by Larry Eder
Zersenay Tadese leads, WC Berlin 2009, 10,000 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Zersenay Tadese, who has battled Kenenisa Bekele over 10,000 meters in numerous World Champs and Olympic, had a busy morning in Lisbon, Portugal! Running the world best for 20k and the half marathon, Tadese set the first global marks ever for an Eritrean athlete! Next stop for Tadese? Why, the Virgin London Marathon on April 25, but of course!
EME NEWS (MAR 21, 2010)
TWO WORLD RECORDS FOR TADESE
LISBON (POR, Mar 21): The plans were fulfilled. Four-time world half-marathon champion Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea clocked at 20th edition of EDP Lisbon Half-marathon new world record 58:23. He will receive 50 000 E bonus for that, but it is also first road world record of the year 2010 and first global mark ever set by Eritrean athlete. His 59:05 in 2005 (South Shields) was not officially ratified. Tadese had also official split at 20 km better than current world record 55:21. The valid mark is 55:48 by Haile Gebrselassie in 2006 in Phoenix, USA. Tadese improved the mark of Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru 58:33 from March 17, 2007 in Den Haag, Netherlands by 10 seconds. Kenyan Sammy Kitwara was second (59:47) and Duncan Mutai third (1:00:03). Best home runner Hermano Ferreira achieved 1:03:38 as 13th. Kenyan women win by Peninah Arusei in 1:08:38 beating Ethiopian Askale Tafa (1:10:46) and Portugal 1996 olympic gold medalist Fernanda Ribeiro (1:12:17). This race with expected 30 000+ participation (6000 in the half-marathon) crosses the Tagus River over the popular 25th of April Bridge. Special guest was IAAF President Lamine Diack.
KENYAN SURPRISE TEIMET
SEOUL (KOR, Mar 21): Kenya surprise at 81st Dong-A Marathon Korea. Sylvester Teimet improved to new course record 2:06:49 and was a surprise winner. It was also new PB for him from 2:09 level and will receive 125 000 USD after all bonuses. Another Kenyan Gilbert Kirwa who is Frankfurt Marathon winner for first time lost a marathon in 2:06:59 as second. Ethiopian Amane Gobena was the best woman in 2:24:13 beating olympic bronze medalist Zhou Chunxiu of China (2:25:01). Two more Kenyans clocked sub 2:10. Paul Kirui as third (2:07:35) and David Kiyeng as fourth (2:09:00). Eritrean Yared Asmeron was fifth (2:11:46) and best home runner was sixth Park Young-Min with personal best 2:12:43. Three more female runners dipped under 2:30. Kenyan Caroline Kilel as third (2:26:58) followed by Chinese Wang Xueqin (PB 2:28:17) and Korean Kim Sung-Eun as fifth also life-time best 2:29:27. Kenyan Beijing 5th placer Martha Komu was sixth in 2:30:36. With help of Tilastopaja.
GENA FINISHED BAREFOOT
ROMA (ITA, Mar 21): Ethiopian day at the 16th Roma Marathon. Siraj Gena clocked life-time best 2:08:39 to win (last 300 m barefoot as Abebe Bikila in 1960). Kenyans followed him. Favorite Benson Barus was second (2:09:00) and Nixon Machichim Kipkoech who improved dramatically from 2:13 level to 2:09:08. Fourth and last sub 2:10 was another Ethiopian Kedir Fikadu with career best 2:09:15. Best European was 41 years old Italian veteran Migidio Bourifa in 2:12:34 (also European lead of 2010). Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia was the best woman and successfully defender her last year title in personal best 2:25:58. Kebebush Haile as second (also PB 2:25:31) and Mare Dibaba as third (PB 2:25:37) completed the Ethiopian full podium presence. Ukrainan Tetyana Filonyuk as fourth was not only best European but improved her life-time best to 2:26:24. Final sub 2:30 runner was Ethiopian Tola Fate Geleto in PB 2:28:58 as fifth. The race also celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Olympic marathon won by legendary Ethiopian Abebe Bikila. So the Ethiopian wins were more than appropriate. Former F1 pilot Alex Zanardi finished the race on his hand-bike in 1:15:53. The entries level was at 15 346 from 83 countries. More than 85 000 runners were expected at 4 km Roma Fun race.
KAMAIS WINS, HAILE OUT
NEW YORK (USA, Mar 21): Kenyan Peter Kamais won the first spring running of New York City half-marathon in 59:53. He took the men‘s lead at the halfway point after race favorite Haile Gebrselassie suffered an asthma attack. He dropped out after nine miles. Writes universalsports.com. Second Moses Kigen achieved 1:00:38 and third US (but Moroccan born) Mohamed Trafeh career fastest 1:00:39. Best European was former European indoor champion Alistair Cragg of Ireland who debuted at the distance with 1:01:58 as 7th. Briton Olympic 6th placer Mara Yamauchi seized the women‘s lead with a few miles remaining when she overtook American Deena Kastor, who was out in front the entire race until that point. Yamauchi stopped the clock in 1:09:25 to claim victory. Second Kastor achieved 1:09:43 and third Mexican Madai Perez 1:09:45 (PB). Best European was Italian Bruna Genovese as 6th in 1:12:55.
OTHER RESULTS
YAMAGUCHI (JPN, Mar 21): Kenyans Samuel Ndungu (1:01:19) and title defender Filomena Cheyech (1:09:01) won the 38th All Japan Corporate team half marathon championships. The defending champion Joseph Gitau finished second 24 seconds behind (1:01:43), while the World Championships marathon silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki finished second in 1:10:06. “I wanted to run a fast time today. So it was good that I was able to go out fast from the start, but the wind was just too strong in the last half of the race. In the upcoming London marathon, I hope to run with the pace similar to what I have run in the first half of the today’s race, so, I need to build more speed endurance,†said Ozaki in the post race interview. In the men’s race, Kenyans living in Japan took first four spots, while Akihiro Tsumurai as best Japanese was fifth in lifetime best 1:01:58. Third woman Kaoru Nagao achieved 1:10:45. Top Japanese runners qualified for World Half-marathon championships in autumn.
MATSUE (JPN, Mar 21): Matsue Ladies half marathon was held on the same day, several hundred km away from Yamaguchi, writes Ken Nakamura. Also here strong wind played a role, Kenyan Obare Doricah clocked 1:10:53 to win. Yukiko Akaba finished second in 1:11:09. For Akaba who is in preparation for London marathon this was the first race since she dropped out of Osaka Ladies Marathon in the end of January.
MEDELLIN (COL, Mar 20): During first day of South American U23 Championships Brazilian sprinter Ana Claudia Silva (21) surprised with 11.17 (+1.4) at 100 m in her heat. With that time she equaled the South American senior record of another Brazilian Lucimar de Moura from 1999 and it was also a world leader. In final she sprinted to 11.33 (+1.5) win. It should be noted that Medellin altitude 1541 meters is favorable for sprints. Her previous best was 11.46 from 2008. Fast Colombian male sprinters were hampered by too strong wind (+2.2) as Isidro Montoya clocked 10.25 to win the 100 m over his teammate Alvaro Gomez (10.26). Legal wind (+0.7) for 110 m hurdles winner Jorge McFarlane with 13.75 what is new national record for Peru. 18-years old Omar Longart of Venezuela won the 400 m in excellent 46.09 life-time best. The event continues until tuesday.
HAVANA (CUB, Mar 20): World javelin medalist Guillermo Martinez achieved 81.20 during second day of Copa Cuba/Barrientos Memorial meet. Berlin decathlon 8th placer Yordanis Garcia won his event with 8381 score (his third best of career), but the running events were hand-timed. Still a world leader.
DURBAN (RSA, Mar 20): In remaining events of first day of South African Championships former world indoor champion Khotso Mokoena won the long jump with 801 (-0.4). Ofentse Mogawane posted solid 45.87 at 400 m taking into note that Durban is not an altitude place. Also because of that a solid 10 000 m was staged. Stephen Mokoka achieved good personal best 28:18.54 to win.
LIMOGES (FRA, Mar 20): France Elite Perche Tour (pole vault series) ended with wins for Fabrice Fortin (542) and Telie Mathiot (433). The main favorite Renaud Lavillenie at the end of the day did not compete.
US OUTDOOR ACTION
ATLANTA: Indoor revelation and 400 m world leader Torrin Lawrence improved his 100 m best to 10.49 (+0.4) at Georgia Dual meet.
CERRITOS: World silver 400 m hurdles medalist Lashinda Demus opened her outdoor season with 52.20 at 400 m.
CONWAY: 2006 world junior finalist Joe Kindred (now 22 years old) improved his best in high jump to 228 cm here.
EUGENE: Former Kenyan multiple NCAA Champion Sally Kipyego clocked 4:10.71 at 1500 m during Oregon Preview meet. 23-years old Jordan McNamara improved significantly in his first race of the year at 3000 m to 7:53.63.
UPDATED TIMES
LAREDO (ESP, Mar 20): Kenyan Olympic 10 000 m bronze winner Micah Kogo missed his own road 10 km world record while winning the race in Laredo, Spain. His final time of 27:29 was 28 seconds behind his top mark 27:01 from last year. His team-mates Titus Mbishei (27:59) and Mike Kigen (28:14) followed. Best non-Kenyan Spanish Ivan Hierro got 29:27 as fourth.
