Alfred Yegon Debuts at 2:06:18, by Alfons Juck, Note by Larry Eder

EME NEWS (OCT 18, 2009)

Yegon debut with 2:06:18

AMSTERDAM (NED, Oct 18): Kenyan debutant Gilbert Yegon won the 34th Amsterdam Marathon with new course record 2:06:18. Despite a hamstring cramp in last metres he was able to better the 2:06:20 of Haile Gebrselassie from 2005. “I wanted to run 2:05 but because of my hamstring problem I slowed down the pace after 40 km. It started at 37th km and was getting worse. While entering the stadium I just wanted to finish the race,” said Yegon who had before 62:00 Half Marathon best. The 21-year-old won ahead of fellow Kenyan's Elijah Keitany and Paul Biwott who clocked times of 2:06:41 and 2:07:02, for both personal bests as Keitany also debuted. Commonwealth bronze medallist Dan Robinson of Great Britain was the first European finisher in 11th position and recorded a personal best time of 2:12:14. Dutch title went to Koen Raymaekers with 2:12:58 (13th overall) personal best. Eyerusalem Kuma of Ethiopia claimed the women’s title in 2:27:42 beating her teammate Woynishet Girma (2:29:50 PB) and European CC Champion Hilda Kibet who improved in her second marathon to 2:30:33 and won also the Dutch title. In all races 26 000 runners who started and finished on the track of Olympic Stadium.

Muturi and Bai Xue in Birds Nest

BEIJING (CHN, Oct 18): World champion Bai Xue won the 24th Beijing Marathon in 2:34:44 in her fourth race of the year at the distance. Samuel Muturi of Kenya was the best man finishing in the famous Birds Nest stadium in life-time best 2:08:20. He separated from the other runners in last four km. Second Nicolas Kamakya clocked career best 2:08:42 and third Benson Barus the fastest of the year 2:08:51. Fourth first non-Kenyan Morrocan Rachid Kisri with this second ever sub 2:10 (2:09:36) and fifth first Ethiopian Berga Bekele who clocked in his debut 2:09:41. Best home runner and so also the winner of 11th National Games (Beijing Marathon was part of it) was Gang Han as 7th in 2:12:36. Best European James Timmis of Great Britain achieved 2:17:31 on position 21. Second women Zhang Xin tried but could not manage to beat the world champion with late surge and was second (2:34:49). Third Zhu Xiaolin got 2:34:55, with best non-Chinese runner Kenyan Alice Timbilil fifth (2:35:48). Bai Xue said the wind was too strong and also revealed her long time goal, the London Olympics 2012.

Adhane wins in Korea

GONGJU (KOR, Oct 18): World championships fourth placer Yemane Adhane of Ethiopia won the Dong-A Ilbo Marathon with very solid 2:08:52. His teammates completed the podium. Zurich marathon winner Abraham Tadesse was second (2:11:11) and in Switzerland competing Tesfaye Eticha third (2:12:02). Best Kenyan as fourth this year Seoul winner Moses Arusei (2:12:50). Female race had only local competitors and the win went to Kim Young-Sin in personal best 2:46:42. Results from Tilastopaja.

Ethiopian wins in rain

ISTANBUL (TUR, Oct 18): The 31st Intercontinental Istanbul Marathon was affected by rain which was strong at the end. The event ended with Ethiopian success. Title defender Kasime Adilo won again but due to difficult weather conditions clocked 2:12:14 to claim the 50 000 USD first prize purse. Second Qatari 2:10 runner Faisal Bader Shebto in 2:12:54 with best Kenyan Joseph Kahugu third (2:13:32). Turkish title for 11th Bekir Karayel (2:23:17). In women race debutante winner Bizunesh Urgesa of Ethiopia (medalist at World Juniors 2008 in Bydgoszcz) with 2:32:45 ahead of her teammate Ashu Kasim (2:34:54). Third was Russian Svetlana Semova who won the Omsk Marathon in summer with PB of 2:37:04 ahead of best Kenyan Margaret Atodonyang (2:38:25) and best home runner Bahar Dogan (2:38:54). Azerbaijan record holder Mare Ibrahimova (former Ethiopian) won the 15 km in 50:56, in men race Ethiopian Henok Tesfaye won in 45:18 in close finish over Tilahun Aliyev who represents Azerbaijan (45:18). More than 5000 runners were registered for marathon and 15 km race and 80 000 for the fun run from 71 countries.

