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Tadese, Kiplagat Defend World Road Running
Titles in Italy At the 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine, Italy on Sunday, kicking from a tight four man pack in the 57th minute, Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea successfully defended his title, while the Netherlands' Lornah Kiplagat also repeated as world champion, but ran unchallenged to two world records. Tadese, also the reigning World Cross Country champion, covered the half-marathon distance (13.1 miles) in 58 minutes, 59 seconds, a national and championships record, comfortably holding off Kenyan Patrick Makau Musyoki's (59:02) homestretch rally by three seconds. Kenyan Evans Cheruiyot was third (59:05) and Ethiopian Deriba Merga, who along with Tadese controlled much of the race's tempo, was fourth (59:16). Over the three lap, flat course on the streets of this northeastern Italian city, the first seven finishers dipped under 60 minutes, the most in one race in the same year. In addition, 8 men set national records. Kenyan won the team gold with Musyoki (runner-up) and Cheruiyot (third) leading the way. Eritrea and Ethiopia were second and third, respectively. The U.S. men did not field a team. Lornah Kiplagat's race was the story of the day as the 33-year-old Kenyan-born athlete shattered by 24 seconds the 20K road record (1:03:21 to 1:02:57), the former which she achieved with her World Road Running Championships victory in Debrecen a year ago, then speeding through the last kilometer, claimed the gold medal over the half-marathon distance in 1:06:25. That time sliced 19 seconds from the previous world record of 1:06:44 which South Africa's Elana Meyer set over eight years ago with her victory in Tokyo, although the world's fastest-ever time is Paula Radcliffe's 1:05:40 on the slightly downhill BUPA Great Run course from Newcastle to South Shields in 2003. For her outstanding efforts, the 2007 World Cross Country champion took home $80,000 ($30,000 for the win and a $50,000 world record bonus). Mary Jepkosgei Keitany of Kenya won the silver medal in 1:06:48, a national record by one second, while teammate Pamela Chepchumba was third (1:08:06). Like past world road championships, there was incredible depth with 17 lifetime bests from the top 20 female finishers, 7 national records and the fastest women's top 10 ever for the distance. With three women in the top 6, Kenya handily won the team gold medal. Ethiopia earned the silver and Japan the bronze. 2004 Olympic medalist Deena Kastor, who was 16th (1:09:38), led Team USA to 6th place. 2nd IAAF World Road Running
Championships: Half-Marathon MEN TEAM WOMEN Full results, splits and more at: www.iaaf.org/WRU07/index.html |
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Return to top / Return to main page Ondara, Makunzi Win Rock 'n' Roll Half
Marathon San Jose SAN JOSE, Calif. - (October 14, 2007) - Kenyans McDonald Ondara and Magdalene Makunzi won the second Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon San Jose on Sunday. Ondara, 23, covered the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds, while Makunzi, 24, broke the tape in 1:09:58. The men's race culminated in a sprint to the finish as Ondara, who led the majority of the race, beat the 27-year-old Tanzanian John Yuda by just two seconds. "I was sort of afraid of him," said Ondara of his closest competitor Yuda. "It was very hard to predict," Ondara added about planning his final kick. Yuda managed a smile as he clutched his ribs after the finish from an apparent side stitch. "It was a good race," Yuda said. "The course was quick." After mile three, the men's lead pack began to thin out, gradually dropping American Khalid Khannouchi. The four-time Chicago Marathon champion was clearly frustrated with his 1:05:04 time. "It was a great day for the race," Khannouchi said. "But, this is not what I expected. I thought I would run 1:03:00." Despite his criticism of today's performance, Khannouchi, 35, who used the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon as a tune-up for next month's U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon in New York City, remained optimistic about his preparation for the November 3 race. "It's in me," Khannouchi said. "I will have to go home and work on my speed. I'm running against time now." Makunzi dominated the women's race, finishing more than a minute faster than second place Megumi Oshima from Japan. "After five kilometers I pushed," said Makunzi. "I looked behind and they had dropped back. I was thinking of a time of 68:00, but I am happy with today." Makunzi's finishing time was a personal best by seven seconds. Former San Francisco 49er Roger Craig and two-time World Cup champion Brandi Chastain both completed the half-marathon in 1:40:36 and 1:43:33 respectively. The two Bay Area all-stars began the race together and laughed as they exchanged stories from the course at the finish line. "This race was great because it was home," said Chastain, 39, a native of San Jose. "The last race (half-marathon) I ran was 14 years ago, and I'm proud and excited to say that I ran faster today than I did then." Both Craig and Chastain said they plan to return to the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon next year. J.T. Service, who will also compete in the Olympic Trials with Khannouchi, was the top San Jose finisher for the second year in a row in 1:07:28. Dina Rosenthal was the first female finisher from San Jose. Both earned $500 for their efforts. The top San Francisco Bay Area finishers, also earning $500, were Scott Bauhs, 21, (1:03:04, also top U.S.) from Danville and Michelle Gallagher, 21, (1:16:37) from San Mateo. In the masters division (age 40 and over), Francis Wanderi, 41, from Santa Clara won on the men's side and the first woman was L.J. Egbert, 42, from Phoenix, Ariz., each taking home $500. 2nd Rock 'n' Roll Half
Marathon MEN WOMEN TOP MASTERS MEN TOP MASTERS WOMEN TOP SAN JOSE MEN TOP SAN JOSE WOMEN TOP BAY AREA MEN TOP BAY AREA WOMEN Complete results at: RnRsj.com Return to top / Return to main page Itati, Asiba Win Under Armour Baltimore Marathon
