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MARATHONS (WL in Rotterdam)

ROTTERDAM(NED, Apr 10): 31st ABN-AMRO Rotterdam marathon
was running more than first half at world record pace due to warm and winds.
After 25 km  (half in 1:02:07) the runners faded but still
respectable 2:05:27 (also world lead) for winning Wilson Chebet. Second Vincent
Kipruto 2:05:33. Third Chele Dechasa way back in 2:08:47 and fourth Prague 2010
winner Eliud Kiptanui 2:09:08. Last sub 2:10 was Alemayehu Shumye 2:09:36.
Former top steeple runner Michael Kipyego debuted as sixth 2:11:03. Best
European was home runner Koen Raymaekers as 8th (2:13:41). Kenyan Files Ongori
clocked 2:24:20 in her debut ahead of Dutch Hilda Kibet 2:24:27 lifetime best
as top women (also second best European 2011). Third Lishan Dula of Bahrain in national record 2:26:56 ahead
Alessandra Aguilar of Spain
who with 2:27:00 improved her PB and missed Spanish record by only 9 seconds.
Race Results Weekly points out one world record. Canada’s
Ed Whitlock, 80 years-old, ran a spectacular 3:25:43 (3:25:40 net) to smash the
world 80-84 record of 3:39:18 set by Australia’s
Robert Horman at Brisbane
in 1998. In
total 25 000 runners competed.

DAEGU (KOR, Apr 10): Kenyan Yusuf Songoka won the 3rd Daegu Marathon on
the course of summer World Championships clocking 2:08:08. Ethiopian favorite
Atsede Habtamu was the best woman in 2:25:52.

PARIS(FRA, Apr 10): The biggest marathon of the weekend was 35th jubilee
Paris with a
field of 32 092 runners under sunny skies. Benjamin Kiptoo won in 2:06:31  PB ahead of Bernard Kipyego 2:07:16 and
Ethiopian favorite Eshetu Wondimu 2:07:33. 
Also here the  half split too fast
1:02:39. Still under 2:08 also fourth Alfred Kering of Kenya 2:07:41
and fifth Ethiopian Assefa Girma 2:07:43. Best European was French Abdellatif
Meftah who debuted with very solid 2:10:53 as 10th.  Priscah Jeptoo improved hugely her best and
was the best woman in 2:22:55 ahead of Agnes Kiprop 2:24:43. Koren Yal was best
Ethiopian as third 2:26:57 ahead of Eyerusalem Kuma 2:27:02. Best European
Margarita Plaksina of Russia was fifth (2:27:07). Another European in the top
ten was Russian Marina Kovaleva as 9th (2:31:11).

THESSALONIKI (GRE, Apr 10): Kenyan Peter Biwott won the 6th
edition of the Alexander The Great Marathon in 2:13:12. His team-mate Isaiah
Kosgei was second in 2:13:49 and third place for Moroccan Benazzouz Slimani
2:14:37. 2005 Athens marathon winner Sisay Measo of Ethiopia was the best woman
after 2:40:41 ahead of Belarus veteran Alena Vinitskaya (37) 2:45:43.

BRIGHTON (GBR, Apr 10): Kenya’s
Philemon Kiprop Boit smashed the course record by almost three minutes when he
won the second Brighton marathon in 2:16:07.
First woman was the Liz McColgan-coached Alyson Dixon who obliterated the
inaugural record and set a qualifying time of 2:34:51 for the World
championships in Daegu later this summer. Informs Athletics Weekly.

MILANO (ITA, Apr 10): Solomon Bushendich fulfilled the favorite role at
11th Milano City Marathon and achieved 2:10:38 to win. Second Italian Ruggero
Pertile clocked 2:11:23 ahead of Daniel Too 2:13:04. In women race even better
for home country, Marcella Mancini won with 2:41:24. The summer-like weather
and windy conditions, with temperatures rising to 27 C, took more out of the
runners than expected. Second woman at the finish line in Piazza Castello in
the heart of Milano struggling Kenyan Monica Wangari  clocked 2:42:56 after running the final
kilometers at a 5:00/kilometer pace. While the conditions did not allow for
fast times, the sunny weather was the ideal backdrop to a running day for a
record figure of 10,203 runners who took part in the two main events. Writes
IAAF.

