Salomon Bushendich wins the Amsterdam Marathon. © ING Amsterdam Marathon
Only in the last few meters inside the Olympic Stadium was the men’s race of last weekend’s Amsterdam Marathon decided. A debutant, Solomon Bushendich, took the 31st edition in 2:08:52 hours. The Kenyan was two seconds ahead of his countryman Bernard Barmasai. Third was Getuli Bayo from Tanzania in 2:10:47. In partly windy conditions, the fastest woman was Rose Cheruiyot (Kenya) with 2:28:26. Second place was taken by her countrywoman Helena Loshanyang, who clocked 2:28:51. Leila Aman (Ethiopia/2:29:32) was third. More than 6,700 runners from 59 nations registered for this year’s race.
“I was very well prepared for my debut, and I had trained for a faster time,” said Bushendich. “Unfortunately, it was windy.” The 22-year-old, who has been known primarily as a good half marathoner, bettered his personal best at the distance to 60:14 minutes just last month. “In my next marathon, I want to run a time between 2:06 and 2:07 hours,” said Bushendich.
The former 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Barmasai, who also was the world champion in the event in 1997, was the only remaining competitor for Bushendich after the last remaining pacemaker, Emmanuel Mutai, dropped out shortly after 35K.
The pre-race focus was on another debutant, Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania, who was last year’s half marathon world champion. He ran with the leaders through 30K in 1:31:45, but then the 20-year-old Joseph wasn’t able to keep up, and faltered badly in the final part, fading to finish tenth in 2:13:24.
In the women’s race, four athletes led in the early going. Besides Cheruiyot and Loshanyang, there was Emily Kimuria (Kenya/fourth in the end with 2:29:56) and Gishu Mindaye (Ethiopia), who fell back to seventh by the finish. They passed 20K together in 1:08:32, but by the halfway mark (1:12:34), Cheruiyot was away from the others. “I would have loved to run a new personal best, but the wind stopped me from doing so,” said the 30-year-old Kenyan, who was second in her debut in the Hamburg Marathon in April (2:27:09).
Fine winning times in Carpi
As in Amsterdam, Kenyans produced a sprint finish in the men’s race of the Carpi Marathon. David Kemboi Kiyeng took the honors in 2:10:08. He was just one second ahead of his countryman David Omiti Makori. Two more Kenyans clocked sub-2:11 times in this race: Hillary Korir was third in 2:10:16, and Henry Serem took fourth with 2:10:59. Hungary’s Aniko Kalovics won the women’s race in 2:26:43. Running her debut marathon, she not only won, but also broke the national record of Judit Nagy by more than two minutes. Rosaria Console took second place in 2:28:50. The Italian had been among those in with a chance for a medal at the European Championships marathon in Gothenburg, but she fell during the race, injured her hip and had to drop out.
There was more success for Kenya in Asia over the weekend. James Kwambai took the Beijing Marathon in 2:10:36, finishing ten seconds ahead of countryman David Kipkorir. The women’s winner was Sun Weiwei (China) with 2:34:41. At a half marathon in Dehli, Francis Kibiwott clocked 61:36. Cuthbert Nyasango (Zimbabwe) was second with 62:30. Kenya’s Lineth Chepkirui won the women’s race in 70:40, ahead of Erkesso Teyiba (Ethiopia/71:22).
