace started picking up and I was lucky that my friend [Biktirmirova] was there. I was very confident in my speed. That played a big role in my race.”

Elite runners aside, a total of 35,000 runners competed in Sunday’s race. By all accounts, despite the warm conditions, this year’s marathon was much more runner-friendly than last year’s marathon which had to be stopped at the four-hour mark, because of 88-degree temperatures.

Men’s Top 10

Women’s Top 10 

Tadese and Kiplagat Complete the Hat Trick in the World Half-Marathon

Zersenay Tadese is now a three-time half-marathon world champion. © www.photorun.net

Zersenay Tadese and Lornah Kiplagat continue to be the standard bearers when it comes to the half-marathon. The Eritrean, Tadese, and the former Kenyan, Kiplagat (who has been running for the Netherlands since 2003), each won the gold medal for the third time in a row at this year’s championships. Only Tegla Loroupe of Kenya has previously achieved this feat at the World Championships (from 1997 to 1999). This year, the World Championships were combined with the annual Rio de Janeiro Half-Marathon which attracted 15,000 participants.

In warm conditions topping 68 degrees Fahrenheit, Zersenay Tadese won by a wide margin in 59:56—almost two minutes ahead of the second and third-place finishers, Kenyan Patrick Makau Musyoki (61:54) and Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (Qatar/61:57). Lornah Kiplagat was equally dominant in defending her title. The 34-year-old finished in 68:37 with over a minute lead over the Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia (69:57) and Pamela Chepchumba (70:01) from Kenya.

Zersenay Tadese dominated from the start of the men’s race. After going through 5K with a 12-runner pack in 14:06, he was soon out on his own. Tadese reached 10K in 27:55 and by then he had a lead of almost half a minute over the chase pack comprised of Stephen Kibiwott, Patrick Makau Musyoki, Ahmad Hassan Abdullah, and Albert Chepkurui. Tadese continued to build on his lead as the struggle for silver and bronze unfolded behind him.

Lornah Kiplagat held off the contingent of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners in the women’s race. While runners from East Africa claimed the first eight places, the top spot was out of reach. Just like Tadese, Kiplagat surged ahead of her rivals early on. She broke free around the 7K mark, reaching 10K in 31:30 with a ten-second lead over the Ethiopians, Aselefech Mergia and Genet Getaneh, and the Kenyans, Peninah Arusei and Pamela Chepchumba. (Chepchumba won the bronze medal last year.)

The women’s race unfolded similar to the men’s: the defending champion pressed on ahead while the contest for silver and bronze heated up. At 20K, the chase group still consisted of Mergia, Getaneh, Arusei and Chepchumba. At the finish Getaneh was two seconds short and Arusei, who won both the Berlin Half-Marathon as well as the city’s 25K race this Spring, was eleven seconds away from taking a bronze medal.

The Start of the 30th Chicago Marathon. © www.photorun.net

The Chicago Marathon this Sunday boasts one the deepest elite fields in the world. It’s a huge marathon and a popular one as well. By April 23, all 45,000 entries were purchased—the fastest the marathon has ever sold out in its 31-year history. On Sunday, there are likely to be around 35,000 finishers.

It’s a fast one too; world records have been set on it on four occasions—most recently in 2002 when British runner Paula Radcliffe ran 2:17:18.

In last year’s event (its 30th anniversary), unseasonably warm weather (88-degree temperatures) affected the race. Wisely putting safety first, officials were forced to stop the race four hours into it. Despite these setbacks, nearly 26,000 runners finished. Last year’s temperatures also affected the winning times. The Kenyan, Patrick Ivuti, won in 2:11:11—an elite finishing time that would have been considered pedestrian in normal conditions in Chicago. Despite the weather, the race was an exciting one—ending in a five-hundredths-of-a-second photo finish between Ivuti and the Moroccan, Jaouad Gharib.

The women’s race last year was equally exciting. Berhane Adere of Ethiopia won 2:33:49, three seconds ahead of the Romanian Adriana Pirtea. Pirtea had started celebrating shortly before the finish, allowing Adere to catch her. Although Ivuti and Gharib will not be taking part in Sunday’s race for the $125,000 men’s purse, Adere and Pirtea will renew their rivalry in the women’s race.

Regarding the outcome of the 2007-2008 World Marathon Majors Series, Chicago should not play a major role. The women’s winner will not be decided until the ING New York Marathon on November 2. And in the men’s category, the Kenyan Martin Lel is looking increasingly like the winner. Only his compatriot Robert Cheruiyot, who won the first series in 2006-2007, has a chance to surpass Lel in points, but he’ll need a victory to do that. Cheruiyot has run Chicago in the past two years and won in 2006, but this year he’s not even on the start list.

