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London Marathon Lines Up Superb Men’s Field
Posted November 25th, 2008 at 9:28 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Race director Dave Bedford completed his holiday shopping early, opening his checkbook wide to purchase a superb men’s field for next April’s Flora London Marathon.
Not only has he brought back the top four finishers from his own event, but five of the top six finishers from the Beijing Olympic Marathon, including all of the medalists. Eight men in the field have broken the 2:07 barrier, and previous champions from the marathons in Chicago, London, New York, Paris, Rotterdam and Tokyo are all in the field.
“With 11 men who have run faster than 2:08 this is probably the highest quality field we’ve ever assembled for the men’s race,” Bedford said through a media release.
At the top of the heap are Kenya’s two best marathoners, 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors champion Martin Lel, and Olympic gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru.
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Could Seven be Njenga’s Lucky Number at Chicago?
Posted October 11th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Daniel Njenga is one of the most successful athletes in the 31-year history of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The gentle Kenyan has given the best years of his career to the race, running it six consecutive times and never failing to make the podium. He’s been second three times, third three times, has broken 2:08 five times, and set his 2:06:16 personal best here in 2002.
But victory here has stubbornly eluded him, and after last year’s race where he finished third he openly wept in the post-race press conference. In the final stages of the race, he was dropped by Patrick Ivuti and Jaouad Gharib, and Ivuti went on to narrowly defeat Gharib in a wild sprint finish. Njenga was crushed.
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Lel Takes London Record in History-Making Race
Posted April 14th, 2008 at 10:20 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Like a bull at a rodeo, the men’s field at the 28th Flora London Marathon bolted out of the gate with reckless abandon. The athletes who were strong enough to hang on were rewarded with personal and national records, while others were thrown to the street, their hopes of victory incinerated by the fast pace.
But when the dust had settled at the grand finish line on The Mall, race director David Bedford’s bold experiment in aggressive pacemaking yielded –by several measures– the fastest men’s marathon of all-time, with three men cracking 2:06:00, and six men breaking 2:07:00, for the first time ever in a single race. Those times came after a breathtaking 62:12 first half which left some of the world’s best marathoners well off the pace.
“It was crazy,” said last year’s runner-up, Abderrahim Goumri, of the 14:21 (downhill) first 5-K.
But the fast pace, coupled with a cold and drenching rain which fell from the 18th through the 23rd miles, did little to knock defending champion Martin Lel (Pictured above) off of his game.
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Ryan Hall Takes Fifth at 2008 Flora London Marathon
Posted April 14th, 2008 at 5:46 AM by Martin Kennedy
Section: News & Results, Marathons
U.S. marathon phenom Ryan Hall (Big Bear Lake, Calif.) on Sunday ran 2:06:17 to finish fifth at the Flora London Marathon, the opening race of the 2008 World Marathon Majors series. Martin Lel (KEN) successfully defended his title running a new course record of 2:05:15, American Khalid Khannouchi’s mark by 23 seconds.
Hall’s time makes him the second fastest American all-time for the marathon behind Khannouchi.
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2008 London Marathoners Assault Alltime List
Posted April 13th, 2008 at 7:36 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Marathons
The 2008 Flora London Marathon produced 5 of the 22 fastest marathon times of all time, including the 5th, 6th and 7th fastest of all time (Martin Lel’s 2:05:15, Samuel Wanjiru’s 2:05:24 and Abderrahim Goumri’s 2:05:30). Not too far back were Emmanuel Mutai and Ryan Hall with the 17th and 23rd fastest times of all time, Mutai running a 2:06:15 and Hall just two seconds back in 2:06:17. Hall’s performance makes him the 2nd fastest American of all time, only 38 seconds behind Khalid Khannouchi’s 2:05:38 and the fastest American born marathoner of all time. Hall also became the 3rd fastest non-African marathoner of all time, behind only Brazil’s Ronaldo da Costa (2:06:05) and Japan’s Toshinari Takaoka’s (2:06:16). Hall also becomes the 17th fastest marathoner of all time. Here are the top marathers off all time:
01. 2:04:26 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Berlin, 09/30/2007
02. 2:04:53 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Dubai, 01/18/2008
03. 2:04:55 Paul Tergat (KEN) Berlin, 09/28/2003
04. 2:04:56 Sammy Korir (KEN) Berlin, 09/28/2003
05. 2:05:15 Martin Lel (KEN) London, 04/13/2008
06. 2:05:24 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) London, 04/13/2008
07. 2:05:30 Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) London, 04/13/2008
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Kenya’s Lel Smashes Flora London Marathon Course Record
Posted April 13th, 2008 at 7:05 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage
Kenya’s Martin Lel defended his title and smashed Khalid Khannouchi’s Flora London Marathon course record here today, clocking 2:05:15, a personal best. His compatriot, Samuel Wanjiru, stayed with Lel until the final turns before the finish, but was out-sprinted in the last 400m by the World Marathon Majors points leader. He finished second in 2:05:21, also a personal best. Abderrahim Goumri, last year’s runner-up, finished third in a Moroccan record 2:05:30.
