Mizuki Noguchi celebrates a triumphal return in Tokyo. © www.photorun.net
Two weeks after the successful return to the marathon of the world record holder Paula Radcliffe, the reigning Olympic champion, Mizuki Noguchi, made a similarly impressive comeback. More than two years after her last marathon, the Japanese star won the Tokyo Marathon in convincing style in a course record of 2:21:37 hours. Following this performance the 29 year old, who ran an Asian record of 2:19:12 in Berlin in 2005, can expect to be selected for the Olympic Marathon in Beijing next year.
The race in Tokyo—traditionally an elite race for women only—developed into a three-way contest among Noguchi, her compatriot Yoko Shibui and the Kenyan Salina Kosgei. They reached halfway in 71:16. Shibui’s Olympic dreams were shattered at 30 kilometers. Although she was the Japanese marathon record holder before Noguchi and had recently been in top form, she fell back decisively and finished seventh in 2:34:19.
Twice Noguchi attacked, but Kosgei, who was second in Berlin in 2006 in 2:23:22, was able to close the gap. But the Olympic champion forced the pace again on a climb at 37K and finally went clear. Noguchi took almost two minutes out of her rival over the last five kilometers and improved the course record by 35 seconds in the second fastest time in the world this year. “The first half of the race was relatively tough because of the headwind—but it was nothing compared to the conditions in my training camps in St. Moritz and Kunming,” said Noguchi. Kosgei ran in second in 2:23:31, while Bruna Genovese (Italy) took third place in 2:27:35. The second Japanese finisher in the contest for Olympic places was Azemi Ozaki in fourth with 2:28:39.
Because Reiko Tosa is already selected for the Olympics, thanks to her bronze medal at the World Championships in Osaka, and there is hardly a chance of overtaking Noguchi after her Tokyo victory, there is only one place left on the team for Beijing. So Japan’s world-class women runners will be contesting races in Osaka in January and Nagoya at the beginning of March. Among them is the Olympic champion from 2000, Naoko Takahashi, who has yet to decide after six months at an altitude training camp in Boulder, Colorado whether she will run in Osaka or Nagoya. The fact that she is an Olympic champion will not bring her any advantage. After all, Takahashi, a national heroine at home, was not selected for Athens in 2004.
25,000 Run the Seven Hills Race
An amazing 25,000 runners took part in the Seven Hills Race in Nijmegen, Netherlands, despite cold weather conditions with temperatures of about 40° and a strong wind. It had been the aim of Ethiopia’s Sileshi Sihine to break Felix Limo’s world record of 41:29 minutes, set at this race, but the weather made an attempt impossible. Shortly after the 10K mark, Sihine left behind his fiercest rival and went on to take the race in convincing style, clocking 42:24. Eshetu Wendimu (Ethiopia) took second place 12 seconds back, while Kenya’s Bernard Kipyego (43:42) was third.
There was an upset in the women’s race, in which Ethiopia’s Bizunesh Bekele beat Lornah Kiplagat (Netherlands) by one second when they were sprinting for victory. Bekele clocked 47:36. “It was not my day today,” said Kiplagat, who had won the World Road Race Championships in October in a new world half marathon record. Following well behind, Kenya’s Rose Cheruiyot took third place in 48:49.
Beirut Marathon: “An Oasis of Hope”
Despite the tense political situation in Lebanon, the Blom Beirut Marathon took place there on Sunday. “In this race we had runners from different religions and districts, all together at the start. Normally they would be fighting each other—but today they came together to run in the same race,” said May El Khalil, the race director. Because the race took place three days before presidential elections, the government had originally requested that the marathon be postponed. El Khalil had talks with government representatives, but decided against a postponement. “Many people love our race and believe in it. We have done something for people’s hearts,” she said.
There were two Ethiopian champions in the race. Tamrat Elanso won in 2:19:46, and Adaneche Beyene Jemilu crossed the line in 2:41:24. “We wanted with this race to put Lebanon on the international map. Every big city has a marathon,” said El Khalil. “In these difficult times the race is an oasis of hope and offers a chance for us to celebrate.”
Marriage for Kenenisa Bekele
An Ethiopian running star has been making different headlines at home: Kenenisa Bekele, whose achievements include the Olympic 10,000-meter title and world record, was married in Addis Ababa on Sunday. This in itself is worthy of note because personal drama just three years ago almost brought his running career to an end. Four months before his intended wedding in January 2005, Bekele’s fiancée, Alem Techale, collapsed when they were on a training run together in the forest. It seems she died of a heart attack. For weeks Bekele was distraught, and even considered ending his career. Then he came back to win two gold medals at the World Cross Country Championships at the end of March. On Sunday, the 25 year old married the young actress Danawit Gebregziabher, five years his junior.
While it is not clear whether Bekele will contest a race this year, he has agreed to run in the Edinburgh Cross-Country race in January. He will meet there, among others, Zersenay Tadesse (Eritrea), who deposed him as world cross country champion in March.