The men’s champion on Sunday should nonetheless come from Kenya. Chicago will have four runners with personal bests under 2:07 on the start line—all from Kenya. The fastest is William Kipsang, who won the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:05:49 in April. Emmanuel Mutai (2:06:15), Richard Limo (2:06:45) and Moses Arusei (2:06:50) are the other three.

At center stage in the women’s race alongside Adere and Pirtea, is the Olympic champion: Constantina Tomescu-Dita (Romania). Tomescu-Dita is poised for another fast marathon only eight weeks after the greatest triumph of her career. She’s run well in Chicago in the past—having won in 2004 and placed second in both 2003 and 2005. Tomescu-Dita also ran her personal best of 2:21:30 there three years ago.

Adere, the defending champion will be seeking her third win in a row. She’s already run four marathons within a year: Dubai, London, and Beijing this year and Chicago last year.

Besides Adere, Pirtea and Tomescu-Dta, other top-seeded runners include the Ethiopian, Bezunesh Bekele (2:23:09), and the Russian pair of Lidiya Grigoryeva (2:25:10) and Alevtina Biktimirova (2:25:12).

Gete Wami © www.photorun.net

Ethiopians dominated at the Great North Run on Sunday. Tsegay Kebede won the men’s race, running 59:45, while Gete Wami overcame thigh problems in the last 6 kilometers and won the women’s race by a narrow margin in 68:51.The half-marathon, which starts in Newcastle in Northeast England and finishes on the coast at South Shields, is an undulating course with a slight net drop in elevation. It’s the largest half-marathon in the world, drawing over 52,000 runners.

After 7 kilometers, Tsegay Kebede increased the pace and broke free of the leading group. Running alone, he maintained a strong pace right to the end. “I thought I could run even faster,” commented the 21-year-old after setting a personal best and securing the 14th fastest half-marathon time in the world this year.

His victory at the Great North Run was one the biggest of his young career—a career that has garnered him a win at the Paris Marathon last year and a surprise bronze medal in the marathon at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Fellow Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam placed second in 61:29 and third place went to the American Abdi Abdirahman in 61:33. The world marathon champion Luke Kibet finished fourth in 61:34.

Gete Wami ran an exciting race that went right down the wire. In the last mile, it looked as if Jo Pavey (Great Britain) could become the first British winner since Paula Radcliffe in 2003 to win the race. But Wami surged ahead of her and the Kenyan Magdalena Mukunzi to win the race by one second! Mukunzi finished in 68:52 and Pavey was third in 68:53.

“This is a big win, I had done special training sessions to prepare for the Great North Run,” explained Wami, who won the WMM 2006-2007 series. When asked for her opinion about Paula Radcliffe running in New York, where Wami narrowly lost to her last year, she said: “She is a tough opponent and I enjoy running against her. But I’m surprised she is running New York.”

Wami is now aiming to win or place second at the New York Marathon on November 2 in order to take the World Marathon Majors (WMM) 2007-2008 series ahead of Irina Mikitenko of Germany.

Jo Pavey was upbeat about her race. “I was happy about my personal best yet frustrated at the same time to have lost by such a close margin. But today was a big step forward for me,” Pavey said.

Sammy Kurgat sets course record with 2:10:03 in Cologne

Sammy Kurgat © www.photorun.net

Kenya’s Sammy Kurgat won the Cologne Marathon, setting a course record of 2:10:03 while defeating fellow Kenyan and defending champion Daniel Too. In the women’s race, the young Ethiopian, Robe Guta, ran a career best, dipping under 2:30 for the first time with a 2:29:39. In the half-marathon, the German runner, Sabrina Mockenhaupt, set a personal best with an impressive 68:51.

The field of 10,000 runners made this the fourth-largest German marathon behind Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt. For the first time, the half-marathon had more entries than the marathon (11,000). Another 5,000 athletes competed in other events on Sunday in wet and cool conditions.

The 33 year-old Sammy Kurgat in the front pack, which was comprised of ten runners. They passed the half-way mark in 64:32. At 30K (1:31:55) there were still eight runners in the lead, but one by one they dropped back. Kurgat also slowed down but, had a comfortable lead and finished more than half a minute in front of Daniel Too (2:10:37). Thomas Chemitei was third in 2:11:20. Kenyans dominated the men’s race, taking the first six places and eight of the first ten.

