by Larry Eder
Galen Rupp, 2011 USA Outdoor Champs, 10,000m, photo by PhotoRun.net
KOECH BEATS A. BEKELE CLEARLY
BRUSSELS
(BEL, Dec 18): World junior indoor record holder Isaiah Koech achieved a
top win at the Brussels IAAF CC Permit race in Laken Park. He clocked
32:32 at 10.5 km ahead of fresh European Champion from Velenje Atelaw
Bekele (33:17) and another Kenyan Gilbert Kirui (33:19). Nine-time
European CC gold medalist Sergey Lebid of Ukraine was 7th (34:10).
Kenyan double in women 6 km for Caroline Chepkwony (21:17) and world
youth champion Faith Kipyegon (21:18). Ethiopian living in Belgium
Almensch Belete was third (21:25) ahead of Dutch Adrienne Herzog
(21:34). Britons Hatti Dean (21:44) and Stephanie Twell (21:45) were 6th
and 7th.
SOI OVER MERGA
HOUILLES (FRA,
Dec 18): Kenyan Edwin Soi beat in the 40th jubilee Corrida de Houilles
the World CC Champion Imane Merga of Ethiopia by one second (28:17 and
28:18 at 10 km). Third place for another Kenyan Isaac Mukundi (28:22)
and fourth olympic medalist Micah Kogo (28:26). Best European Youssef El
Kalai of Portugal was 7th (28:33) ahead of best French Denis Mayaud
(28:52). Kenyan Margaret Muriuki was the best woman in 31:29 beating
Ethiopian Azemra Gebru 32:06 and Italian Anna Incerti (32:08). Best
French Sophie Duarte was 8th (33:36).
OTHER RESULTS
VENTA
DE BANOS (ESP, Dec 18): Kenya’s Philemon Kimeli Limo and his compatriot
Priscah Jepleting clinched respective victories at the ’32th Cross
Internacional de Venta de Baños’ held on a less cold than usual day with
the thermometer marking 6ºC by the time of races. Informs IAAF. Limo
clocked 31:57 at 10.6 km ahead of European silver winner Ayad Lamdassem
(32:18) and home veteran Chema Martinez (32:26). Jepleting who is former
track world medalist got 22:47 at 6.8 km just one second ahead of
Italian Nadja Ejaffini (22:48) and home Dolores Checa (23:20). Steeple
world champion 2009 Marta Dominguez in her comeback races after
pregnancy was 7th (24:11).
SENDAI (JPN, Dec 18): Team Dai-chi Life in 2:17:17 won the
All-Japan Corporate team Women’s Ekiden Championships. Leading the race
from the stage one to the finish, Dai-ichi Life won the 31st edition of
the event. This year, for the first time in history of the race, it was
held over the six-stage marathon distance course from Matsushima to
Sendai, the largest metropolis in Tohoku (North East) district, the area
devastated by the earthquake and tsunami nine months ago. Second
Panasonic clocked 2:18:15 and third Sekisui Chemical 2:18:25. Best in
the first stage was Yoshimi Ozaki (7 km in 22:17). Kayoko Fukushi was
third best in third stage (10.9 km in 36:00).
HOFU (JPN, Dec 18): Best Mongolia´s marathon runner Serod
Bat-Ochir won the Hofu marathon in 2:11:56 ahead of this years Japan
sensation Yuki Kawauchi. He competed in second marathon in two weeks
after Fukuoka and clocked 2:12:33. Best woman Hisae Yoshimatsu achieved
2:44:28.
MUNCHEN (GER, Dec 17): World indoor pole vault silver medalist
Malte Mohr cleared from short approach (12 steps) 565 at an local
indoor Christmas meet. Second Fabian Schulze mastered 535 also from
short approach.
LAUSANNE (SUI, Dec 17): Eritrean Chengere Tolossa won the Lausanne Midnight Run at 7.5 km clearly in 24:37.9.
KISUMU
(KEN, Dec 18): Kenyan media are informing that Joseph Biwott
successfully defended his Safaricom Kisumu marathon title, when he
crossed the finish line in 2:13:41 (course record) while Melbourne
marathon champion Irene Mogaka was crowned the women winner in 2:38:00
(also a CR). Biwott braved the sunny morning to lead pack of over 1000
athletes. Perez Chepkorir clocked 2:40:21 to finish second with Mercy
Jemutai coming third in 2:41:30.