BALTIMORE - (October 13, 2007) - John Itati and Gladys Asiba have much in common, besides the fact that they both were winners Saturday at the seventh Under Armour Baltimore Marathon. Both are Kenyans who divide their training time between Kenya and Norristown, Pa. Both are coached by Mostafa El-Nechchadi and both are represented by agent Lisa Buster. Both until recently had been dogged by a persistent injury, sore knees for Itati and plantar fascia irritation for Asiba. They even shared a similar race strategy, hanging back over the first 13 miles past the Inner Harbor before leaving the field of 2,538 finishers in their dust over the last seven miles of the hilly tour through Charm City. Itati, the 2004 race champion and course record-holder, coasted home in 2 hours, 16 minutes, 24 seconds, a ways off his event record 2:14:51 set in 2004. His strong move in the 20th mile as he rounded beautiful Lake Montebello sealed his second Baltimore title and an $18,000 first prize. "After I broke away, I knew anything can happen and I wasn't sure who was behind so I kept looking back," said Itati, a former world class miler who said his focus now is on the marathon. "At 20 miles, I knew I was going to win." His coach El-Nechchadi was happy with Itati's performance. "We trained for this for a while, three months," said El-Nechchadi, who said Itati's knees became sore after his 2004 win here which deterred them from racing another marathon. "We put this as the main goal. His last workout last week [2000 meter repeats], he was great so I knew he would win." So far this year, Itati said, the knees have been working just fine. The closest competitor behind 33-year-old Itati was 31-year-old Kenyan Josphat Ndeti, over 3 minutes back. If the name sounds familiar, it could be that one of his brothers is three-time (1993-1995) Boston Marathon champion Cosmas Ndeti. But it was another brother who was most on Ndeti's mind during the past week and certainly throughout the marathon. He said his brother Nicholas died Tuesday of malaria and was to be buried today. Ndeti, who trains in Sante Fe, opted to race Baltimore rather than go back to Kenya for the funeral because he said his brother would have wanted him to run. "When I finished, I cried," offered Ndeti, who moved into second place for good at 22 miles and earned $8000 for his runner-up effort. Like Itati, the 30-year-old Asiba had not been racing well recently as she worked herself back into shape. But she had no problems with the plantar as she hung back through a first half 1:18, then broke up a pack of Europeans and ran an even second half to finish in 2:36:27. "It was hilly, but it was not tough for me because back in Kenya I train in the hills," said 4-foot 11, 103-pound Asiba, who placed 10th overall behind nine men although she was a minute shy of her personal best set at New York City in 2003. The $18,000 prize money will come in handy as she prepares a February wedding in Kenya. Anastasiya Padalinskaya of Belarus was the last runner Asiba shed, at 21 miles, ending in 2:37:21 and earning $8000. Defending champion 43-year-old Rima Dubovik of the Ukraine was third in 2:38:43, good for $4000. Ethiopians Girma Tola (1:04:27) and Belainesh Zemedkun (1:14:45) won their respective races in the accompanying half-marathon. 7th Under Armour Baltimore Marathon MEN Masters MEN (40+) WOMEN Masters WOMEN (40+) Full race results at: TheBaltimoreMarathon.com Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Sara Hunninghake, (212) 423.2258 | shunninghake@nyrr.org Stefano Baldini Returns to the ING New
York City Marathon 2007 NEW YORK / MILAN - (October 11, 2007) - Reigning Olympic gold medalist Stefano Baldini of Italy will add a touch of gold to an already sparkling men's professional field at the ING New York City Marathon 2007 on Sunday, November 4, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg. The announcement was made at a news conference in Milan, where Baldini appeared with the chairman of the New York Road Runners board of directors, George Hirsch. "New York boasts a glittering honor roll of Italian champions, including Orlando Pizzolato, Gianni Poli and Giacomo Leone, and we know Stefano doesn't want his golden career to end without his name being added to that list," Wittenberg said. "With him ride the hopes of a marathon-mad nation." Baldini will face off against a handful of former New York champions, including previously announced Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil (2006), Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa (2004) and Kenyans Martin Lel (2003) and Rodgers Rop (2002). Baldini, 36, a proven champion, has collected five international medals, among them the illustrious gold medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games. Baldini pulled away from American Meb Keflezighi at the end of the race to win the gold in Athens. He earned two bronze medals at the World Championships Marathon (2001 and 2003) and two gold medals at the European Championships (1998 and 2006). He holds the Italian record of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 22 seconds in the marathon, which he set at the 2006 Flora London Marathon. Baldini boasts a solid New York résumé, with two top five finishes in five previous appearances in the ING New York City Marathon. He was fifth in 2002 with his best time of 2:09:12, and third in 1997. "I am really excited to compete again in the ING New York City Marathon," Baldini said. "We all know how important it is for an Italian runner to be in the field of the most famous running event in the world. Since I did not compete in the World Championships in Osaka, I thought about an autumn marathon. I hope to be ready on November 4, and in good shape, to improve upon my sixth place finish in 2006." The ING New York City Marathon has a guaranteed prize purse of more than $600,000. The ING New York City Marathon 2007 will mark the final race in the inaugural World Marathon Majors (WMM) series. The WMM series, which also includes marathons in Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago, showcases the sport's top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1 million champion's prize. For more information, visit: INGNYCMarathon.org Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director |
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