Ayele Abshero stuns with 2:04:23 debut, Mergia clocks 2:19:31 in Dubai

Ayele Absgero Smashed Record  with 2:04:23 win.

Ayele Abshero and his Ethiopian colleagues turned the marathon tide substantially today (Jan 27) in a sizzling Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon which rewrote the record books.

Abshero, just turned 21, ran the fastest winning debut in history, taking the title in an event record time of 2:04:23 – the fourth fastest in history – while the top three finishers in the women’s event, won by defending champion Asselefech Mergia Medessa, all smashed the 2:20:00 barrier.

Abshero, the 2009 Junior Cross Country World Champion, also established himself as a leading contender for Ethiopia’s Olympic trio – if not victory at London 2012 – as he headed an Ethiopian 1-2-3, with Dino Sefir second in 2:04:50, and Markos Geneti third in 2:04:54, both personal bests.

The quality of the performances was such that based on the final finishing times, yesterday’s $1 million race featured the greatest marathon field in history. Never before in marathon history have more than three men broken 2:05 on a legal course yet here in Dubai four men broke that mark. Best marks-for-place were set for positions from third through to 17th, making it arguably the greatest marathon ever in terms of depth.

The Kenyans who carried all before them last year in the marathon world were firmly rebuffed. Jonathon Maiyo placed fourth, in 2:04:56, but he was the only non-Ethiopian in the top ten, most of whom set personal bests. Pre-race favourite Martin Lel dropped off the lead group before 30k, but soldiered on to finish 35th in 2:34:57.

It was an Ethiopian red letter day all round with Medessa defending her Dubai title, running an Ethiopian and course record, with a personal best of 2:19:31, finishing just ahead of Kenyan debutante Lucy Kabuu, a further three seconds adrift. Again Ethiopians dominated, with Mare Dibaba third in a personal best 2:19:52.

Abshero, whose most notable feat apart from his world junior cross victory was beating Kenenisa Bekele in a 15km road race three years ago, maintained that his finishing time was his target.

“I thought I could run 2:04 today,” he said after receiving his trophy and the winner’s cheque of $250,000 from His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Owais, the UAE Minister of Health and Culture, Youth and Community Development, and Jonathan Morris, Standard Chartered CEO in the UAE.

“But it’s hard to plan for your first marathon as I really just didn’t know what was going to happen. But I’m very happy. I’m now the number one in Ethiopia, and I think it could be the Olympic Games for me.”

Abshero’s time is only headed by Kenyans Patrick Makau – with his world record 2:03:38 – and Wilson Kipsang (2:03:42) and his illustrious colleague Haile Gebrselassie (2:03:59). But shattering Geb’s Dubai course record by 30 seconds has cemented his place in the emirate’s sporting history.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon saw around 17,000 runners compete in the marathon, the 10km and the 3km Fun Run but few received as loud a cheer as Medessa and Kabuu who provided a thrilling end to the women’s marathon.

“I know the course so I felt confident,” said Medessa, who edged out Kabuu by just three seconds. “I prepared well and I’m delighted with 2:19. I’m now the best Ethiopian – and with a time like that, I hope to be selected for the Olympic Games”.

It was the first time in international marathon history where three women have all ran under 2:20:00 underlining the event’s IAAF Gold Label status and its standing as one of the greatest marathon stages in the world. As with the men’s event, the women’s race saw incredible depth and best marks-for-place were set for positions third through to ninth. The top ten men all set personal bests, while the top seven women did likewise.

In the women’s 10km event there was a second consecutive victory for UAE Olympic hopeful Betty Desalyn who warmed up for the Asian Indoor Games with a time of 34:14, while Eritrean Tekle Sahle took the men’s title in 28:47.

“I’m very happy to win for the second time,” said 20 year-old Desalyn, who is targeting Olympic qualification in London in both the 1,500 and 5,000m. “I’ve been training hard in Ethiopia and will go to China for the Asian Indoors before looking ahead to London.”