LINZ (AUT, Apr 10): 10th OMV Donau Marathon winner in Austria was pre-race favorite
Kenyan Nixon Machichim in 2:09:37. Second Josephat Keiyo got 2:11:43 and third
Austrian Martin Proll debuted with 2:20:13. Croatian Lisa Stublic was the best
woman and improved her national record and course record to 2:30:45.

DEBNO (POL, Apr 10): Ukrainian Ivan Babaryka won the 38th Debno Marathon
in personal best 2:13:16 with Blazej Brzezinski getting the national title as
second in debut 2:14:16. Belarus Mariya Butakova was the best woman 2:44:53
ahead of Arleta Marloch who achieved the national title (2:46:43).

BONN (GER, Apr 10). Silvia Krull won the Bonn
Marathon with 2:47:11. Best male runner was Ethiopian Fikuru Ajema Jeyi who
clocked 2:18:00. New participation record with 11 167 starters.

OTHER ROAD RACES

DUBLIN (IRL, Apr 10): Teenager Charlotte Purdue again
showing her vast potential for the future was a runaway winner against much
more experienced opponents at the SPAR Great Ireland Run on Sunday. Her victory
in 32:42 at 10 km
and that of former European 5000
meters gold medallist Jesus Espana (29:26) came on a
magnificent day’s competition with over 10000 entrants savouring the sunny
conditions in Phoenix Park for the 10 kilometers race.
Second in women race Gemma Steel who finished in a time of 33:03 with Nadia
Ejjafini of Italy
placing third in 33:09. Aniko Kalovics of Hungary
was fourth (33:32) beating Ethiopian favorite Berhane Adere 33:54 and Dolores
Checa of Spain
33:57. Finland´s Half-Marathon record holder Jussi Utriainen was second 29:31
beating Irish Martin Fagan 29:35 and Ukrainian CC specialist Sergiy Lebid
(29:53).

BARCELONA (ESP, Apr 10): Ayad Lamdassem clocked 30:02 to
win the Bombers of Barcelona 10
km road race which had new participation record of 20
441 runners. European 1500 m
bronze medalist Natalia Rodriguez was the best woman in 35:25.

SEVILLA (ESP, Apr 10): Antonio Jiménez a former steeple runner and 2002
European Champion won the Carrera Divina Pastora Sevilla, the second race of
the new series in 29:41 at 10
km.

BILBAO (ESP, Apr 10): Kenyan Ezekiel Ngure won the
6th road mile Bilbao Kirolak in 4:27 ahead of Moroccan Zacarie Mazouzi 4:27.
Irene Alfonso was the fastest female runner clocking 5:11.

MALAGA (ESP, Apr 10): Leonard Kipyego of Keyna won
the 21st Malaga Half-Marathon in 1:04:06 ahead of Barcelona European marathon
sixth placer Rafael Iglesias 1:04:37. Kenyan Beatrice Jepchumba achieved in
women category 1:15:57.

HERNE (GER, Apr 10): European 2006 track champion Jan Fitschen won the
Herne BIG 25 with 1:16:53 at the 25
km. His half-marathon split was 1:04:39 in terms of
preparation for Dusseldorf Marathon debut. Tanzanian Ezekiel Jafari was close
second also 1:16:53. Ethiopian Eleni Gebrehiwot achieved as first in women
category 1:27:03.

CHICAGO (USA,
Apr 10): US Olympian Amy Yoder Begley and Canadian national record holder Simon
Bairu, outran the largest field in Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K history
today posting wins in the 32nd edition of the iconic Chicago road race. An event-record field of
32,427 runners followed the champions across the finish line to officially kick
off the outdoor running season to Chicago
amid 70-degree weather. Organizers are informing in a release. Begley, a native
of Kendallville, Ind., crossed the finish line in 26:50, the
fastest women’s time since 2006. Bairu, a graduate of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, broke the finish line tape in 23:38 in his Chicago racing debut, bettering last year’s
men’s winner (John Kemboi of Keyna) by one second.

