Patrick Makau 2:03:38 Marathon World record in Berlin

                                            2:03:38  World Record by Patrick Makau in Berlin Marathon 2011




The 38th BMW Berlin Marathon lived up to all expectations, with the seventh World record in 13 years, this time for defending champion Patrick Makau of Kenya, who first broke Haile Gebreselassie, then took the Ethiopian legend’s World record from him, with 2:03:38*.

Such was the damage done behind him when Makau streaked away after 27 kilometres, that one of the pacemakers, also a Kenyan, Stephen Chemlany hung in and finished second, in 2:07:55; with another Kenyan, Edwin Kimaiyo third in 2:09:50 at this IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Gebrselassie, who stopped in discomfort when Makau surged away, recommenced and briefly reclaimed second place, but eventually dropped out at the 35 kilometre point.

There was another Kenyan success in the women’s race. Florence Kiplagat, the 2009 World Cross Country champion, who had dropped out of her only previous Marathon, in Boston in April, was never headed.

World record holder, Paul Radcliffe, returning from childbirth and a barren two years competitively, stayed with Kiplagat for 12 kilometres, before gradually dropping away. Kiplagat won by almost as big a margin as Makau, with her 2:19:44. Radliffe was passed by the steady starting local hero, Irina Mikitenko at 33 kilometers, and the German went on the take second, in 2:22:18, with Radcliffe a creditable third in 2:23:46.

Makau makes the break in 27th kilometre - Men's race

The men’s race was forecast to be a duel between the elder statesman Gebrselassie, aged 38, and the young pretender, 26 year old Makau; so it turned out, briefly, but not before an intriguing prelude to halfway and beyond, when the pair were led by half a dozen (Kenyan) pacemakers, and accompanied by Kimaiyo, John Kyui and Emmanuel Samal, also all Kenyan.

Setting out with the intention to pass halfway in 62 minutes, the group prepared the path for Makau’s eventual double triumph by going through the ‘half’ in 61:44. Gebrselassie was always at the head of the group in the lee of the pacers throughout this early stage. He only began to concede the ‘lead’ between 24 and 25 kilometres, and that proved to be a sign of things to come.

At 26 kilometres, Makau decided he’d had enough of the procession. His initial acceleration dropped his trio of colleagues- Kyui, Kimaiyo and Samal – and then he got to work on Gebrselassie. Makau spurted past the pacemakers, and began weaving across to the road, in an obvious attempt to unsettle the Ethiopian master.

Preview men's Berlin Marathon 2011

Haile Gebrselassie and  Patrick Makau at the pre race press conference in Berlin


First, on Thursday, came women’s World record holder, Paula Radcliffe, ready to revive a flagging career in Sunday’s 38th BMW Berlin Marathon. Later that day, the German Pope arrived, and drove part of the Marathon course, en route to say mass in the Olympic Stadium. Then today, Friday, came the heavenly twins of men’s marathoning – World record holder and living legend Haile Gebrselassie, and last year’s winner at this IAAF Gold Label Road Race, Patrick Makau, out to strengthen his tenuous grasp on the current world number one ranking.

At 38 years of age, Gebrselassie is by far the more experienced. As he reminded today’s press conference, he first ran in Berlin (in an ekiden, a Marathon relay) in 1992, the same year that he won a World junior championships double, 5000/10,000m on the track. Subsequently, after two Olympic golds, a series of World titles and records, he turned to the Marathon, and after a hesitant start, third in London 2002, he went on to eight victories in nine completed marathons, including four wins and two World records here in Berlin, the second one, in 2008, being the ground breaking 2:03:59.

With a list of achievements like that, surely only advancing years could undo him? But Makau could well help the process along. One of the younger generation of East African runners, who have gone directly to the Marathon (since prize money on the track is at such a premium, with so many good rivals), the 26-year-old Makau has built a brief but superlative Marathon career, two wins in four completed races with, like Haile, an average of under two hours and six minutes.