Moses Mosop and Liliya Shobukova takes Chicago titles

Moses Mosop  2:05:38

Kenya's Moses Mosop broke the men's course record by four seconds in 2:05:38 and Russia's Liliya Shobukhova set a personal best by nearly two minutes in the fastest time by a woman this year, 2:18:20, to triumph in the 34th Bank of America Chicago Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (9).

Running in war and sunny conditions - 64 degrees F at the start, near 70F at the finish for the leaders - "The Big Engine," as the other Kenyan runners have nicknamed Mosop, finished a dominating year and Shobukhova laid claim to the designation as a favourite for the women's Marathon title in next summer's London Olympics.

Both dominated their respective genders, decimating the competition to the point where the only question in the later stages of the race was how fast their finish times would be.

The men's pacemakers ran a relatively uneven pace for the first 15 kilometres of the race, playing catch up after each slow mile, noted American Ryan Hall, who despite running his third best time of the nine marathons he's run, was only able to finish fifth in 2:08:04. "Our splits were pretty much all over the place," said Hall. "(The pace makers) would see the (slow) split and they'd hit it. You can't expect it to be totally perfect like a metronome."

Mosop's coach, Renato Canova, said that the erratic early pace and two significant surges during the race by runner-up Wesley Korir (2:06:15) may have contributed to Mosop's slow final 5-K. "He was running slower than Shobukhova," said Canova. Mosop said he slowed because he missed getting fluids at the aid stations several times during the race, during the first 5-K and later at 40-K. Canova and Mosop both agreed that Mosop's training build up prior to the race was sub par, judging that Moses was 80-85% of his potential going into the race. "He paid," said Canova of his athlete's weak last 5-K, "because he's not prepared."

After running a 30,000m World Record on the track in Eugene in June, Mosop didn't run at all in July because of an injury to his Achilles tendon, and in August was only able to run slowly "like an amateur," said Canova, because an unusual amount of rain made the muddy, red clay roads in Kenya too slippery. It was only by the sixth of September that Mosop was able to return to training full speed, his coach said. "We need two months (of solid training) before a marathon to prepare (adequately)," said Canova.

"There are no secrets (to training). You need to use 80% of training to support the 20% of specific training (needed to perform to your potential)," he added. Essentially, Mosop had only had the "general" training or 80% of that formula and no specific training going into the race, Canova said. Though Mosop had concerns because he still had tenderness in the tendon going into the race, he only had a few twinges during the race and was not slowed by the healed injury. He was able to withstand the surges Korir threw at him, the last coming around the 30-K mark when Korir broke the pack of five leaders apart.

"I had to break up the group," said Korir. "I don't have that good of a kick. Before the race I talked to my coach (Ron Mann) and he said maybe 18 or 19 miles to put a move in. I knew Moses was going to come back. My goal was to break it up and work for a position on the podium."

Mosop did indeed come back and ran the fastest 5-K split of the race during between 30 and 35 kilometres(14:29) to open a 26 second lead over Korir and 42 seconds over third place finisher, Kenyan Bernard Kipyego (2:06:29).

"If this is 80%," said NBC television commentator Toni Reavis while watching Mosop crush the field, "I'm frightened."

Mosop will collect $190,000 - $100,000 for the win, $50,000 for a course record, and $40,000 for a sub-2:06. After running the second fastest time ever for a Marathon in his debut in Boston (2:03:06) and the 30,000m World Record on the track, Mosop has had one of the fastest and most successful years ever. His two Marathon times combined are the fastest ever run in a single year. When asked what he thought he could have run if he had been fully prepared for Chicago, both he and his coach said that 2:02 was within Mosop's capabilities.

Kenyans swept the top three spots at Chicago for the sixth time.

Shobukhova in total command – women’s race

There was no such flux in the woman's race as Shobukhova methodically pursued her pre-race goal of a sub 2:20 marathon, deviating from her past habit of running conservatively through the half, then attempting to run a negative split over the final 13.1 miles.