Sammy Kurgat, whose personal best of 2:08:38 was set in Frankfurt in 2007, improved the four-year-old course record of fellow Kenyan James Rotich by 19 seconds. Rotich had run 2:10:22 in 2004. Kurgat was initially supposed to run the Frankfurt Marathon on 26th October, but a coaching change caused him to run Cologne instead.

In the women’s race, a duel between Robe Guta and Germany’s Luminita Zaituc developed soon after the start. The two passed the half-marathon point in 1:13:56 and reached 30K in 1:45:43. The Ethiopian, almost 20 years younger than Zaituc, held on to win in 2:29:39. Prior to this, Guta’s personal best had been 2:33:44 which was set in Dubai in January. But she has also run an impressive 67:46 half-marathon in 2007.

Luminita Zaituc’s 2:30:00 second-place time qualifies her for next year’s World Championships in Berlin. She will turn 40 next Thursday—making her eligible for the masters’ category in future races. Third place went to Alem Gebreezgi of Ethiopia in 2:39:09.

Meanwhile, in the half-marathon, Sabrina Mockenhaupt ran her first sub-70-minute race of her career. She was the only elite athlete running the half-marathon and was guided by pacemaker Oliver Mintzlaff.

Her impressive time of 68:51 puts the 27-year-old alongside Irina Mikitenko at the top of the German rankings for the season. The race should be a great boost for her prospects in her second marathon: the Frankfurt Marathon which is in three weeks. On that fast course she should be able to bring her time down to 2:26.

Haile to run Dubai, Paula in New York Marathon

The next races of the marathon world-record holders have been confirmed: Haile Gebrselassie will return to the Dubai Marathon (January 16th) and Paula Radcliffe will run the New York Marathon (November 2nd) as a returning champion.

Last Sunday, Gebrselassie won the Berlin Marathon, becoming the first to run under 2:04 as the Ethiopian improved his own world record by 27 seconds to 2:03:59. Haile Gebrselassie thinks he can improve even more on Dubai’s pancake-flat course which has little or no incline or descent and is practically a straight course with no corners: “I think I can run 2:03:30; maybe even 2:02:59, if the conditions are perfect,” he said. In the build-up to the Berlin Marathon Gebrselassie had suffered from calf problems but they didn’t affect him in the race.

Last January in Dubai while going for the world record, Gebrselassie went out too fast .Yet he still ran a 2:04:53 which is currently the third-fastest performance of all time. The Sheikdom of Dubai is offering a bonus of one million dollars for a world record and $250,000 for victory.

Paula Radcliffe is aiming to win the New York Marathon for the third time on November 2 following her success in 2004 and 2007. The British runner, who holds the world record of 2:15:25, has fond memories of the Big Apple. In 2004, she triumphed after a difficult race at the Olympic Games in Athens where she dropped out after starting the race as favorite. In 2007, she made a comeback after giving birth to her child.

Haile Gebrselassie running a world record in Berlin. © www.photorun.net

Irina Mikitenko smashes the 2:20 barrier. © www.photorun.net

One of the greatest runners of all time, Haile Gebrselassie, stunned the world on Sunday by becoming the first person ever to run under 2:04 in the marathon. In front of a million spectators at the 35^th running of the real-Berlin Marathon, the Ethiopian runner won the marathon and bettered his own world record by 27 seconds, running a 2:03.59 (an average of 4:43 per mile!).

“Today was fantastic, everything was perfect-pacemakers, weather and spectators. You only have a day like that once in your life,” said Haile Gebrselassie, who earned 130,000 Euros in prize money (nearly $190.000). Gebrselassie’s world record on Sunday was his 26^th. In his amazing career, he has set 19 official and seven unofficial world records.

The pace in the men’s race was fast from the start. Apart from Gebrselassie and his four pacemakers, another two Kenyans also went out at the world-record pace: James Kwambai and Charles Kamathi. The leading group went through the half in 62:04. One by one, the pacemakers dropped out, leaving only one of the four, Abel Kirui (Kenya), in the race at 32 kilometer.

“The pacemakers did a great job. It was fantastic that Abel was able to stay with me as long as he did,” said Gebrselassie. After Charles Kamathi, who eventually came in third in 2:07:48, dropped back at 25K, the race turned into a duel between James Kwambai and Haile Gebrselassie. “I didn’t expect him [Kwambai] to be so strong,” said Gebrselassie.

Kwambai went on to improve his personal best by almost five minutes, running 2:05:36 and finishing second.

But the excitement didn’t stop there.