American Ryan Hall, who fell back in the middle stages of the race after the blistering 62:12 first half began to take its toll, rebounded in the second half to finish fifth in 2:06:16 (unofficial), becoming the second-fastest American of all-time behind Khannouchi. Kenyan Emmanual Mutai held off Hall in the final sprint to take fifth in 2:06:14 (unofficial). With Deribe Merga taking sixth in 2:06:39 (unofficial), six men broke 2:07, the first time that has ever happened in marathon running.
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Martin Lel Earns Third London Marathon Title; Ryan Hall Sets PR & Finishes 5th
Posted April 13th, 2008 at 7:00 AM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage
Martin Lel has earned his third Flora London Marathon championship; finishing in 2:05:15. Lel was followed by fellow Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru (2:05:25) and Abderrahim Goumri (2:05:31); marking the first time in history that three runners finished under 2:06.
Lel’s time set a new London Marathon course record; breaking the previous record set by American Khalid Khannouchi.
Although the elite men had been on pace for a new world record, they began to fall off their blistering pace just pass the half-way mark. This early, and almost a historical pace, caused a large divide between the top six finishers and the next large pack of leaders that included Kenya’s Felix Limo.
Ryan Hall, who 2004 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Stefano Baldini dubbed the future of the sport, set another PR with a time of 2:06:17 and finished in fifth place. Hall came in just one second behind fourth place finisher Emmanuel Mutai of Kenya.
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Gebrselassie Hoping for Perfect Race in Dubai
Posted January 16th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Setting a world record is never easy, but it’s particularly difficult in the marathon. Not only must an athlete spend three to four injury-free months training for a single competitive effort, he must have near-perfect conditions: a flat course, excellent pacemaking, ideal weather, and a well-marked and measured course. A little luck doesn’t hurt, either.
Heading into Friday’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon,
Haile Gebrselassie is hoping that all of these factors will line up in his favor so he can break his own world standard of 2:04:26 set in Berlin last September. In short, he’s looking for the perfect race.
“The top priority is not the money,” Gebrselassie said referring to the $1 million bonus for a new world record race organizers have on offer. “It’s the race. But the marathon is not an easy event, you cannot predict. Everything is perfect, I hope it will be more perfect for the race.”
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Hall puts on stunning display, Wins Olympic Trials in men’s marathon
Posted November 3rd, 2007 at 3:27 PM by Jeanie Rebb
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics
All the chatter about the resurgence of American distance running came to fruition in powerful fashion Saturday, with Ryan Hall leading Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell onto the 2008 Olympic Team. Competing at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon in Central Park, Hall tamed what had been thought of as a slow and very difficult course, breaking the Olympic Trials record with his winning time of 2:09:02. Ritzenhein was second in a personal-best time of 2:11:06, with Sell third in 2:11:40.
A 25-year-old Californian, Hall has been looked to as a future star since he was a national cross country champion in high school, and in 2007 he broke the American record in the half-marathon (59:43) and posted the fastest American debut marathon in history in placing eighth at the Flora London Marathon (2:08:24).
But Hall on Saturday served notice to the world that he is not just a star of American distance running, he has the capacity to be a major player on the global scene. After leisurely opening miles in which the main pack came through 2 miles in 11:00, the pack finally caught up with earlier leader Michael Wardian at 7 miles, after a 5:19 mile split. From that point on, however, the hammer was down, and Hall made it look frighteningly easy.
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Olympic Marathon Trials ‘07:
The Race Has Begun!
Posted November 3rd, 2007 at 7:35 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results
The U.S. Olympic Trials Men’s Marathon has begun! The weather at race time:
46°F
Cloudy
Wind: NE at 12 mph
Humidity: 61%
Event Coverage Sponsored By:
Camelbak - the originator and leader in hands-free hydration.To learn more Camelbak Elixir, their effective, easy-to-use and portable electrolyte beverage, as well as Camelbak’s running specific hydration systems, please visit www.camelbak.com.
Who had the more impressive Boston Marathon debut?
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- Kenyans Sweep; Khannouchi Frustrated at Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Jose
Kenyans McDonald Ondara and Magdalene Makunzi won the second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Jose on Sunday. Ondara, 23, covered the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds. Makunzi, 24, broke the tape in 1:09:58.
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Oregon Men and Women Sweep Hodges X-C Invitational
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- Khannouchi set to lead Meb-less American bid at
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2008 Boston Marathon Registration to Open on Wednesday, Sept. 5th
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On June 9, 2009
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