TAIPEI (TPE, Dec 18): Fast times at Fubon Taipei Marathon.
Ethiopian Yemane Adhane the 2:06 runner won in new course record
2:10:24. In women race Kenyan Helena Kiprop achieved another event best
with solid 2:27:36. Both will get more than 65 000 USD for the records.
Adhane told the local media after the race that his transit flight from
Bangkok was delayed because he was grilled by immigration officials
about the purpose of his visit to Taiwan. His plan to arrive early and
recover from his jet lag before the race therefore fell through, he
said.
PISA (ITA, Dec 18): Pisa Marathon winners came from Eastern
Europe. Belarus Oleg Gur got 2:20:14 and Russian Mariya Malysheva
2:50:38.
KAUNAS (LTU, Dec 14): Rytis Sakalauskas posted at local indoor meet 6.77 in the 60 m.
OTHER NEWS
OSAKA
(JPN): Brett Larner informs that half-marathon national record holder
Kayoko Fukushi announced that she will run the Osaka International
Women’s Marathon (January 29) in a bid to make the London Olympic team.
Her coach Tadayuki Nagayama commented, “We’re looking forward to the
race, including the chance for some payback for 2008 [where Fukushi was
19th in 2:40:54 in her debut]. Fukushi’s only stab at the marathon since
then was her 2:24:38 best at October’s Chicago Marathon. In Osaka she
will face Athens Olympics marathon gold medalist and national record
holder Mizuki Noguchi who declared for Osaka some time ago.
LAGOS (NGR): Tributes have been paid to Sunday Bada Nigeria’s
former Olympic 400 metres silver medallist and world indoor champion,
who has died suddenly at the age of 41. Bada, who was technical director
of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), was described by Henry
Amike, a former 400m hurdler and now President of the Nigeria Olympic
Association, as the country’s best ever athlete and administrator. Amike
told NationSport in Lagos that Bada was “one of a kind”, adding that in
terms of medals, the sprinter “stood tall” over other Nigerian
athletes. “We don’t know what happened, he just left the Stadium at
7.00pm and an hour later we were told that he was dead. He was not ill,
he was very healthy. Apart from being a good athlete, he was a good
administrator,” said Amike. Informs insidethegames.
BADEN-BADEN (GER): Four track athletes made it into topten in
the German Sports Personality of the Year poll. Best were world
champions Robert Harting and Betty Heidler, both at position number
five. Basketball star Dirk Nowitzki was the male winner ahead of Formula
1 hero Sebastian Vettel. In women section the win for Magdalena Neuner
the biathlon star. The vote was done by 1500 sports journalists in the
country (65th edition). Also in men top ten Matthias de Zordo as 6th and
David Storl as 9th.
HOUSTON (USA): Over 300 athletes have entered the USA Olympic
Trials Marathon, scheduled for Saturday, January 14, in Houston. Regular
on-line entries had to be completed by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time last
Friday, but USA Track & Field (USATF) will accept late entries
through next Wednesday, December 21, until 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
American 10 000 meter record holder Galen Rupp has surprised the running
world by entering the 2012 US Olympic Trials. It will be his marathon
debut.
BRUSSELS (BEL, Dec 18):
World junior indoor record holder Isaiah Koech achieved a top win at the
Brussels IAAF CC Permit race in Laken Park. He clocked 32:32 at 10.5 km
ahead of fresh European Champion from Velenje Atelaw Bekele (33:17) and
another Kenyan Gilbert Kirui (33:19). Nine-time European CC gold
medalist Sergey Lebid of Ukraine was 7th (34:10). Kenyan double in women
6 km for Caroline Chepkwony (21:17) and world youth champion Faith
Kipyegon (21:18). Ethiopian living in Belgium Almensch Belete was third
(21:25) ahead of Dutch Adrienne Herzog (21:34). Britons Hatti Dean
(21:44) and Stephanie Twell (21:45) were 6th and 7th.
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