2011 Athens Marathon: New Course Record! by Pat Butcher, note by Larry Eder

Athens,
Sunday, November 13, 1230gmt

RECORD
RUN IN ATHENS

In
a rare victory for a non-Kenyan in a major marathon, Abdelkerim Boubker of
Morocco won the Athens Classic Marathon on Sunday morning, taking exactly one
minute off the event record, with 2.11.40.  Boubker, 30, had to overcome more than
the all-conquering Kenyans, and one of the toughest courses in the world. He
also had to contend with some of the worst conditions in the 30 year history of
the revived event. There was the expected tailwind off the Aegean Seas for some
of the way on the road from Marathon to Athens, but the cold, wet and swirling
breeze elsewhere more than cancelled any advantage, and with temperatures barely
reaching 10C, it was a hard way to set a personal best in only his second
marathon.

Proof
of Boubker’s quality run was the damage behind him. It looked in the early
stages that defending champion, Raymond Bett of Kenya was running at the back of
the group of six, simply pursuing the tactics that brought him victory and a
race record last year. But he was first to drop off the lead group, at 23k, and
like several of the other elite entry eventually dropped out.

Of
the survivors following Boubker’s surge at 31k, Sammy Chumba of Kenya hung in
longest, and finished second in 2.13.27. Daniel Gatheru of Ethiopia dropped off
the lead group early, but fought back to finish third in 2.16.12. The
Ukrainians, Andriy Naumov and Andrii Toptun were fourth and fifth; and Allan
Ndiwa of Kenya, who shared the pace until 30k carried on to finish sixth in his
marathon debut.

Boubker
was well aware of the event history. “This is the highlight of my career,” he
said through an interpreter. “I always felt good through the race, and became
more and more confident that I could win. I prepared especially hard for this
race. But to win this race, and finish in this stadium makes me very
proud”.

Second
placed Chumba summed up the difficulty of a course, which rises from the sea at
Marathon, for almost half of the 42.195k of the distance to Athens. “I think I’m
capable of 2.08 on another course,” said Chumba, who was five minutes slower
here. “The Moroccans are not as strong collectively as the Kenyans, but he
(Boubker) is strong, very strong”.

Unbeaten
in his first two marathons – his debut in Leiden, in the Netherlands, in May,
and now here in Athens – Boubker, a native of Casablanca plans to race at home
in Morocco for his third marathon, in Marrakech at the end of
January.

The
women’s race was competitive to within view of the finish at the Panatheniko,
the antique marble stadium, venue for the 1896 Olympic Games, for which the
marathon race was invented. Elfneshe Melaku of Ethiopia and Kamila Khanipova of
Ukraine ran shoulder to should for close to 42k, before Melaku sprinted away, to
win in 2.35.25, with the Ukrainian just six seconds back. Amira Benamor of
Tunisia was third in 2.42.15.

The
pre-race celebrations included the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Marathon by
Spiridon Louis, the grandson of the first Olympic marathon champion, after whom
he is named. The concurrent IAAF/AIMS symposium, in the town of Marathon itself,
concentrated this year on Health Matters and Medical Services for Long Distance
Runners, and included speakers from marathons in Brazil, Austria, Spain and
Greece.

RESULTS

MEN

Pos/bib       name                             
country      
time

1        3
Abdelkerim BOUBKER       MOR         
2.11.40

2        16
Sammy CHUMBA            
KEN          
2.13.27

3        18
Daniel GATHERU            
ETH           
2.16.12

4        6
Andriy NAUMOV              
UKR          
2.17.32

5        7
Andrii TOPTUN                           
UKR          
2.18.12

6        15
Allan NDIWA                   
KEN          
2.18.16

WOMEN

1        105
Elfeneshe MELKAMU    
ETH           
2.35.25

2        106
Kamila KHANIPOVA     
UKR          
2.35.31

3        108
Amira BENAMOR          
TUN          
2.42.15

4        107
Alena VINNISTSKAYA  UKR          
2.44.52

5        603
Sofia RIGA                     
GRE          
2.45.43