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

Newcomer Leads Kenyan Sweep in Frankfurt

Posted October 26th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Kenyan men swept the top ten places at today’s Dresdener Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon, led by a newcomer with a familiar, but slightly different, name.

On his first trip outside of Kenya and running in his first marathon, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot smashed Wilfred Kigen’s one year-old course record clocking 2:07:21. Cheuiyot, whose name is remarkably similar to four-time Boston Marathon Champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, is only 20 years-old.

“But we are not related,” said Cheruiyot immediately after the race.

Elite athletes coordinator Christoph Kopp said the Cheruiyot had purchased his own air ticket and that the race would reimburse him if he broke 2:14. Even if they didn’t, Cheruiyot would have cash to spare because his performance was worth 50,000 Euros.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Rop to Run Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon

Posted October 19th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Rodgers Rop, who won both the Boston and ING New York City Marathons in 2002, will run the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon on Oct. 26, organizers said last Tuesday. It will be the 27th edition of German’s second most important marathon after Berlin.

Rop has a personal best of 2:07:32 set in Hamburg in 2007, and has also run 2:07:34 in London in 2006. He is best known for winning the ING New York City Marathon in 2002 when he ran 2:08:07 to beat compatriots Christopher Cheboiboch and Laban Kipkemboi after a spirited battle which went right to the final kilometer of the race. Rop also won Boston earlier that year in 2:09:02. Amongst men, only Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar and Joseph Chebet have won Boston and New York in the same year.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Cheruiyot, Wami Lead Galaxy of Stars at World Marathon Majors Races This Month

Posted April 1st, 2008 at 10:49 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

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.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Cheruiyot Leads Strong Kenyan Contingent for Boston Marathon

Posted February 28th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Of the last 17 editions of the Boston Marathon Kenyan men have won all but two, and defending champion and course record holder Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot has nabbed three of those titles. According to an announcement by John Hancock Financial yesterday, Cheruiyot could be headed for a fourth Boston crown, keeping Kenyan dominance alive at America’s oldest, still-contested marathon, founded in 1897.

Cheruiyot, the 2006/2007 World Marathon Majors champion who rebounded from extreme poverty and homelessness to become one of the world’s finest athletes, first won in Boston in 2003. He had since come back to win twice more in 2006 –when he broke Cosmas Ndeti’s 1994 course record– and again last year when he had to contend with sheets of blowing rain as a Nor’easter pounded Boston.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Kenyan Athletes Trying to Cope With Unrest

Posted January 5th, 2008 at 2:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

While the horrifying death of Kenyan Olympian Lucas Sang and the wounding of world marathon champion Luke Kibet have made headlines, much of the information coming out of Kenya from the athletics community is that most athletes remain safe, but training and travel has been curtailed due to the obvious dangers.

Agent Lisa Buster reports that world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba and her husband Anthony Maina are safe, but housebound in Nairobi. Road runner Linus Maiyo, who lives in Eldoret, is unable to train and is staying indoors.

Tom Ratcliffe, who manages marathoners Stephen Kiogora, Evans Rutto and Ben Maiyo says that his athletes are fine, but hesitant to go out for training. “Most guys are staying in their home areas, as they want to stay close to their families and do not want to travel,” he wrote in an e-mail message.
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Thrilling Finishes & Record- Breaking Performances Help World Marathon Majors Usher in Brand New Era

Posted December 12th, 2007 at 12:15 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Marathons

World, national and course records, thrilling finishes, more than 300,000 participants, and a championship race that went down to the final day highlighted the inaugural 2006-2007 World Marathon Majors Series, and ushered in a brand new era of growth and excitement in the sport.

After a six month break, the excitement will continue at the 2008 Flora London Marathon on April 13, followed eight days later by the 112th Boston Marathon on April 21.

