TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

World Marathon Majors: Post-Berlin Updated Standings

Posted October 1st, 2007 at 4:05 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Gete Wami fulfilled the first part of her fall marathon mission in Berlin yesterday: winning the real,- Berlin Marathon and scoring 25 points in the World Marathon Majors. She now leads the 2006/2007 season with 65 points, setting up the final showdown with Latvian Jelena Prokopcuka when the two meet at the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4. Prokopcuka has 55 points.

“Gete ran a really strong race today, we can look forward to a spectacular finale in the ING New York City Marathon,” said Mark Milde, race director for the real,- Berlin Marathon.

Because the points breakdown for each event is 25-15-10-5-1, Prokopcuka must finish no worse than third in New York to beat Wami in the 2006/2007 series and claim the $500,000 winners check. In the case where they end up tied (Prokopcuka wins New York and Wami finishes second and they both have 80 points), Prokopcuka will be declared the winner because ties are broken by head-to-head results.
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

2:04:26 World Record for Gebrselassie in Berlin

Posted September 30th, 2007 at 2:29 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Nineteen years ago, a skinny 15 year old did what millions of country kids over the centuries have done. Haile Gebrselassie went up to the big city, to seek his fortune. He was only in Addis Ababa a couple of days, just long enough to run a marathon and struggle, half crippled from the effort, back home to his village 175 kilometres away. He would start running again a week later, when the pain subsided, and the dreams of success returned.

But even he could not have dreamed that what began with a 2hrs 48min marathon round the back streets of Addis, admittedly at altitude, would presage a career which, thus far has netted him 24 world records, the latest coming in Berlin on Sunday morning, at that same marathon distance, but his time some 44 minutes faster, in 2.04.26.
Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink

Berlin Marathon 2007:
Haile Sets WR; Wami Wins

Posted September 30th, 2007 at 9:15 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Running in near ideal conditions, Haile Gebrselassie shattered the World record in the marathon, clocking 2:04:26 at the real,-Berlin Marathon today.

Defending his Berlin title, the 34-year-old Ethiopian knocked 29 seconds from the preview record, 2:04:55, set by Kenyan Paul Tergat over the same course in 2003.

Gebrselassie, who had previously broken 23 world records or bests over his career, reached the half way point in 1:02:29.

Kenyans took the next three spots, with Abel Kirui second in 2:06:51, Salim Kipsang (2:07:29) third and Philip Manyim, the 2005 Berlin winner, fourth (2:08:01).

Gete Wami defended her women’s title, winning in 2:23:17, well ahead of Germany’s marathon debutant Irina Mikitenko, who took second in 2:24:49.

Look for additional details later today.

Comment on this post | Permalink

Live Marathon Coverage This Weekend

Posted September 29th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

There will be live video coverage on the Internet this weekend of two prominent marathons, both on Sunday.

First up will be the real,- Berlin Marathon which will be available by subscription at WCSN. The cost is USD $4.95 or, if you purchase an annual subscription of $49.95, it will be covered under that plan for no additional charge. The coverage begins at 8:45 a.m. CET (2:45 a.m. EDT or 11:45 p.m. Saturday night PDT). To sign-up for coverage go to the WCSN products page. You will need a high speed Internet connection to watch the race.

Next up will be the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Live coverage begins at 7:00 a.m. EDT (1:00 p.m. CET) at CBC Sports. There is no charge for the webcast. You can find start lists and other race info at the Toronto Waterfornt Marathon website. Again, a high speed internet connection is needed.

Stayed tuned to The Final Sprint for live and continuous race coverage and analysis of the real,-Berlin Marathon. Live coverage by TFS can be found on www.berlin.thefinalsprint.com and is sponsored by Ultima Replenisher, the balanced electrolyte drink.

Comment on this post | Permalink

Wami’s Daring Marathon Double Begins in Berlin on Sunday

Posted September 27th, 2007 at 1:44 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Most performers in elite sport will say that they would compete even if they weren’t paid. On the other hand, while rewards can often seem obscene, eg the $200,000+ per week that many English Premier League footballers earn nowadays, or three times the average YEARLY wage in the UK, few would deny them that opportunity to earn those sums, if that’s the going rate. But, what to make of those athletes who chase the money to the detriment of their career achievements?

Speaking of which, half a million dollars is the sum that Gete Wami has in her sights, the prize for winning the first edition of the World Marathon Majors series. But to ensure the victory, and the prize, Wami has to run in both the real_Berlin Marathon this Sunday, and the New York Marathon in five weeks’ time. And she would have to win both, in order to ensure displacing points leader, Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, who also runs New York. That is a tall order, even for an Ethiopian distance runner, despite Wami’s considerable kudos as a former Olympic 10,000m and world cross country champion.

In Berlin yesterday, Wami and her husband and coach, Getaneh Tessema were both playing down the dual challenge. “I can only start to think of New York when I finish the race here in Berlin on Sunday,” said the 32-year-old defending champion. “Whether I run New York will depend on what happens here.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Berlin Marathon To Undertake Major Meteorological Study

Posted September 25th, 2007 at 5:10 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Marathons

This year the Institute of Meteorology of the Free University Berlin, the society Berliner Wetterkarte e.V. and three grammar schools in Berlin will be recording the meteorological conditions along the route of the real,- BERLIN - MARATHON for the first time.

Five mobile measuring instruments, which have been purchased in the course of a project sponsored by the Robert-Bosch-foundation to establish cooperation between schools and research centres, will record the meteorological conditions during the run.

On Sunday, 30th September 2007, 5 groups of students will measure temperature, relative humidity and wind speed at selected points every ten minutes from 8am till 3pm. In addition they will record the weather conditions and pass on all collected data.

These measurements will be supplemented by data from the Berlin Stadtmessnetz of the Institute of Meteorology. Moreover, meteorologists of the society Berliner Wetterkarte e.V. will provide current analyses as well as forecasts of the weather (see www.berliner-wetterkarte.de).
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

World Marathon Majors To Conclude Inaugural Series With Three Fall Races

Posted September 10th, 2007 at 12:30 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

With the conclusion of last week’s IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, three races remain in the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series: the real,- Berlin Marathon on September 30; The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 7; and the ING New York City Marathon on November 4.

Jelena Prokopcuka, of Latvia, leads the women’s series with 55 points, followed by Gete Wami, of Ethiopia, and Zhou Chunxiu, of China, both of whom have 40 points. Chunxiu moved into a tie for second place in the standings with her runner-up performance at last Sunday’s marathon in Osaka.

Other top marathoners who can conceivably tie or win the 2006-2007 women’s series are Rita Jeptoo and Catherine Ndereba, both of Kenya, and both with 35 points, and Berhane Adere, of Ethiopia, with 30 points. With the conclusion of the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, the fall World Marathon Majors races are expected to begin announcing their professional athlete fields, and the head-to-head match-ups which may decide the Series winner.

Among the men, Robert Cheruiyot, of Kenya, has a seemingly insurmountable lead. Cheruiyot has won three races during the two year period, and he heads into the fall with 75 points (35 points ahead of his nearest threat). For Cheruiyot to be overtaken, one of the other marathoners among the top seven on the leaderboard likely would have to win two of the remaining fall marathons.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink