by Larry EderThe double marathon weekend continues, and 25,000 marathoners are out on the course between Hopkinton and Boston. Robert K. Cheruiyot continues to dominate and two women, Dire Tune and Alevtina Biktimorova will make their mark today..and tonight, after the rest are done, and two days of marathons have been managed, Dave McGillavray will run his lone marathon, continuing his dream, like all of the other dreams that were fulfilled this weekend in Boston….
Women Elite, Halfway to Finish
Magdaline Chemjor took the lead at thirteen miles, passed in 1:14:04 and the half hit in 1:14:45. Chemjor lead the pack at fourteen miles as well, which they pack passed in 1:19:59, a 5:43 pace. It was at this time that Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia made her bid, pushing the pace through fifteen miles, hit in 1:25:45. But Prokopcuka did not drop anyone but herself.
Alevtina Biktimorova of Russia took the lead and started to drop the pace, and the pack, and Prokkopcuka and Magarsa as well as Genovese dropped off the back. Biktimorova hit sixteen miles in 1:30:55, a 5:41 pace, then she ran a 5:38 mile, hitting seventeen in 1:36:29.
Alevtina Bikitmorova broke the pack, it was now her, Diret Tune, Rita Jeptoo as the rest of the pack fell farther and farther back. Biktimorova kept leading, hitting 18 miles in 1:41:15, nineteen miles in 1:47:11 and twenty miles was passed with Alevtina still in the lead, in 1: 52:34.
At this time Biktimirova kept pushing, with Dire Tune and Rita Jeptoo on her shoulders. The pack of seven was down to three. Biktimorova had put the hammer down, running 25 to 30 kilometers in 16:47, 30 to 35 kilometers in 16:34.
21 miles was hit in 1:58:09, run in 5:37 mile pace, 22 miles was hit in 2:08:29, a 5:08 mile, an the race was down to Alevtina Biktimorova of Russia and Dire Tune of Ethiopia..
and then, there were two……
The 5:08 mile, the fastest of the race, was followed by a 5:12, as Tune and Biktimorova switched leads several times as they hit 23 miles. The race was too close to predict. Both women looked good, Biktimorova runs more like a classically trained track athlete and Tune runs with her arms up high, but very, very relaxed.
It is at this time, that the race became very, interesting. What tactics would each runner take? One was a very short distance racer ( Biktimorova had run 800 meters) and the other was a classically trained Ethiopian middle distance runner.
Twenty four miles was passed in 2:13:41 and Tune and Biktimorova were running neck and neck. There would be a move by Tune, responded by a move from Biktimorova. After two miles of this, it seemed that both athletes held if off until there was a final sprint for the finish.
Dire Tune and Alevtina Biktimorova are together, running as hard as they can. They have already raced twenty four miles. The crowds are huge, and the cheering and the screaming are very loud. But, Tune and Bkitimorova are focused just on each other. Who has a shorter kick? Who has a longer kick?
Twenty five miles was hit at 2:20:13, and Tune and Biktimirova were together. Back and forth the two runners went. In the media room, it seemed on the screens that both runners were tired, but were holding one last push. Tune made the first move, and Biktimorova dug right back. Tune made another move about six hundred meters out, and Biktimorova made a huge move, but Tune responded.
With about four hundred meters to go, Dire Tune made her final move and Alevtina Biktimorova tried to respond, but could not. The space did not get much wider, but you could see it on their faces. Dire Tune was in front, Alevtina Biktimorova was just behind, and that how they finished.
The battle that Tune and Biktimorova was a historic race! The closest race in the history of Boston for women!
After the race, Dire Tune noted, ” I am very happy to win in Boston. ” A nice understatement from our new twenty two year old star.
Alevtina Biktimorova of Russia, all of 25 noted that she was hoping to win. Watch these two reprise their 2008 battle again!
