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Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

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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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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Germany’s Irina Mikitenko Earns Upset Victory at 2008 Flora London Marathon

Posted April 13th, 2008 at 6:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

Germany’s Irina Mikitenko, who had a previous personal best time of 2:24:51, has defeated pre-race favorties Gete Wami and Berhane Adere to win the 2008 Flora London Marathon!

In what is her first major, international marathon victory, Mikitenko earned the victory and followed in the tradition of fellow German Uta Peppig in a time of 2:24:14.

Svetlana Zhakarova was the runner up (2:24:39) and Ethiopia’s Gete Wami, who had taken a serious fall and hurt her hip earlier in the race, finished third in 2:25:35. Selina Kosgei, Ludmila Petrova, Souad Ait Salem, Berhane Adere, Constantina Tomescu-Dita and Liz Yelling
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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.
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2008 Previews & Predictions: Women’s Marathon

Posted January 24th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

The marathon promises to be one of the marquee events in women’s track and field in 2008. Among the highlights will be an epic showdown in London, a thrilling U.S. Olympic Trials, and Paula Radcliffe’s last chance at Olympic glory in Beijing. These and a few other huge races should provide many memorable moments and will define many careers. I will again try to make predictions based on as much hearsay, personal bias, and circumstantial data as I can gather.

The first big event on the 2008 women’s marathon calendar is the Flora London Marathon, which will be held on April 13. This race feature’s several of the world’s top female marathoners including World Record holder Radcliffe, World Marathon Majors Champ Gete Wami, Dubai Marathon champ Berhane Adere, Svetlana Zakharova, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, and Benita Johnson.
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It’s Official: Paula Radcliffe to Return to London Marathon

Posted January 15th, 2008 at 11:04 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Any doubts that Paula Radcliffe might skip the spring marathon season were laid to rest today when Flora London Marathon race director, Dave Bedford, announced that the world record holder would try for her third London title on Sunday, April 13.

“We are delighted to have Paula back in London and pleased that she has decided to race here again against such a strong field,” Bedford said through a media release.

Radcliffe, who turned 34 last month, previously won London in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Should she prevail again this year she would tie Norway’s Ingrid Kristiansen with four titles, the most by any man or woman at London. Radcliffe set the absolute world record in a mixed-gender race in 2003 when she ran a jaw-dropping 2:15:25 with the aid of male pacers. She also set the world record for an all-women’s race in London in 2002 in her marathon debut, clocking a solo 2:18:56. Radcliffe is coming off of a thrilling victory at the ING New York City Marathon last November where she won a pitched battle with Ethiopia’s Gete Wami.
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Kigen Looking for Third Win at Frankfurt Marathon

Posted October 26th, 2007 at 11:15 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The sheriff will be back in Frankfurt on Sunday as course record-holder Wilfred Kigen goes for his third straight victory in the German capital at the Dresdner Kleinwort Frankfurt Marathon.

Kigen, a 32 year-old Kenyan from Great Rift Valley city of Eldoret, got his first victory in Frankfurt in 2005, running a then-personal best and current course record of 2:08:29. That victory was a squeaker; he prevailed by just one second over compatriot Jason Mbote. Although he didn’t run as fast last year due to warm and windy conditions, he dominated the race, winning by nearly a minute and a half in 2:09:06.

At Kigen’s last outing over the 42.195 km distance in Hamburg last April, he was involved in another thrilling finish, losing by a single second to former ING New York City Marathon champion, Rodgers Rop. He was, however, rewarded with a new personal best time of 2:07:33.
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On the Road & Around the Track: TFS News Briefs 9/12/07

Posted September 12th, 2007 at 1:30 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, TFS News Briefs

X-C: 3rd Ranked Iona College Wins Stony Brook Invitational
The Iona College men’s cross-country team, ranked 3rd in the USTFCCCA Cross-Country polls behind Wisconsin and Colorado, won the Stony Brook Invitaional. Iona’s men placed 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th and 11th for a total score of 32 points, nearly half of the 70 points scored by second place finisher Quinnipiac. All five men averaged under 5:00 per mile for the 6K course.Read more at: [NCAA]

No Showdown Between Gay and Powell
Tyson Gay has pulled out of the Memorial Van Damme meet in Brussels, Belgium this coming Friday. It was to be a showdown between the world champion and the world record holder. Read more at: [BBC Sport | Athletics]
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