My colleague Jeré Longman has written a lenghty piece published in today’s NEW YORK TIMES on how the post-election violence in Kenya has impacted runners there.
The story, written in Eldoret, focuses on world marathon champion Luke Kibet, but also mentions and interviews athletes and officials at many levels, including Catherine Ndereba, Wesley Ngetich, Lucas Sang, David Okeyo, Moses Kiptanui and many others. Photos accompany the story.
You can read the story at this link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/sports/othersports/13runners.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
The BUPA Great Manchester Run boasts the fastest 10-K course in Great Britain and organizers have assembled a top-flight field of athletes to take advantage of it. Elite athletes manager Andy Caine has invited world marathon champion, Luke Kibet of Kenya; seven-time European cross country champion, Sergey Lebid of Ukraine; and former European 10,000m champion, Chema Martinez of Spain, to lead the men’s field.
The women’s field is just as strong, featuring three-time European Cup medalist and defending champion Jo Pavey of Great Britain; two-time world marathon champion, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya; two-time Olympic gold medalist Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia; and road running ace Anikó Kálovics of Hungary, who finished second in Manchester last year.
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Organizers of the BUPA Great Manchester Run on May 18 announced today that reigning world marathon champions Luke Kibet and Catherine Ndereba (Pictured) will headline their fields.
The two Kenyans earned their world titles in the steamy conditions of Osaka last August. Kibet overwhelmed the men’s field by one minute and 19 seconds, while Ndereba had to beat back a formidable challenge from China’s Zhou Chunxiu in the final kilometers to win by a much narrower eight seconds.
Most recently, Kibet raced the Flora London Marathon, finishing 11th. His training was curtailed by the post-election violence in Kenya where he was assaulted, sustaining a head wound from a thrown rock. Ndereba did not run a spring marathon, but has run several road races. She won the Scotia Bank Semi-Marathon de Montreal on April 20 and was most recently second at the Lilac Bloomsday 12-K in Spokane, Wash., last Sunday.
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Three-time Flora London Marathon champion Martin Lel (Pictured) and reigning world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba will head a strong Kenyan Olympic squad announced by Athletics Kenya today.
Lel, who took down the London course record with his career best 2:05:15 10 days ago, will be joined by Robert Cheruiyot and Sammy Wanjiru.
Cheruiyot, 33, cruised to his fourth Boston Marathon victory on Monday while Wanjiru, 21, the world record holder for the half-marathon at 58:33, finished second behind Lel in London last week in 2:05:24, also a career best.
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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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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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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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Even with the upcoming Beijing Olympics, the Flora London Marathon stands out as the most competitive distance race of the year. The 2008 edition features a mixture of accomplished marathon veterans and talented newcomers, all vying for spots on the prestigious London podium.
Leading the way will be defending London and New York champ Martin Lel. Lel won both of his titles last year in sprint finishes over Abderrahim Goumri, who will also be back for more. Lel’s London buildup has gone well, as he moved his camp to Namibia to train with 2007 Boston champ Robert Cheruiyot and avoid the recent violence in Kenya. He should once again be the favorite, although Goumri’s track pedigree (12:50 for 5k) will give him a chance if it again comes down to the last quarter mile.
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The new era in long distance running continues with a galaxy of the sport’s brightest stars back in action this month as the World Marathon Majors series resumes at the Flora London Marathon and the 112th running of the Boston Marathon.
More than $850,000 in prize money, prestige and all important points in the race to crown the 2007-2008 WMM champions will be on the line in the British capital on Sunday, April 13 followed eight days later at the celebrated Hopkinton to Boston course on Monday, April 21.
Reigning women’s WMM champion Gete Wami of Ethopia leads the field in London while the WMM men’s champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya tops the field in Boston.
In London, United States sensation Ryan Hall makes his first start since winning the US Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon race last fall in New York. It will be his second consecutive appearance in London, following his breakthrough seventh place finish last year in his 26.2-mile debut.
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Peter Gilmore [MarathonGuide.com] of San Mateo, CA started his year and preparation for April’s Flora London Marathon with a victory at the Surf City USA Half Marathon on Sunday.
Gilmore edged Russia’s Dmitry Safronov by 11 seconds and set a new course record despite the poor weather conditions with a time of 1:03:53.
Although the race was largely a tune-up for London, Gilmore’s record-setting time and first place finish were welcome successes after being forced to drop out of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials last November due to illness.
With a win and successful 2008 debut under his belt, Gilmore now faces the arduous task of going up against an extremely competitive elite men’s field in London that includes reigning World and Olympic marathon champions Luke Kibet and Stefano Baldini, former world marathon record holder Paul Tergat, defending London and 2005 champion Martin Lel, world half-marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru, former double World Champion Jaouad Gharib, and fellow Americans Ryan Hall and Olympic silver medalistMeb Keflezighi.
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The below video includes a collection of key moments from the 2007 IAAF Track & Field World Championships from Osaka, Japan. Featuring winning performances by: Luke Kibet, Reese Hoffa, Tirunesh Dibaba, Jefferson Perez, Valerie Vili, Tyson Gay, Ivan Tsikhan, Yekaterina Volkova, Nelson Evora, Kenenisa Bekele, Team USA, Meseret Defar, Veronica Campbell, Bernard Lagat, Jeremy Wariner, […]
In miserable conditions at race end (88°F, 70% humidity), the men’s marathon of the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics became a struggle to see who could outlast Mother Nature. In the end, 24 year-old Kenyan Luke Kibet, a prison guard with a PB of 2:08:52, had the right hydration formula to win the […]
By 31K, it was a 3 man race. Luke Kibet (KEN), William Kiplagat (KEN) and Mubarak Hassan Shami (QAT) were the leaders. It was a Kenyan-dominated race, with Shami having been born there before immigrating to Qatar.
Kibet was a surprise leader with a PB of only 2:08:52. He broke away from […]
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