"My coach (who is also her husband, Igor Shobukhov) said to run sub-2:20 you have to change your tactics. We decided to go out fast right away," Shobukhova said. Aiming for a first half of 1:09:30, she ran 1:09:25, and still was able to finish faster with the second half only taking 1:08:55.

Women's runner-up Ejegayehu Dibaba of Ethiopia (2:22:09), who was running her first road race ever, was only able to hang with Shobukova through almost 25-K, but her time was still the third fastest ever for a women's debut Marathon.

A calf injury a week before the race concerned Dibaba, but didn't impact her race. Shobukhova, who trained at altitude for the first time prior to Chicago (she had done it twice before the Virgin London Marathon, but never in the Fall), the build up was perfect, aimed at running 2:19. Instead she surprised even herself by breaking her own personal record by nearly two minutes, the Russian women's record for the Marathon, and the second fastest time ever by a woman in Chicago. The time makes her pretty much a lock for a spot on the Russian Olympic team, her primary goal going into the race. For the win Shobokhuva won $140,000 -$100,000 for the win and $40,000 for a sub-2:20. Her time is the fourth fastest of all time, with only Paula Radcliffe's three races times from 2:15:25 to 2:17:42 in front of her. Shobukhova is the third woman to run under 2:20 this year and the 12th ever to do it.

A record total of 37,400 runners started the event and the second highest number of finishers were expected, said executive race director Cary Pinkowski at an afternoon press conference before all the runners had completed the course. One runner died during the event, collapsing within 500 yards of the finish, according to race medical director Dr. George Chiampas.

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.

German man, Italian woman win 2011 Taipei 101 Run-up



Runner Thomas Dold, of Germany, gives a double thumbs up.



TAIPEI -- German Thomas Dold regained his title in the annual running race to the top of the Taipei 101 skyscraper Sunday in a time of 11 minutes and 19 seconds.

Dold, who won the race in 2008 and 2009, beat the defending champion Marco DeGasperi of Italy, who finished this year's climb up the Taipei landmark's 2,046 stairs in 11:31.

Chen Fu-tsai was the top finisher among Taiwanese competitors in a time of 12: 47, placing him sixth overall.

In the women's division, Italy's Valentina Belotti took the title in 13 minutes and 51 seconds, one second ahead of Antonella Confor, also of Italy and Eunice Nyawira Muchiri from Kenya was Third in a time of 14:30.

Lee Hsiao-yu of Taiwan, last year's runner-up, finished in ninth place this year with a time of 16:52.

African Paralympic gold medalist Henry Wanyoike, who is visually impaired, participated in the race for the first time and completed the run in a time of 16:19.

The oldest participant in the race, 94-year-old Peng Hung-nian, also made it to the finish line, reaching the summit in 53:38.

It was the seventh consecutive year the Taipei resident joined the race and he vowed to continue to participate until the age of 101.

A total of 6,000 people, the highest turnout ever, took part in the race, which culminated a series of events that raised NT$2.45 million (US$85,505) for visually impaired people in Taiwan, the organizers said.

The donation will go to the Taipei-based Parents' Association for the Visually Impaired, the Hsinchu-based Recording Books Service Center for the Blind, and visually impaired athlete Lin Shin-wei of Taiwan, who is preparing for the Paralympic Games, they said.

Race results

Men
1. Thomas Dold (GER) - 11'19"
2. Marco De Gasperi (ITA) - 11'31"
3. Fabio Ruga (ITA) - 11'59"
4. Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) - 12'18"
5. Clement Dumony (FRA) - 12'31"


Women
1. Valentina Belotti (ITA) - 13'51"
2. Antonella Confortola (ITA) - 13'52"
3. Eunice Nyawira (KEN) - 14'30"
4. Melissa Moon (NZL) - 14'54"
5. Cristina Bonacina (ITA) - 15'11"