Less than a year after his lone defeat in the marathon, Mubarak Shami is back in the winner’s circle. The Kenyan-born athlete, who for the last few years has been running for Qatar, won the 63rd edition of the Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan in the fast time of 2:08:23. In the elite men-only race, Yared Asmeron (Eritrea) improved his best time by around seven minutes and took second place in 2:08:34 ahead of three Japanese. For Satoshi Osaki (2:08:36), Yuzo Onishi (2:08:54) and Tomoya Shimizu (2:09:23) it was all about winning selection for the Olympics. Osaki, at least, should have gained himself a ticket for Beijing in the last of the three selection races for the Japanese men. Great excitement awaits the announcement of the squad in Japan on March 10, the day after the women’s Nagoya Marathon.
Temperatures at Lake Biwa reached 60 degrees as an usually big lead group of 23 runners reached the halfway mark in 63:23. After the last pacemaker, Isaac Macharia (Kenya), dropped out at 30K (1:30:17 for the split), the favorite Shami went clear along with Asmeron. Six kilometers from the finish, the eventual winner made a decisive break. But it was close at the end, when Shami started to suffer back problems. “I ran the last few kilometers into the wind and got cold,” said Shami.
The 27-year-old Shami won his marathon debut in Vienna in 2005 and, following that, triumphed at the Asian Games in 2006 as well as Paris in 2007. The World Championships in Osaka last summer was the first time he’d been beaten in the marathon; there, he had to settle for silver.
Wanjiru and Kiplagat Hit the Jackpot in Abu Dhabi
The best distance runners in the world are enjoying ever more frequent paydays in the United Arab Emirates. Last Friday was the debut of the Abu Dhabi Half Marathon, offering the biggest prize money for the distance of any race in the world. With the winners each earning $300,000, total prize money came to a reported $2 million.
Samuel Wanjiru and Lornah Kiplagat won what is currently the largest prize purse in road running. The Kenyan Wanjiru, who won the Granollers Half Marathon in Spain at the beginning of February and is the world record holder (58:33) for the distance, ran a high-class time of 60:33 in Abu Dhabi. He finished 10 seconds ahead of Fabiano Joseph (Tanzania), who was the world half marathon champion three years ago. Third place went to Eshetu Wondimu (Ethiopia) in 61:16.
The reigning women’s world champion and world record holder over 13.2 miles, Kiplagat (Netherlands) ran to a clear win in the fast time of 68:52. Only five days previously at the other end of the world in Puerto Rico, the Kenyan-born athlete had won a high-class 10K. Second in Abu Dhabi was Berhane Adere in 71:23. The Ethiopian had won the Dubai Marathon (and $250,000) in January. Third place went to Gete Wami (Ethiopian), who last year won the first series of the World Marathon Majors, in 71:30.
Big Fields in Los Angeles and Paris
About 25,000 runners participated in the Los Angeles Marathon, which is one of the biggest spring marathon races. The men’s race was dominated by two Kenyans: Laban Moiben ran 2:13:50 to win from Christopher Kiprotich (2:14:17). Russia’s women were in top form in the women’s race: Tatyana Aryasova took the race in 2:29:09, while her countrywoman Yuliya Gromova was second with 2:34:13.
The Paris Half Marathon had a field of roughly 20,000 runners. Eight men finished under 62:00, led by Stephen Kibiwott (Kenya) in 61:04. Ethiopia’s Gudisa Shentema took second in 61:09, just edging out Kenya’s Jacob Yator, who ran the same time. Linah Cheruiyot (Kenya) was the women’s winner in 69:45, ahead of two-time New York City Marathon winner Jelena Prokopcuka (Latvia/70:01).
Last Year’s Winners Return to Boston
Both of last year’s winners will be on the start line for the 112th edition of the Boston Marathon on April 21. The Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot and the Russian Lidiya Grigoryeva have agreed to run the oldest of the city marathons which last year, despite extreme weather conditions, had 20,000 finishers.
Robert Cheruiyot, who last year became the first male winner of the World Marathon Majors series and stands second in the rankings for 2007-2008, could become the first Kenyan to win this prestigious race for the fourth time. The 29-year-old has already won Boston in 2003, 2006 and 2007. In addition, Cheruiyot holds the course record of 2:07:14. But he has a long way to go before beating the record of seven Boston wins by the American Clarence DeMar.
In the race for the $100,000 first-place prize, Cheruiyot will face, among others, his compatriots Patrick Ivuti, who won Chicago in 2007, and James Kwambai, who was second in Boston a year ago. For the Kenyans the race could also be part of their Olympic Trials and a kind of indirect competition with their compatriots in London and Rotterdam.
Among the rivals that Grigoryeva will have to contend with is her predecessor as champion: Rita Jeptoo (Kenya), who won in 2006. Jelena Prokopcuka, who was second the last two years running in Boston and only just missed winning the World Marathon Majors in 2007, should also be a contender. “To have won the Boston Marathon last year was the proudest moment of my career,” said Grigoryeva, who has a best time of 2:25:10.
