by Larry Eder
Tsegaye Kebede, (shown in London 2009), photo by PhotoRun.net.
This is road racing season. It is also the start of the indoor season, and cross country season. This past weekend was the USATF convention, Nike NXN, RNR Las Vegas, Fukuoka and ASBA convetion. Yours truly was at three of those events…
Tsegaye Kebede, defending his Fukuoka title from 2008, crush the opposition with his personal best, 2:05:18! Luke Kibet defended the Chartered Bank Singapore Marathon, and set a new course record, in 2:11.25. He won by eight seconds, with a mad sprint to the finish, due to achilles re-injury, which affected him about 30k into the race (we are not sure how serious).
EME NEWS (DEC 6, 2009)
L. KIBET COURSE RECORD DESPITE HEAT AND INJURY
SINGAPORE (SIN, Dec 6): 2007 World Champion Luke Kibet of Kenya won the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in new course record 2:11:25. He achieved that despite 31C heat and 77 percent humidity and troublesome achilles tendon. When he won last year, in 2:13:01, he beat young Kenyan colleague Johnstone Chepkwony by over two minutes. This morning, Kibet needed a sprint finish to keep Chepkwony (2:11:33) to second. A repeat one-two seemed unlikely before the race, given the vastly improved field, tempted to endure the atmospheric conditions by the lure of US$35,000 first prize, with $19,000 for second, and $10,000 for third. Writes Pat Butcher. Third Vincent Krop was also under the previous record, in 2:11:51. And a former winner, John Kelai finished fourth in 2:13:16. All sub 2:20 finishers and complete top ten were Kenyans. In Russian women duel Albina Mayorova-Ivanova was better than pre-race favorite Lyubov Morgunova (2:32:49 and 2:34:49). Mary Akor Beasley of the USA was a surprise third, in 2:36:44. But she collapsed over the finish line, and had to be stretched off to recover. Sub 2:30 runner and sixth placer from Berlin Marathon Leah Malot of Kenya was 5th (2:38:02).
KEBEDE DEFENDS IN 2:05:18 PB, BARANOVSKY AS FIRST EUROPEAN IN 2009 SUB 2:10
FUKUOKA (JPN, Dec 6): Ethiopian favorite Tsegaye Kebede (bronzes in Beijing and Berlin) fulfilled his role and defended his title at 63rd Fukuoka Marathon in new course record and his lifetime best 2:05:18, also fastest ever in Japan and fastest ever in December. Kebede is fifth fastest performer of the year 2009. Behind him more improvements, second Tekeste Kebede of Ethiopia clocked 2:07:52 and third Dmytro Baranovsky of Ukraine achieved as first European this year a sub 2:09 with 2:08:19 (his second fastest ever). “I am very happy to run faster than expected. I don’t know how to describe my happiness in words,†said Kebede in the TV interview immediately after the race. “I was convinced of my win after 30Km when I started to run away from my competitions. I also knew that I had a chance for a personal best when I passed 40Km point much faster (1:59:01) than last year when I think I passed 40Km in 1:59:45,†said Tsegaye in the post race press conference. Dereje Tesfaye, Tsegaye’s training partner improved his personal best from 2:11:42, recorded in 2009 Dubai Marathon, to 2:08:26 when he finished fourth on Sunday. Another favorite Evans Cheruiyot of Kenya was fifth with 2:09:46, giving total of five runners with sub 2:10 clocking. Mekubo Mogusu, whose marathon debut was attracting a lot of attention, lost contact with the leaders at 26Km. By 30Km, he was essentially reduced to a walk. He stopped several times and stretched his leg muscles and made a valiant attempt to continue. However, he was finally forced to drop out at 31.4Km. In 10 degrees other Europeans finishing in top ten were Luis Feiteira of Portugal (2:13:07, 6th), Russian Oleg Kulkov as seventh (2:13:49) and Ukrainian Vitaliy Shafar was 10th (2:15:07). Best home runner Tadashi Shitamori clocked 2:14:42 as ninth.
ETHIOPIAN WIN IN LEBANON
BEIRUT (LEB, Dec 6): Mohammed Temam of Ethiopia reveled in his competitive return to the Middle East, when the 20-year-old won the BLOM Beirut Marathon on Sunday, emerging victorious on a day when more than 30,000 took to the streets in the seventh edition of the Lebanese capital’s festival of endurance, including 5 and 10k competitions. Temam clocked 2:16:13 for victory to beat Eston Ngira by over two minutes. The Kenyan runner-up finished in 2:18:26 with Abraham Yilma of Ethiopia, suffering from vomiting attacks overnight, taking third place in 2:18:34. The former world record holder in the marathon, Paul Tergat of Kenya, watched from the VIP gantry as 550 competitors set off along Jamal Abdel Naser street. Mihret Tadesse completed the Ethiopian double as she made it two wins out of two in her marathon career. She took the women’s title in 2:42:41, improving her best by 31 seconds from her winning debut in Barcelona last year. Jackline Nyangeri of Kenya finished runner-up in 2:43:24 with the fastest woman going into the race, Sisay Measo of Ethiopia, taking third in 2:44:00. Informs www.globerunner.org.
UKRAINIAN WIN IN MACAU
MACAO (MAC, Dec 6): Ukrainian Myhalo Iveruk won the 28th Galaxy Macau Marathon with 2:17:45 beating Kenyans in close finish. The 34 years old runner has five marathons in his career with sub 2:15 times, the best 2:12:32 in Hamburg 2006. Second Michael Kipserem improved to 2:17:51 and third Julius Kibet got 2:17:58. In women´s race Ethiopian Roman Gebregessese clocked a lifetime best 2:37:08 to win. She was followed by title defender Yuan Lili of China (2:41:44) and Poland´s Agnieszka Janasiak (2:42:09).