As a reference point, this correspondent first attended the Berlin Marathon in 1998, when Belayneh Dinsamo’s World record was reduced, by Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil from 2:06:50 to 2:06:05.

It’s fitting that this anticipated duel on Sunday should be between representatives of Ethiopa and Kenya, the East African highland nations who have come to define distance running in recent decades. Both men summed up the rivalry succinctly, the elder statesman, Gebrselassie saying, “We need each other,” while pretender Makau said, “One wins one day, the other wins the next.”

But who is going to win the day after, that’s to say, on Sunday?

Both men are coming off questionable performances, Gebrselassie having dropped out of last autumn’s New York Marathon, while Makau suffered a bad fall in the London race in April, although he did rally to finish third in 2:05:45!

It was telling that Gebrselassie kept saying that his time on Sunday was more important than the victory. “This is part of my plan for the London Olympics. I have to qualify for London, so I’ve come here, not necessarily for the win, but for the time.”

But if that was dedicated to giving Makau a false sense of security, the Kenyan riposted, “I’m not under pressure, because I’m running with the champion. I’ve done just a few marathons, Haile has done many marathons with fast times. It’s an opportunity for me to learn and get more experience.

“Last year, conditions were not favourable. This Sunday looks as if the weather will be good, so I’m hoping to do better.”

He won last year in heavy rain, which bunched his sodden socks inside his shoes within ten minutes of the start; but he still prevailed in the final kilometre over colleague Geoffrey Mutai, in 2:05:08. If he is as good as his word, then it will take Gebrselassie at his best to beat him on Sunday.

Having attended numerous of Gebrselassie’s highly entertaining press conferences, of which this was one more, your correspondent was unkind enough to remind him that he has frequently said that the day an athlete announces his/her retirement, even if it is for a future date, the date of the announcement is actually the day that they retire in their mind. After the disappointment of New York last November, Gebrselassie did exactly that, announced his retirement. So?

True to form, he claimed an exemption. “It was not in my plan.  I was upset, I didn’t plan to retire. New York was complicated.”

He was back on more solid ground when someone asked why, when he already had two Olympic golds at 10,000m, he wanted to win a Marathon gold.

“The Marathon medal is the most important,” he replied, “especially for Ethiopians, historically, ever since Abebe Bikila won in 1960. If you go home to Ethiopia after a race, and say you won, people will say, was it a Marathon? You say, no, it was a 10k, and they say, oh….”

Well, it’s Marathon on Sunday, and there are a half dozen pacemakers, prepared to go to 30 kilometres or more in pursuit of a 2:05 or faster.

There is an outside chance that one of the other leading entrants, Felix Limo of Kenya, Driss El Himer of France or South African Hendrick Ramaala could win. But their sub-2:07s date back five years and more.  Realistically, the race is between Gebrselassie and Makau.

And may the better man win.  iaaf

Men's 4x100m Relay - Final - 37.04 World record for Jamaica!

Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrate victory and a new world record in the men's 4x100 metres relay final

Daegu, Korea – It took until the final event, it took until Usain Bolt’s final run, but finally a World record was set in the Daegu 2011 World Championships as Jamaica extended its dominance of the men’s 4x100 metres relay.

But the nightmare continues for USA, which ran a world-leading time in the heats but then failed to complete the final as Darvis Patton collided with Britain’s anchor, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, as he came in to make the final change to Walter Dix.

Patton sprawled to the track, tried unavailingly to get up, and watched despairingly as the rest of the field set off on the final leg. Great Britain & Northern Ireland failed to finish the race. Trinidad and Tobago, who beat Jamaica in the heat, was also inconvenienced, finishing sixth.

Ironically, Patton and Dix came into the squad for the final, replacing Maurice Mitchell and Travis Padgett who ran the last two legs in the heat. But the US big two never got to connect.

The result was that the capacity crowd saw Bolt belt down the home straight in splendid isolation, nothing to beat but the World record 37.10 Jamaica had set in winning the 2008 Olympic final. He flashed across the line, the time flashed up – 37.04 World Record. Pandemonium reigned.

