Gena Siraj, Barefoot In Rome, Rain-Soaked in Beijing, by Pat Butcher, note by Larry Eder

BAREFOOT IN ROME –
RAIN-SOAKED IN BEIJING

                                     Gena Siraj, winner of 2010

                     Beijing Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net.

ANOTHER VICTORY FOR
ETHIOPIAN SIRAJ, FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF
LEGENDS

Gena Siraj of Ethiopia won
a rain-lashed Beijing Marathon on Sunday morning, but the 25 year old only eased
clear of 38 year old Gert Thys of South Africa in the final kilometre; and the
dreadful conditions resulted in a winning time of 2.15.45, one of the slowest
times in the event’s 30 year history. 

Thys, in what he reckoned
was probably his 40^th marathon in a career that began at the age of
13, finished second in 2.15.56 and pacemaker Matthew Sigei of Kenya stayed in
the reckoning after his stint at the front, and came back from sixth place with
10k to run, to finish third in 2.16.01

The Chinese can control
many things, including it seems the potential showers which might have ruined
the Olympic opening ceremony two years ago. But truly bad weather is beyond
anyone’s aegis. The tail-end of a typhoon from the south east colliding with a
cold front from the north-west left many of the competitors shivering and
cramping even before they had finished the race.

Siraj managed to get out
through chattering teeth, “I thought I could win at the 35 kilometre point,”
before he went off to doping control. His coach, Haji Adillo Roba added, “He
trained and prepared really well for this. In good weather I think he can do
two-six, two-seven (2.06/07)”.

Last year’s winner and race
favorite, Sammy Mugo dropped off the pace at 35k, and finished sixth. He said,
“It wasn’t too bad for the first 10k, but the temperature dropped during the
race, and with the water splashing up on our legs, I started to cramp, and that
slowed me down”.

Winner Siraj comes from
Arsi in southern Ethiopia, the same province as the legendary Haile
Gebrselassie. But it was another Ethiopian legend he invoked in winning his
breakthrough race in Rome earlier this year. In honour of the great Abebe
Bikila, who won his first Olympic title, running barefoot in Rome 1960, Siraj
took off his shoes with 50 metres to run in the Eternal City six months ago, and
still won in 2.08.39.

There was almost another
Olympic city coincidence for Thys. He looked good throughout, and seemed as if
he might emulate Romanian Constantina Dita who won the Olympic title here two
years ago, at the age of 38. But Thys tailed off just before 41k, as the leaders
passed the Bird’s Nest, and headed for the finish in the old (but still very
impressive) national stadium just south of the Olympic
venue.

The women’s race was a
one-two for China. Former winner Chen Rong was a long-time leader, with her
colleague and training partner Wang Jiali nowhere to be seen. But Wang appeared
on the close horizon with 35 of the 42.195k completed, and swept past her pal
shortly afterwards, to win in 2.29.31, fifteen seconds ahead of Chen. Another
Chinese, Wang Xiao Shu was third in 2.30.21, and the People’s Republic dominated
proceedings, with eight in the top ten.

A light drizzle had already
slicked the streets prior to the 08.00 start in a Tiananmen Square illumined by
two giant screens whose high definition was in stark contrast to the prevailing
murk. But minutes after the start, the rain began to fall in earnest, followed
30 minutes later by a drop in temperature which was to make the race even more
of a trial. But though he seemed after the race to have suffered more than his
immediate pursuers, Siraj was more than equal to the race for first, and he goes
back to his now home of Addis Ababa to consider the next move in his chase after
the running legends.

RESULTS

place/name                    
country       time           
prize

MEN

1 Gena SIRAJ               
ETH           
2.15.45

2 Gert THYS                
SAF           
2.15.56

3 Matthew SIGEI          
KEN          
2.16.01

4 HE Ping                     
PRC           
2.16.52

5 TIAN Menxu             
PRC           
2.17.31

6 Sammy MUGO          
KEN          
2.17.49

7 YAN Longfei             
PRC           
2.17.52

8 Nicholas KANAKYA KEN          
2.18.13

9 UMEKI Kurao           
JPN            
2.18.41

10 YIN Shunjin            
PRC           
2.18.57

WOMEN

1WANG Jiali                
PRC           
2.29.31

2 CHEN Rong              
PRC           
2.29.46

3 WANG Xiao Shu       
PRC           
2.30.21

4 WEI  Yanan               
PRC           
2.30.46

5 Winfrida
NYANSIKERA/KEN    
2.32.50

6 SUN Weiwei              
PRC           
2.33.46

7 JIANG Xiaoli             
PRC           
2.33.56

8 CHANG Jinxue         
PRC           
2.34.15

9 Olesya
NURGALIEVA/RUS                  
2.34.37

10 CHEN Hui Rong       PRC           
2.35.41

ends