GEBREMARIAM AND V. CHERUIYOT
ALCOBENDAS (ESP, Dec 6): Reigning world CC champion from Amman Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia scored already his fourth win (10 km in 30:55) this fall after dominating the races in Atapuerca, Oeiras and Soria. On Sunday he was the best at 28th Cross Internacional de la Constitucion in Madrid region. Second in fast finish was Teklemariam Mehdin of Eritrea (30:56), third was best Kenyan and former world CC medalist Leonard Komon (31:06). Best Spanish Alberto Garcia was fifth (31:48). Track 5000 m world champion Vivian Cheruiyot was the best woman at 5.9 km (19:53) ahead of her team-mate and steeple world medalist Milcah Chemos (20:17) and Portugal marathon runner Marisa Barros (20:40). Home runners selected for European CC Championships next weekend in Dublin were not competing.
KAMAKYA WINS, DITA SECOND
HEERENBERG (NED, Dec 6): Kenyan Nicholas Kamakya won the Wincanton Montferland Run at 15 km with 42:38 and missed so the course record of Haile Gebrselassie from 2007 by two seconds. As already informed Derebe Merga of Ethiopia who wanted to attack his own road world record was a late withdrawal due to injury. Nine seconds behind the winner was second another Kenyan Wilfred Murgor (42:47) and third late addition into the field, the fastest junior ever at 15 km Ayele Abshiro of Ethiopia (42:50). Best European was home runner Koen Raymaekers as 7th (47:09). Also in women race a Kenyan win for Caroline Cheptanui in 49:57. Romanian Olympic marathon winner Constantina Dita was way behind second in 51:36 and third best Dutch runner Ilse Pol in 51:46. Around 3000 runners participated in the 13th edition of the race.
OTHER RESULTS
NEWPORT NEWS (USA, Dec 5): US Sprinter Atolani Akinkuoto started the indoor season with solid 6.29 55 meters win at CNU Holiday Opener.
LAWRENCE (USA, Dec 5): Trinidad´s relay world finalist Semoy Hackett clocked at Bob Timmons Challenge 7.52 at 60 m and 24.31 at 200 m.
JONESBORO (USA, Dec 5): Norwegian NCAA indoor silver winner in 2009 Steffen Nerdal started his weight throw season with good 22.41. His PB from last winter is 22.54. In pole vault Mitch Greeley and Daniel Ryland cleared 549 cm.
LISBOA (POR, Dec 6): Winners of 24th Lisboa Marathon were home runner Vasco Azevedo in 2:20:42 and Russian Yulia Mochalova after lifetime best 2:40:45. Organizers expected a group of Ethiopians to compete, but they did not arrive.
GOSSAU (SUI, Dec 5): Christmas Road Race winners were Eritrean Berhe Zeremariam at 8.3 km in 25:00 and Ukrainian Yulia Ruban in women category after 28:02.
OTHER NEWS
NASSAU (BAH):: In the early morning hours of Saturday Adrian Griffith (10.27 100 m runner from last summer) and hurdler Christopher Bethel (14.07 PB), were in a deadly car accident on West Bay street, mere yards in front of Breeze’s Super Clubs Resort, in Nassau Bahamas. Writes TrackAlerts.com. Adrian Griffith (the driver) is hospitalized in critical condition and dead is All American hurdler Christopher Bethell, a graduate of McKendree University of Illinois.
INDIANAPOLIS (USA): At the Annual Awards Breakfast Saturday morning at the 2009 USA Track & Field Annual Meeting, award winners were announced for their achievements on and off the track. Cross Country male Athlete of the Year is German Fernandez, female Nealy Spence. Allen Steinfeld award in Men´s Long Distance Running category goes to Chicago Marathon race director Carey Pinkowski and Roberte E. DeCelle Jr. Award to NYC marathon winner Meb Keflezighi. Women´s Long Distance Runner of the Year is Magdalena Lewy Boulet. In the meet directors section the Howard Schmertz Lifetime Achievement Award went to former high jump and Drake Relays director Brian Brown. Meet Director of the Year Award goes to Ray Lump. The main Track and Field Awards in women section C.C. Jackson Award is given to Brittney Reese and Sanya Richards. In the men section, Harrison Dillard Award to Tyson Gay, Glenn Cunningham Award to Bernard Lagat, Jim Thorpe Award to Dwight Phillips, Al Oerter Award to Christian Cantwell and John Bennett Award to Trey Hardee.
ST. ANN (JAM): TrackAlerts.com writes that police brought Usain Bolt’s 9.58 SuperParty at Richmond Estate in the prish of St. Ann to an abrupt end early Sunday morning. Immediately after Tony Matterhorn ended his performance, Richie B, the MC, advised patrons that the Police, who had maintained a strong presence throughout, ordered that the event should be brought to an immediate end. When Richie B announced that they were advised to close the show, the crowd started to shout Gaza, Gaza, Gaza … while feature artiste Vybz Kartel was backstage, and still to come on, with Bolt trying to get the police to give them a chance. Despite a brief meeting, Bolt and his entourage could not convince the Police leaders to afford them some extra time. Bolt, who is a big supporter of the Gaza leader Vybz Kartel, was unhappy with the way the party ended and was quick to apologize to the patrons, saying he couldn’t do anything about the stoppage. There is a 2am deadline if not specially permitted for similar parties and concerts. Earlier, international stars The Dream and Ludacris, along with local stars Elephant Man, Etana among others gave the thousands that turned out a lot to shout and dance about. DJ Usain also had his time round the turntable and he had the crowd moving during his stint. Several track & field stars, Asafa Powell, Wallace Spearmon, Richard Thompson, Darrel Brown, Sherone Simpson and Melaine Walker were seen at the show. Writes TrackAlerts.