Ironically, Bolt got two individual World records in Berlin two years ago but Jamaica missed the World record in the relay. Here, his individual performance was marred by his disqualification in the 100 metres and he won the 200 in a ‘mere’ 19.40, just the fourth-fastest performance ever.

Now, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Bolt had closed the championships in the best possible way – a World record.

Jamaica was never going to lose, as the race was run. The changes were crisp and the first three runners had already built a lead for Bolt – not that he needed any help. The only last-leg heroics required were to break the record – and he delivered.

The misfortune for USA and Great Britain handed the silver medal to France, Teddy Tinmar, Christophe Lemaitre, Yannick Lesourd and Jimmy Vicault getting the baton around in 38.20.

The bronze medal went to St Kitts and Nevis, a finalist for the first time, and including the ageless Kim Collins, the individual 100 metres bronze medallist, in its squad. Jason Rogers, Collins, Antoine Adams and Brijesh Lawrence clocked 38.49, 0.02 slower than the national record in the heats, but who cares when a medal is there at the end of it.

Jamaica has now won the 2008 Olympic and 2009 and 2011 World titles since the USA last came home first in the Osaka 2007 World Championships, and has set the past two World records in doing so. Despite injury putting Asafa Powell out of the championships, the Caribbean powerhouse shows no sign of running out of steam, or sprinters.

The USA, by contrast, has failed to get out of the heats in three out of the past four global championships – the 2005 and 2009 World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games – and now failed to finish in Daegu.

It is truly a nightmare that shows no sign of ending.

Kenya's Abel Kirui wins world title in men's marathon

Abel Kirui celebrates winning his second World Marathon title 

DAEGU, South Korea, Sept. 4 -- Kenyan runner Abel Kirui retained his world title in the men's marathon here on Sunday after finishing the 42.195-kilometer race in two hours, seven minutes and 38 seconds.

The 29-year-olds now owned the two fastest time in the Worlds history as he set a championships record of 2:06:54 in his debut in Berlin two years ago.

"It is very special moment for me to win the second world title. It is a good sign before the Olympic Games," Kirui told a press conference.

His fellow Kenyan Vincent Kipruto, a newcomer to the world championships, crossed the line second 2:28 minutes behind, which is the biggest margin in the Worlds history.

Ethiopia's debutant Feyisa Lilesa, losing the silver medal battle in the final 1km, broke another medal sweep from the Kenyans by taking the bronze medal in 2:10:32.

The first final in Daegu on last Saturday had saw the Kenyan women making the first ever marathon medal sweep in the championships history.

Kirui pulled away early from a leading pack of three Kenyans and one Ethiopian after half way mark and ran all the way alone to finish home with his seasonal best time.

"Comparing to Berlin, it was very similar race but it was getting very hot in the end," he said. "I am happy we managed to win the long distance races in Korea. Kenyans were runing well and that gives me a lot of motivation for the next races."

Kipruto, the world's third fastest man this year, who clocked 2:05:33 when finishing runner up at the Rotterdam Marathon in April, said he was happy to secure a 1-2 finish for Kenya.

"I was ready for the final kick, I tried to increase the pace progressively and I left Lilesa behind me," said the 23-year-olds. "Our country should be proud of our success."

"I think I can run even better than this and I hope to do something good in the Olympics 2012," he added.

Lilesa, 21, noted that the weather condition was very difficult for him.

"It was very difficult for me even from the start because of the weather conditions," said Lilesa, adding that the only difference between Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes was that "where we train there is much colder than where the Kenyans train".

"I tried to get a good position from the beginning," he said when referring to the silver medal battle. "Once the Kenyan took the lead, I was fighting for the second place. I was able to keep it for a long time but in the end I lost it. Just until kilometer 41, I thought I was second, but just after that I could not maintain the position, and so I am bronze."

With the two medals, Kenya has temporarily moved to the second place in the tally with 16 medals in total while their previous best in a world championships was 13 medals in Osaka 2007.