Sub 2:10 in Reims

REIMS (FRA, Oct 18): Sevilla Marathon winner from this year Ethiopian Haylu Abebe Dogaga posted another European win. He was the best at Reims Marathon with new personal best 2:09:34. Zembaba Yegezu as second achieved also PB 2:09:46 ahead of Kenyans Henry Sugut (2:10:45, debut) and Daniel Limo (2:10:54). Ethiopians dominated the women race. Gebissa Derbe clocked 2:31:45 and junior Gisaw Melkam 2:31:55. Third place for home Fatia Klilech (former Morrocan) who debuted at the distance as 34 years old with 2:34:28. Best Rwandan athlete Dieudonne Disi won the Half-Marathon in fast 1:01:13 over Eritrean Michael Tesfay (1:01:15) and Kenyan Leonard Langat (1:01:25), in total six runners broke 1:02. Kenyan Agnes Muture was the best woman in 1:10:05 ahead of teammates Fridah Chepkemoi (1:11:03) and Sarah Chepchirchir (1:11:54). In all races record number of 12 204 runners.

Awards for Idowu and Dominguez

BUDAPEST (HUN): World champions Briton Phillips Idowu and Marta Domínguez of Spain were presented with the 2009 European Athlete of the Year Awards at a glittering ceremony during the second European Athletics Convention in the Hungarian capital city of Budapest on Saturday night. French sprint sensation and European junior 100m champion Christophe Lemaître and middle-distance sensation Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal of Norway were given the European Athletics Rising Star of the Year Awards at a gala dinner during the European Athletics Awards Night presented by MONDO organised at the historic Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest. It means so much to me to win this award. I was on holiday when I heard and it was great news," said Triple Jump world champion Idowu, while addressing the media at the official press conference in Kempinski Hotel on Saturday afternoon. Writes European Athletics. "I never want to retire! I'm aiming for the Olympic Games in London in 2012," said Idowu. The Awards Night dinner brought down the curtain on the three-day European Athletics Convention, where key decision makers in international athletics gathered under one roof to brainstorm over the future of the sport in the continent. The convention programme was designed to expand the original European Athletics Calendar Conference into an annual meeting point for European Athletic Member Federations offering additional opportunities for education, networking and socialising.

OTHER RESULTS

CREMONA (ITA, Oct 18): Ugandan Wilson Busienei won the Half-Marathon here after 1:02:54 beating Kenyan Julius Too by one second (1:02:55). Italian Vincenza Sicari was the best woman (1:13:04) ahead of Kenyan Emily Chepkorir (1:13:52).

BUCURESTI (ROU, Oct 18): Kenyan Erik Yator won the Bucuresti Marathon in 2:20:35, top five was formed by Kenyans. Sixth best home runner Petrea Hristea clocking 2:27:55 (also Romanian champion). Daniela Carlan was the best woman and also won the national title in 2:44:47. Charles Wakira of Kenya won the Half-Marathon with 1:02:17.

ST. WOLFGANG (AUT, Oct 18): Another Kenyan win as Hosea Tuei was the best at 38th Wolfgangsee Race at 25 km. His time 1:30:48 ahead of Tanzania Faustin Musa (1:31:11) and Poland´s Jakub Burghardt (1:33:13). Russian Tatyana Vilisova was the leading woman (1:50:25).

MADRID (ESP, Oct 18): Peter Kirui of Kenya won the 29th CSIC 10 km road race here with 29:36. Ethiopian Shiferaw Berknesh was the best woman (34:18).

NOUMEA (FRA, Oct 17): 14 years old New Zealander Jacko Gill achieved new national youth record with 5 kg shot 19.72. He will be 15 in December. It is the best ever mark for a 14 years old shot putter. French long jump record holder Salim Sdiri leaped to windy 824 (+2.5, legal 797, +1.0). Melina Robert-Michon got 58.41 in discus and solid New Zealand wins for David Amber at 100 m (10.51, +0.2) and Stuart Farquhar in javelin (78.65).

OTHER NEWS

JOHANNESBURG (RSA): The 800 m world champion Caster Semenya is set to take university exams despite the row over her gender, her father said, contradicting earlier reports she was too traumatised to study. Informs insidethegames.com. Jacob Semenya said that his 18-year-old daughter, a first year sports science student at the University of Pretoria, planned to sit her exams as planned. He said: "She's all right, I was with her this morning." Semenya's coach, Michael Seme, had claimed that he suspected the trauma of the controversy led her to request a test delay.

BUCURESTI (ROU): Romanian media are informing that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the appeal of Romanian 800 m runner Liliana Popescu against her two years doping ban. The same happened to appeal of another runner Corina Dumbravean. Romanian Athletics Federation said, they do not have any official information.

SAN FRANCISCO (USA): Marathon olympic winner and recent Chicago dominator Samuel Wanjiru announced that he wants to try to break the world record at next years Berlin Marathon. “I think to run close to 2:03 is possible,” he was quoted while he also confirmed his next possible marathon is London in spring 2010. But Wanjiru is not in favor of sub 2 hours marathon. “That is too tough, I do not think that could be possible,” said Wanjiru.

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