BRATISLAVA (SVK, Apr 10): At the 64th national run
Devin-Bratislava (first edition in 1921) Hungarian Albert Minczer won the main
race in 35:01 at 11,625 km.
Second Poland´s title defender Jakub Burghardt 35:07 and third another Polish
runner Bogdan Dziuba 35:34. Katarine Beresova won the women category for the
fourth time after 39:58 (course record) clearly beating Hungarian Ida Kovacs
41:57. New participation record with 5176 runners.

TRACK RESULTS (Oliver 13.16, Van Zyl
47.73)

BASSETERRE (SKN, Apr 9): US record holder David Oliver
posted world leading 13.16 (+1.2) at 110 m hurdles at Kim Collins meet at Silver Jubilee
Stadium. The fastest season opener ever for Oliver who added on his twitter:
“It will be a good season.” Second Jamaican record holder Dwight Thomas 13.32.
Former olympic and world winner Justin Gatlin achieved 20.49 in the 200 m. It is his fastest 200 m since return from the
ban. Xavier Carter won the 100
m in 10.34 over veteran and home hero Kim Collins 10.40.
Kellie Wells posted 12.70 at 100
m hurdles (but it needs to be confirmed with wind speed
etc.).

DURBAN (RSA. Apr 9): World champion Caster Semenya
achieved the expected 800/1500 double at the National Championships with
2:02.10 and 4:12.93. But the hero of the day was world leader LJ Van Zyl who
won the national title at 400
m hurdles with superb 47.73 at sea level. That was only
0.06 behind his NR and WL from altitude of Pretoria on February 25. Also impressive
improvement for second Cornel Fredericks to 48.14. The duo went shoulder to
shoulder until last 100 m.
Every time LJ wanted to make a move, Cornel countered. Van Zyl was stronger in
last meters. Male 100 m
winner was Simon Magakwe 10.31 (+0.2) ahead of Roscoe Engel 10.41, Leigh Julius
10.44 and Hannes Dreyer 10.47. Newcomer Lebogang Moeng won the 400 m in 45.58. 4×400 m relay
with Oscar Pistorius, Willie de Beer, Jacques de Swardt and LJ van Zyl tried to
qualify but only got 3:04.73. They plan to attack the IAAF standard 3:04.00
again in Europe. Juan Van Deventer was
expected 1500 m
winner in 3:40.16, Stephen Mokoka secured 10 000 m win in 28:06.65
and Tshamano Setone 5000 m
in 13:31.87. In the absence of Olympic long jump silver medallist Khotso
Mokoena, who withdrew at the last minute, Thumelo Thagane won the men’s triple
jump final with a best leap of 16.95. Taking control from the second lap
national record holder Ruben Ramolefi won the steeple with world leading
8:14.06. In javelin finals Robert Oosthuizen achieved 81.18 and Sunette Viljoen
58.70. Junior Wade Van Niekerk was the fastest in the 200 m 20.57. Also fast 800 m winning time for Samson
Ngoepe 1:45.69, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi is still not fit enough to compete. Good the
13.65 of Lehann Fourie at 110
m hurdles.

MESA (USA, Apr 8): World
champion Ryan Brathwaite clocked 13.83 in his first race of the season (+0.9),
in Tempe on
Saturday it was already his second competition.

AUSTIN (USA,
Apr 9): To add to Texas
Relays also world leads at 4×200 m for LSU teams. Men clocked 1:20.45 also a
meet record (Talley, C. Williams, T. Walker, Mvumvure/ZIM). Women got 1:30.88
(Alexander, Hackett/TRI, Tate, Duncan).

CLAREMONT (USA, Apr 9): World and olympic
winner Christine Ohuruogu debuted into the season at Pomona-Pitzer meet in the
4×400 m. Her England All-Comers team won in 3:50.43. She was in the second leg.

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