From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sun Apr 26 2009 - 11:58:14 EDT
Excerp: "For the Eritrean debutant Zersenay Tadese it was a baptism of
fire. The three-times world half marathon champion found the going too
tough at the full distance and, after staying with the leaders through
the first 25km, he dropped out at 35km. World champion Luke Kibet was
also forced to withdraw; the Kenyan gave up the ghost at 25km.
Many had high hopes for Tadese as he made his first marathon appearance
in a field described as the greatest ever, even without Lel."
Men: Wanjiru wins with course record
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru smashed Martin Lel's one-year-old course
record to win the 2009 Flora London Marathon in a personal best of
2:05:10 after a gripping battle with Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede who
finished just 10 seconds behind.
After Lel was forced to pull out with a hip injury last night, it was
the three Olympic medallists who took all three podium places as Kebede,
the Beijing bronze medallist, was followed home by Jaouad Gharib, the
silver medallist in China, who smashed his PB by more than a minute and
a half in 2:05:27.
When three men broke 2:06 for the first ime in history last year the
2008 London Marathon was described as the greatest in history. The first
three home were even quicker this year but, remarkably, there was an air
of disappoinment at the end.
Wanjiru had predicted he would break Haile Gebrselassie's world record
of 2:03:59 and when he woke to see perfect conditions across the British
capital he must have believed today was be the day - light winds, hardly
a cloud in the sky, and temperatures expected to rise no higher than 15
degrees. What could be better?
But crazy early speed put paid to Wanjiru's hopes as the leaders sped
through half way in 61:35 after setting off inside two hour pace. They'd
been asked to take the leaders to 20 miles, but could never maintain
such a high tempo. For Wanjiru, though, by the end the win was enough.
"A course record is very good but in the end it was better to win the
race because of all the good runners around me," said Wanjiru who moves
into seventh place on all-time list ahead of Lel. Kebede moves into the
top 10, while the times of the three medallists mean the average of
London's ten best times make it the second quickest in the world, just
two seconds on average sloswer than Berlin.
For the Eritrean debutant Zersenay Tadese it was a baptism of fire. The
three-times world half marathon champion found the going too tough at
the full distance and, after staying with the leaders through the first
25km, he dropped out at 35km. World champion Luke Kibet was also forced
to withdraw; the Kenyan gave up the ghost at 25km.
Many had high hopes for Tadese as he made his first marathon appearance
in a field described as the greatest ever, even without Lel. The
three-times champion was forced to withdraw on Saturday night, still
troubled by a sore right hip he injured during his final training
session last weekend.
"I need to be cautious," Lel said. "The injury is not serious but the
pain means I would not be at my best tomorrow."
They set off from Greenwich in perfect conditions as the three Kenyan
pacemakers, Elijah Keitany Kiplagat, Samuel Kosgei and John Kales, led
them away at a pelt, clocking 4:35 for the first mile - with Wanjiru,
Gharib and Kebede right on their heels. Tadese and last year's
third-placer Abderrahim Goumri hung towards the back of a group of ten
along with Kenyan Emannuel Mutai, and the two surprises, South Africa's
Hendrick Ramaala and Morocco's Ridouane Harroufi (a 2:10 man at his
best).
The third mile was clicked off in 4:22 and by the time they went through
the 5km point, in 14:06, they were already inside two hour pace. The
pacemakers took a leading group of eight through the second 5km almost
as quickly (14:24), and they passed 10km in a punishing 28:30, 40s
quicker than Gebrselassie ran during his world record in Berlin last
September.
Surely it couldn't last - at this pace they would pass half way in one
hour exactly. They slowed slightly with a third 5km of 14:42, but at
15km were still up on Gebrselassie's schedule at 43:12 - 2:01-2:02 pace
- and passed half way in 61:35, the fasest half way split in marathon
history. They'd been asked to go through in 61:50, so this was great
running with eight still shadowing the three pacemakers.
But the blistering early pace soon began to take its toll with mile
splits drifting to 4:55, 4:59 and 5:00 through miles 14, 15 and 16. At
25km (1:13:35) they were still inside world record schedule although the
pacemakers were slowing dramatically.
In the 18th mile Ramaala decided he'd had enough and pushed on, taking
Wanjiru, Gharib and Kebede clear with a 4:37 surge for the 19th mile
that left Tadese adrift. As they headed towards Canary Wharf, Wanjiru
decided enough was enough and made a burst immediately followed by
Kebede and Gharib.
The two 22-year-olds, Wanjiru and Kebede, looked as fresh as Sunday
morning joggers, while the 36-year-old Gharib, with a best of 2:07:02,
couldn't match their youthful zeal.
Shortly after mile 20, Wanjiru made his bid for glory and opened a lead
on Kebede. Just as he had in Beijing last summer, the young Kenyan
defied the swift early pace and kicked ahead, running 4:40 and 4:46 for
the 20th and 21st miles.
Kebede had come to London hoping to bring Ethiopia its second major
marathon victory in a week, but now he had to watch as the Kenyan
gradually turned the screw. He glanced back to see Gharib still in touch
behind him and desperately trying to close the gap. Kebede responded and
began to close on Wanjiru.
The Kenyan led by 20m from the Ethiopian but Kebede dug in again as they
strode along the Embankment. With less than two miles to go, the race
was defnitely still on. Yet each time he closed Wanjiru appeared to
sense the threat and kicked again, stretching away like a ball on
elastic.
By the same stage in the Olympic final the world half marathon record
holder had been away and clear, but this time he was running like a
scared rabbit. Glancing back, he knew it wasn't over yet. He turned the
corner at the Houses of Parliament and put in another burst up Birdcage
Walk. Finally, it was decisive.
Lel may not have been able to defend his title but the great Kenyan
would have been delighted to see his friend following in his footsteps.
Wanjiru strode down The Mall to take his teammate's course record in
2:05:10.
"It was a tough race today," he said. "All the good runners around make
you run well. It wasn't until the last 200 metres or so that I had the
feeling that I was going to win."
Kebede had given it everything, and was rewarded for his efforts with a
personal best by 50 seconds. "At around 42km I felt I had to keep
running as hard and as fast as I could because I wanted to win," he
said. "There were some very good runners here and to beat most of them
is a good feeling. As for winning, maybe next year."
"It was a really tough race," said Gharib. "It was difficult to hold on
and I think we went too fast in the first half. Every time I got close
to the leader he was a little faster. At the end I gave it all I could
and I could not hold on."
Mutai was fourth for the second year in a row in 2:06:53 while Ramaala,
fifth in 2:07:44, capped a great return to form in the 25th marathon of
his career.
The first Briton home was Andi Jones who was 13th in 2:15:20.
http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/?pageID=5
<http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/?pageID=5&n=180> &n=180
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