Here is a look back at some of the many highlights from the 2006-2007 World Marathon Majors Series:

Record Breakers:

* 2006: Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) sets a course record of 2:07:14 at the 110th Boston Marathon.
* Deena Kastor (USA) sets a new American record of 2:19:36 in winning the 2006 Flora London Marathon, becoming the eighth woman to break 2:20:00.
* Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie (2:05:56) and Gete Wami (2:21:34) each set national records in victory at the 2006 real,-BERLIN-MARATHON.
* Gebrselassie sets a new world record of 2:04:26 at the 2007 real,-BERLIN-MARATHON.
Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments, add yours | Permalink

New York City Marathon 07:
Elite Men’s Preview

Posted November 1st, 2007 at 2:15 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The men’s race at the 2007 ING New York Marathon will be a battle between several major marathon champions hoping to emerge triumphant in the Big Apple. The competitors will traverse a course with three major hills and overall rolling terrain in front of one of the largest spectator groups in sports. The weather for the event is supposed to be cool and dry, further adding to the possibility of another classic New York finish.

Leading the way on the men’s side will be 2006 New York champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos (BRA), who won last year’s race with a tactically brilliant move in the 18th mile. None of the better known competitors covered Santos’ surge, choosing to wait until later to reel him in. This never happened and Santos ran unchallenged to the finish, winning in 2:09:58.
Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments, add yours | Permalink

Inaugural World Marathon Majors Series to Conclude at ING New York City Marathon

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Nearly two years have passed since organizers of the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City marathons announced the formation of the World Marathon Majors (WMM), and 10 events, including the IAAF World Championships, have been run since the WMM Series was launched at the 2006 Boston Marathon. Just one race – the 2007 ING New York City Marathon – remains before the inaugural WMM Series champions will be presented with their share of the $1 million jackpot at a special luncheon on November 5.

Remarkably, after 10 events – and 262 miles of racing – the women’s WMM Series champion has yet to be decided. Of the 32 women who have earned WMM points, just two remain in contention for the title: Gete Wami (ETH) and Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT). With $500,000 at stake, in addition to the ING New York City Marathon prize purse, the two women will race head-to-head through the streets of New York. A win for either would clinch the title, but anything less than victory opens up an intriguing number of potential results.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

New York Adds Firepower to Men’s Marathon Field

Posted September 12th, 2007 at 10:55 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Reigning ING New York City Marathon champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil will have to overcome the challenges of four more marquee men if he wants to retain his title on Nov. 4. Race founders and organizers, New York Road Runners, have added significantly more firepower to their field with the announcement that Martin Lel, Rodgers Rop, Stephen Kiogora, and Abderrahim Goumri have been added to their field.

“What a stellar nucleus to our men’s field: four former champions and the reigning gold and silver medalists from New York and London,” said race director Mary Wittenberg, the president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “Each man is good enough to win here in 2007.”

Lel, who sits in second position in the 2006/2007 World Marathon Majors leaderboard with 40 points, already has an ING New York City Marathon title under his belt from 2003, and has won the Flora London Marathon twice, in 2005 and 2007. Injuries kept him out of New York the last two years, but his 2:07:41 clocking in London last April where he won in a thrilling sprint finish demonstrated that the 28 year-old Kenyan should be ready to challenge for another NYC title.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Former champions Martin Lel and Rodgers Rop return to ING NYC Marathon

Posted September 11th, 2007 at 3:54 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Former ING New York City Marathon champions Martin Lel and Rodgers Rop, both of Kenya, will return to the scene of their biggest career victories at the 38th running of the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg.

Joining 2003 champion Lel and the 2002 winner Rop in the field will be last year’s New York silver medalist Stephen Kiogora of Kenya and Morocco’s Abderrahim Goumri, who was second at the Flora London Marathon in April.

This quartet joins a championships men’s field already headlined by the previously announced defending champion, Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, and 2004 champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa.

“What a stellar nucleus to our men’s field: four former champions and the reigning gold and silver medalists from New York and London,” said Wittenberg. “Each man is good enough to win here in 2007.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink