by Larry Eder
Haile Gebrselassie, real, -Berlin 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
The roads were hot this weekend. Haile takes his fourth Berlin, in 2:06:08. Now we have to see him run NY, Boston or Chicago-or all of them! Haile would be worshipped over in the states!
Moses Masai wins Dam 10 miler in 46:16, over Charles Kamathi (2001 10k WC win over Haile), also in 46:16. Moses sister, Linet won the women’s side of the ten miler, staged in the Netherlands, in 50:39!
Ryan Hall won the ING Philly Half marathon today in 1:01.52! It was described by some observers as an “easy effort ” for Ryan. I can not wait to see how he runs in New York!
HAILE WINS, BUT WAS TOO TIRED AT THE END
BERLIN (GER, Sep 20): Ethiopian distance legend Haile Gebrselassie won the real,-Berlin Marathon for the fourth year in succession this morning. But having reached for the stars with a ferocious attempt to break his world record of 2.03.59, set here last year, the Ethiopian ended up with a handful of moondust, finishing in a jog of fatigue in 2.06.08, writes Pat Butcher. He will get 50 000 E for first place, 30 000 E for time bonus and unspecified appearance fee. “I was very tired, I pushed too much,†he said immediately afterwards.Francis Kiprop of Kenya finished second in a personal best, 2.07.04, as did Negari Terfa of Ethiopia, third in 2.07.41. Pre-race co-favourite Duncan Kibet of Kenya dropped back at halfway, and eventually out of the race altogether. But he has the small consolation of remaining fastest marathoner of the year, with his 2.04.27 victory in Rotterdam in April. It would crass to call this failure, since such ambition is what pushes back frontiers, and forges legends and reputations. Gebrselassie lacks in none of those departments. The temperature was not as hot as expected (16C, rising to 20C for the men’s finish), but the pace was. Haile had asked for a tempo of 61min 30sec at halfway, and was clocked through at 61.48, still some 16 seconds faster than his pace during last year’s world record.With Kibet already off the back of the pack, the remaining pacemakers – all Kenyan, incidentally, which gives you some idea of how relaxed is this East African rivalry – accelerated to deliver Geb to 30k in 1.27.49, just four seconds slower than he had hoped, but now 36 seconds ahead of last year’s record The final pacemaker, Sammy Kosgei upped the allure even more, going through the next two kilometres in 2.45 and 2.46 respectively, reaching 32k some 39 seconds ahead of world record schedule. And that may have been the final straw, because having maintained a relentless sub-three minutes per kilometre pace (average 2.56 was necessary for a new record), Geb dropped off to successive kilometres well outside three minutes. And that was that. He slowed and tired visibly, and although finishing well clear of closest pursuer, Kiprop, his time was only his own sixth best, the 26th fastest in history, and, icidentally three seconds slower than the 2.06.05 of Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil here in 1998, a record which prompted a spate of fast times, after a hiatus of ten years of no men’s marathon records. There was the consolation of a 30k world record (unofficial), his 1.27.49 (the pacemakers duly dropped back a little in order not to spoil the party) being 11sec faster than the 1.28.00 achieved by the Japanese Takayuki Matsumiya in a rarely run 30k race in February 2005. It will be Gebrselassie’s 27th world best or record. “My preparation was perfect,†Gebre said later. “That’s why I was on world record pace until 32-33k. But after 33k, with the sun getting warmer, I switched into a different gear. I tried to push, but it didn’t work. If you look at the 30k world record, it wasn’t too bad,†he opined of his run “What I’ve understood from today is that the temperature has to be under 16-17 degrees (celsius), to break the marathon world record (last year was between 12-16C). People say the marathon begins after 30, 35k, and the weather is important. Perhaps I should have calculated that from the beginning. I’ve learned a lot today. If I become a coach for marathon runners, I’ll be a good coach,†he was quoted.
