Mizuki Noguchi, seen here winning the 2004 Olympic Marathon, returned to competition with a win. © www.photorun.net
High-class races took place in Europe, Africa and Asia during the last few days. Florence saw its annual marathon, the Great Ethiopian Run took place in Addis Abeba and the marathon-length-relay ekiden was held in Chiba, Japan. In addition, Mizuki Noguchi, the Japanese Olympic Marathon champion from 2004, won the Shanghai Half Marathon in a course record of 1:09:03 hours. It was Noguchi’s first race since September, when she injured herself preparing for the Berlin Marathon, which she could not run.
In Florence, a pacemaker caused a major surprise. James Kutto (Kenya) not only won the race, but also was the only one in the field to clock a world-class time. Finishing in 2:08:41, he set a course record. In warm weather around 70° Fahrenheit, a fast race developed. Leaders passed the 10-kilometer mark in 30:06, on pace for a 2:07 finishing time. Although the pace then slightly slowed, halfway was reached in a promising 1:03:52. But then only Kutto was able to hold on to that pace, as one by one others lost contact: Kenyans Kenedy Kimeli Kemei (2:13:36), Joel Saitoti (2:14:00) and Philip Biwott (2:14:29) finally took third, fourth and fifth place. Italian Francesco Ingargiola (2:12:18) was still there at 25K, but then he dropped back as well. Only during the last seven kilometers did Kutto start to slow and miss an even better time.
In comparison to the men’s race, the women’s event was a more domestic affair. Italian Vincenza Sicari ran 2:34:52 to win, well ahead of fellow Italian Monica Carlin (2:46:31).
Natives Win in Addis Abeba
The sixth edition of the Great Ethiopian Run was held in Addis Abeba on Sunday, and Ethiopian men kept their unbeaten run in this 10K. Celebrating the sixth win for his country, Deriba Merga had every reason to be happy. In high-altitude conditions, he improved the course record to 28:18. His countrymen Tadesse Tola (28:21) and Eshetu Wondimu (28:34) took the next places. In the women’s race, there was an Ethiopian winner as well: Belaynesh Fekadu ran 33:02 to beat Kenyan Lineth Chepkurui (33:07.). Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) was third in 33:13.
Kenyan Double at Chiba Ekiden
Kenyans lived up to their role as favorites in the Chiba Ekiden in impressive style. The six-person marathon relay is popular in Japan, with the course split into legs of 5K, 10K, 5K, 10K, 5K, as well as one of 7.195K. Kenya’s men, with a time of 1:57:58, were the only team to go under two hours, but missed their world record, set last year, by 52 seconds. The Kenyan women covered the marathon distance in 2:13:51.
Kenya’s first runner, Martin Mathathi, ran just two kilometers in the lead group before raising the pace to move clear, and at the first exchange, Kenya already had a lead of 19 seconds. Gideon Ngatuny, Josephat Ndambiri, Sammy Korir, Mekubo Mogusu and Cyrus Njui successively built upon the lead. It’s worth noting that Kenya won in commanding style despite Sammy Korir being the only internationally known athlete on the team. Japan took second place with 2:00:01, while the U.S. team was third in 2:01:56.
The women’s race unfolded in similar style. Kenya’s first runner, Ongori Philes, took the lead, and her teammates never relinquished it. After her followed Evelyne Kimwei, Sally Chepyego, Catherine Ndereba, Jane Wanjiku and Lucy Wangui. As with the men, Ndereba was the only well-known runner in the team. Russia finished in second place in 2:14:51, followed by Japan in 2:17:00.
Africans also Unbeatable in Mountain Race
International mountain races were until now not known as an African specialty. In Nigeria, however, some of the best non-African specialists at this event came up against some strong Kenyans and Ethiopians in the most lucrative mountain race of the year, and the Africans came out on top. Francis Kibiwott won the Obudu Ranch Mountain Race, an 11.5K-run that climbs 800 meters. Making his debut in mountain racing, the Kenyan ran 42:26 minutes and won $50,000. The reigning world mountain champion, Rolando Ortiz (Colombia), was second in 43:08. Tesfayohonnes Mesfin (Eritrea) was third in 43:24, while the five-time world mountain champion, Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand, took fifth place in 43:41.
The fastest woman was the Ethiopian Kedir Rehima in 53:26. She was a clear winner over the experienced mountain runner Simona Staicu (Hungary), who finished in 54:24. Third was the Norwegian Anitah Eversten in 54:46.
Olympic Champion Noah Ngeny Retires
His greatest moment came at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The Kenyan Noah Ngeny caused a sensation by beating the overwhelming favorite, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, in the final of the 1500 meter towing the gold. At the age of only 28, the middle-distance ace has now announced his retirement, owing to chronic injuries following a car accident in the autumn of 2001.
At the 1999 World Championships, Ngeny won, as expected, a silver medal behind El Guerrouj in the 1500m. A year later, he achieved his big surprise to overtake the Moroccan as he led down the home straight in Sydney. El Guerrouj was shattered, since after tripping in the 1996 Olympic 1500m final he had been unbeaten at the distance.
In addition to stunning El Guerrouj at Sydney, Ngeny broke the 1000m world record of Britain’s Sebastian Coe with 2:11.96 minutes in Rieti, a record that stands to this day. Ngeny lives in Eldoret, Kenya, where he serves in the Kenyan armed forces and works for the Pace Sports Management company of London.
Beirut Marathon Postponed after Minister Murdered
Organizers of the Beirut Marathon, which had been scheduled for last Sunday, have postponed the event following the assassination of a prominent minister. Pierre Gemayel was shot to death by a gunman in a suburb of Beirut last week. The race will now be staged this Sunday.
“We are just postponing, not cancelling the marathon,” Zeina Dacache, a marathon spokesman, said. “He was a good leader, and it would be wrong for us to be seen celebrating our event, but we plan going ahead with it.” The Beirut Marathon announced in September that, despite the military troubles following the July war with Israel, it would stage the event. With a naval blockade still in place, and residual skirmishes on the Lebanon-Israel frontier still taking place, there was admiration for the resilience and enterprise they were showing. The government, fully supporting the venture, announced it would fix damaged roads on the route, particularly in the south of the city.