Top Ten:
1. Dire Tune, Ethiopia, 2:25:25
2. Alevtina Biktimorova, Russia, 2:25:27
3. Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:26:34
4. Jelena Prokopcuka, Latvia, 2:28:12
5. Askale Tafa Magarsa, Ethiopia, 2:29:48
6. Bruna Genovese, Italy, 2:30:52
7. Nuta Olaru, Romania, 2:33:56
8. Robe Tola Guta, Ethiopia, 2:34:57
9. Lidiya Grigoryeva, Russia, 2:35:37
10. Stephanie Hood, Canada, 2:44:44
Men Elite, Halfway to Finish
Robert K. Cheruiyot continued to dominate the lead pack, hitting fourteen miles in 1:07:19, and fifteen miles in 1:12:11, with the 25 kilometer mark hit in 1:14:42. Tefsaye Girma, Timothy Cherigat, Kasime Adillo, James Kwambia, James Koskei were all in the pack following Cheruiyot, but he was in complete control.
Sixteen miles was hit in 1:16:49 by Cheruiyot, a 4:38 pace. James Kwambai, Abderrahime Bouramdane, Kasime Adillo, Tesfaye Girma were still in the pack.
Cheruiyot continued to unwind consistent miles, hitting the seventeenth in 1:21:41, a 4:52 mile, and hitting eighteen in 1:26:33, another 4:52 mile. Cheruiyot did not look strained, but his arms were pumping, as he started up the Newton hills.
During the eighteenth mile, the pack dropped to Bouramdane and Adillo after Cheruiyot.
It was at this time that Robert K. Cheruiyot took off. Using a 4:37 mile, Cheruiyot powered away from the final two, and had a hundred meter lead by the time he hit nineteen miles in 1:31:10, three seconds ahead of the course record!
Cheruiyot looked magnifiscent as he moved through twenty miles, now seven seconds ahead, hit in 1:36:10. Seven were back over one hundred meters. Cheruiyot was serious about wanting a fourth victory and he was running like a man on a mission.
The miles in twenty and twenty-one, passed at five minute pace, and 5:16 pace, pushed the record chance out of the realm of reality. ” You must have competition to run under 2:07, ” noted Robert after the race.
Running strong, Robert K. Cheruiyot ran like the champion he is, hitting 22 miles in 1:46:16, then 23 miles in 1:51:16, and finally, 24 miles in 1:56:18. The five minute mile pace he ran was giving him a fast race, and building his lead, it just was not going to give him a record.
Cheruiyot looked strong as he went on to Beacon Street, then Cleveland circle. He hit twenty-five miles in 2:01:29, and surprised move than a few fans with how close he was to the womens elite race, which had just sent through.
Robert K. Cheruiyot protected his lead, which moved to one minute, eighteen seconds by the finish, taking his fourth title in 2:07:46, after having broken the race open at nineteen miles. Abderrahime Bouramdane, of Morrocco took second in 2:09:04, having run a smart race. His countrymen, Khalid El Boumlili ran 2:10:35 for third, running a strong second half, and picking up the fallen first pack.
In fourth place, Gashaw Asfaw of Ethiopia ran 2:10:47 after having gone out with the front pack. Kasime Adillo of Ethiopia made it two Ethiopians in the top five with his 2:12:24. In sixth place, Timothy Cherigat ran 2:14:13, with Christopher Cheboibacht of Kenya ran 2:14:47 for seventh place and , James Kwambai in eighth place in 2:15:52, James Koskei in ninth in 2:16;07 and Nicholas Arciniaga of Rochester, Michigan, a Brooks Hanson teammember, who ran the smartest race of the pack, running a 1:07 first half and a 1:09 second, hitting the finish in 2:16:13.
In the field today were Greg Meyer, 1983 winner, running with his children and Amby Burfoot, 1968 winner, who runs every five years in honor of his win. Amby looked great after running his race, and his comments are perfect ending for this report:
” The day was gorgeous. It was sunny and dry with a cooling east wind. Towards the end of the race, I had a thought, that it was completely inconcievable that anyone could win a race of this magnitude. And if I had actually won this race, then I have truly lived a very lucky life.”
Enough said, as 25,000 runners continue to complete their dreams, finishing the 112th BAA Boston Marathon.
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