In the women’s race, bolstered by a hometown crowd, German runner Irina Mikitenko (TV Wattenscheid) placed first, crossing the line in 2:19:19. Her incredible time makes her the first German woman ever to break the 2:20 barrier and is the seventh-fastest women’s marathon of all time. She is also the ninth woman in the history of track and field to go under 2:20. Her performance Sunday was the fastest in the world this year. Only the current world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain, the Kenyan, Catherine Ndereba, and Mizuki Noguchi of Japan have run faster than Irina Mikitenko. Mikitenko’s time is the second-fastest by a woman in the history of the real-Berlin Marathon. She even came within seven seconds of breaking the course record which was set by Japan’s 2004 Olympic champion Mizuki Noguchi in 2005.

“I still can’t quite believe it,” said an overjoyed Irina Mikitenko after her win. Mikitenko became the first German since Uta Pippig 13 years ago to win the real-Berlin Marathon. Mikitenko didn’t follow the suicide pace of the leading group at the race’s onset. Askale Tafa Magarsa, Shuru Deriba (both from Ethiopia), and the Kenyan pair of Helena Kirop and Rose Cheruiyot went through 10K in 32:49 which is 2:18:30-marathon pace. Mikitenko was in fourth at the 10K mark (33:11).

Irina Mikitenko’s husband and coach, Alexander, who was following the race on a bicycle, was constantly trying to get his wife to slow down. But he only partially succeeded. When the two leaders, Magarsa and Kirop, hit the half in 69:37, Mikitenko was 28 seconds behind in 70:05-still within striking distance. A few kilometers later, running consistent, Mikitenko first caught Kirop.

Then after 25K, Mikitenko closed the gap between her and the leader, the Ethiopian Magarsa. For a few kilometers, she ran just a meter behind her and then surged ahead, taking the lead. In the final 10K, Mikitenko ran strong and picked up the pace. Her 2:19:19 was an astonishing 5-minute improvement over her personal best. Askale Magarsa placed second in 2:21:31. Third place went to Helena Kirop in 2:25:01.

Combining Gebrselassie’s and Mikitenko’s times in Berlin yields 4:23:18. Only one marathon in history has had a faster combination: Chicago in 2002, where Khaldi Khannouchi’s (2:05:56) and Paula Radcliffe’s (2:17:18) combined times added up to 4:23:14.

A record number of 42,827 runners from 107 countries took part in the largest German race on Sunday. Even more impressive is the fact that 35,913, nearly 84%, finished! This was the most finishers ever in the marathon’s 35-year history.

A repeat of last year, weather conditions were nearly perfect with temperatures between 54 and 61 degrees Fahrenheit and mostly sunny. The wind that had been forecasted earlier in the week never came. Running in these marathon-ideal conditions, the first two men and top three women each set personal bests (in some cases by several minutes).

Top German men’s runner, Falk Cierpinski (SG Spergau), had a good day as well. He finished ninth overall and improved his personal best from 2:15:48 to 2:13:30. The 30-year-old ran even splits, going through the half in 1:06:21. “I’m gradually moving to where I want to be in the marathon. I’ve set a personal best and finished in the top ten in Berlin. Compared to two years ago when I made my marathon debut in Sydney, I’ve come a long way,” said Cierpinski.

The Nine Fastest Women in History

Berlin Marathon Results:

Benson Barus Runs Under an Hour in the Udine Half-Marathon

Berlin wasn’t the only place for records last Sunday.

At the Udine Half-Marathon in Italy, Kenyan Benson Barus set the course record—running 59:41 for first place. Second-place finisher John Kiprotich also went under an hour (59:44). Ethiopian runner Lilesa Feyisa placed third in 62:26.

“My training in Kenya has gone very well and it showed in the way I ran today. This was great preparation for the Frankfurt Marathon,” said the 28-year-old winner. Barus’ impressive time in Udine may indicate that he’s poised for a big improvement on his marathon personal best (2:08:34) when he runs on Frankfurt’s traditionally fast course on October 26th.

In the women’s race, the Hungarian Aniko Kalovics won in 70:08. Ethiopians Mare Dibaba (70:32) and Masresha Azalesh (70:35) placed second and third respectively.

At the Libson Half-Marathon, Kenyan Silas Sang defeated the former marathon world-record holder, Paul Tergat—setting a new course record (61:26). Tergat finished second in 61:33. Samuel Mwangi completed the Kenyan trifecta by placing third in 61:41. Overall, runners from Kenya took eight of the top ten places. Paul Tergat was upbeat on his second-place showing: “This was an excellent test for me before the New York Marathon,” he said.

Rita Jeptoo, who will also be running the ING New York City Marathon, won the women’s race. The Kenyan set a course record in 69:48. Fellow Kenyans Alice Timbilil (70:13) and Salina Kosgei (71:10) placed second and third.