Duncan Kibet dropped out shortly after the 30k mark. Luke Kibet, the 2007 world champion made a late appearance as a pacemaker, but dropped out at 15k with a back injury. The women’s podium looked destined to be populated by Ethiopians, but after a group of four dominated the early stages of the race, only Atsede Habtamu lasted the course in the lead, winning in 2.24.47, a half minute inside her personal best set in finishing second in Dubai this year. Silvia Skvortsova of Russia came through strongly to finish second in 2.26.24, a 33sec improvement on her best, a seventh place in London 2002. Debutante, Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia was third in 2.26.38. Fourth Italian Rosaria Console improved to 2:26:45 ahead of Ethiopian Geteneh Getaneh who got 2:27:09 in her second marathon. Kenyan Leah Malot in her fourth marathon finally dipped under 2:30 as sixth in 2:29:17. Best non-African male was Japanese Atsushi Fujita as 8th (2:12:54). Sixth Assefa Girma of Ethiopia debuted in 2:09:58. Briton Thomas Abyu was the best male European as 13th (2:15:35).In total 40 293 participants from 122 countries.
Haile splits (by Ken Nakamura)
5Km (was 14:35 in his world record split versus 14:29 today)
15Km (44:03 – 43:58)
20Km (58:50 – 58:34)
25Km (1:13:41 – 1:13:09)
30Km (1:28:27 – 1:27:44)
35Km (1:43:05 – 1:42:37)
40Km (1:57:34 – 1:58:34, first negative split)
He was slightly slower than world record split at 10km (29:13 versus 29:15 today). His splits for 15Km and 20Km were not fastest ever. He ran faster in Dubai in January. However, today he ran faster than he did in Dubai for 25Km (1:13:17 in Dubai) and 30Km (1:28;17 in Dubai).
MASAI FAMILY RULES
AMSTERDAM-ZANDAAM (NED, Sep 20): 10 000 m world champion Linet Masai of Kenya won the 25th jubilee “Dam tot Damloop†10 miles road race. Her winning time was 50:39. Her brother and also a world medalist Moses Masai was the best in men race with 46:16.European CC Champion Hilda Kibet was second (51:21) with Kenyan Peninah Arusei third (51:26). In men race former track world champion and former winner here Charles Kamathi clocked also 46:16 as second. Third Ethiopian Getu Feleke 46:29. In 20 degrees the splits at 5 km were 14:08 and 15:39, at 10 km 28:07 and 31:33 and at 15 km 42:18 and 47:21. The Association of Road Running Statisticians lists as 10 miles world record the 51:43.4 by Teyiba Erkeso of Ethiopia in Washington, April 2007. Lornah Kiplagat clocked here 50:50 in 2006, but the course has bigger drop than accepted by ARRS.
LEL AND AUGUSTO
NEWCASTLE (GBR, Sep 20): Kenyan Martin Lel won the Bupa Great North Run title for the second time in his career with a blistering run over the Tyneside course on Sunday morning. Writes David Martin. He won here in 2007 and this year clocked 59:32. Second kenyan Kiplimo Kimutai achieved 59:44 and third former double world marathon champion Morrocan Jaouad Gharib in 1:00:05. In the women’s race, Portugal’s Jessica Augusto broke away early in the race to score an easy victory against a world-class field in a personal best time of 1:09:08. Augusto outclassed Ethiopia’s former winner Berhane Adere (1:09:42) and her Portuguese colleague Ana Dulce Felix (1:09:48).
KENYAN WIN IN SYDNEY
SYDNEY (AUS, Sep 20): The Blackmores Sydney Marathon was won by Kenya´s Julius Kiprotich Seurei who went through the half way mark on the tail of his pace maker Ben St Lawrence under race record time of 66:13sec (half split), but eventually faded on his lonely run home with a finish time of 02:17:07. Seurei had the company of St Lawrence until the 25km mark and went on to win by more than nine minutes, ahead of second placed Koji Taniguchi of Japan (02:26:15). The organisers are writing on its website. The women´s marathon field was led by Japan´s Naoko Tsuchiya who collected her third win at this event in a time of 02:52:46. Tsuchiya previously won in 2006 and 2007. Brett Cartwright from Canberra won the 2009 Blackmores Half Marathon, crossing the finish line at the Sydney Opera House in a time of 01:07:29. A record 32,011 entrants registered to take part in today‟s Blackmores Sydney Running Festival.
TITLE FOR WEIDLINGER
NATTERNBACH (AUT, Sep 20): Best home runner Günther Weidlinger and Martina Bruneder-Winter won the Austrian 10 km road championships in 30:05 and 36:16. For Weidlinger already 45th Austrian title at different distances, he is in preparation for Frankfurt Marathon in October.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, Pat Butcher.
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