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On 31 December the St Catherine Marathon
(more) was
held on a lap course at the foot of Mount Sinai. On the same
day, in the 86th edition of the classic Sao Silvestre
15km
(more)
in Sao Paulo Alice Timbili set a new course record of 50:19
while Marilson dos Santos took his third victory on the
first occasion he has competed since 2005.
On 1 January, at the stroke of midnight, the Neujahrsmarathon (more) was started in Zurich, won by Dirk Joos and Astrid Meuller-Amstad. At almost the same time the Xiamen International Marathon (more) was run in China with Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba setting a world-leading time of 2:08:07. Women's winner Amane Gobena's time presents a less impressive initial posting of 2:31:49.
On 26 December the Semi Marathon Int'l De Laayoune
(more), was
run in Morocco.
21 December: Following his original retirement from
running announced after the New York Marathon in November,
Haile Gebrselassie has agreed to run a unique half marathon
chase race in Vienna on 17 April 2011.
Running the marathon in Vienna was no option since Haile Gebrselassie had already agreed to compete in Tokyo on 27 February and the budget would not have been big enough for such a signing. Organisers looked for alternatives, and created a special race for Gebrselassie: "Catch me, if you can". The 37 year-old will not only run the half marathon but will also chase the elite marathon runners, who will run on the same course and get a head start. The time difference between the two starts will be determined nearer to the event. “We were able to convince Haile of our city, our race and our plans,” said race director Wolfgang Konrad.
“I look forward to running in Vienna” said Gebrselassie, who will celebrate his 38th birthday in Vienna on the day after the event. The world marathon record holder (2:03:59 in Berlin 2008) said that he would prepare seriously and “as usual I will give my best”. “It was probably our last chance to bring Haile to the Vienna City Marathon and give our spectators the opportunity to see the world’s greatest long distance runner in action,” said Konrad. “I am sure he will get a great reception”
Gebrselassie won two Olympic golds in the 10,000m (1996 and 2000)
and was world champion at this distance four times in a row (1993,
’95, ’97 and ’99). He was world half marathon champion in 2001 and
established 20 official plus 7 unofficial world records. He has won
9 of his 13 marathon races so far.
The Vienna City Marathon is Austria’s biggest one day sports event. In 2010 a total of 32,940 runners from 108 nations entered the race. Online entry for the 2011 race is available at:
www.vienna-marathon.com
The marathon is the main event but other races are staged parallel, including the half marathon in which Gebrselassie will compete.
13 December: Organisers of the Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon have received a record number of half marathon
entries in the month since entries opened on 1 November. To date
7046 places have been taken, and with the cut off confirmed at
11500, there is every indication that this target will be
reached by early January. At the same time last year only 2 102
entries for the 2010 event had been received, and entries had to
close in February, earlier than the normal entry closing date.
The closing date for entries for next year’s event is 16 March
2011, or earlier if the cut off is reached - as will almost
certainly be the case. Entries for the 56km ultra marathon are
coming in a little slower although in comparison to this time
last year they have doubled, from 566 to 1014. A total of 366
international entries have been received Race director Rowyn
James said: “We have a total of 8060 entries and there’s every
indication that we will see a record field line up on Saturday
23 April next year. Last year at this time we only had 2668
entries.”
Those runners wanting to take part in the half marathon next year are urged to enter as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Enter online at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za. Runners taking part in the ultra event will need to qualify with a marathon time before they can enter. Donations to Bobs for Good, the official charity for the event, currently stand at R66 742, almost R23 000 up on the same time last year.
On 12 December the Powerade Monterrey Marathon
(more)
took place in Mexico, won by Omar Luna in 2:27:55 and Dulce Maria Banuelos in 2:51:06.
12 December -- The Boston Athletic Association (BAA)
which organizes the Boston Marathon, has announced a
major "expansion in leadership" writes David Monti for Race
Results Weekly. BAA Executive Director and AIMS Board
member, Guy Morse will take on the new title of senior
director of external affairs. Morse has been with the BAA
since 1985 and held the executive director position since
2000, and during that time the number of entrants at the
Boston Marathon has swelled from 17,813 to 26,776. Morse
also secured long-term corporate sponsorship agreements from
John Hancock and adidas for the Boston Marathon.
Thomas Grilk, 63, President of the BAA Board of Governors since 2003, will replace Morse on 1 January. "This is the perfect time for me to take a new role for the BAA," said Morse through a media release. "After having rebounded from health-related issues a couple of years ago, my enthusiasm and belief in our mission is as strong as ever. The expansion in leadership "enables the BAA to retain Morse's experience and relationships while transferring the responsibility of the Association's daily management to Grilk," said the organization's media liaison Jack Fleming. Grilk, a longtime corporate attorney, has been a member of the BAA since 1987.
The Boston Athletic Association is a not-for-profit organization with an operating budget of $9 million. In addition to the Boston Marathon, the BAA produces the BAA Invitational Mile, BAA 5K (4329 finishers), BAA Half-Marathon (4498 finishers), and the Boston Mayor's Cup Cross Country.
The 10th edition of the Pharaonic 100km
(more)
took place on 26 November, starting at
the Sakkara Pyramids outside of Cairo and running south
to the pyramid at El Faiyoum. The same day the
20th Malta Challenge Marathon
(more) began
its 3-day programme with an evening race of 11.195km,
followed by daily stages of 6km and 25km.
On 28 November a busy day's programme started
with the 35th Nikkan Sports Lake Kawaguchi
Marathon
(more)
in Japan and the Unicef Hong Kong
Charity Half Marathon
(more). Next up was the
Hyderabad Half Marathon
(more) in
India before action moved to Europe with the
Cyprus Aphrodite Half Marathon
(more).
In the Firenze Marathon
(more)
in Italy, Toelsa Tadese and Teshome Gelana,
finishing in that order, both ran 2:12:41 while Firewot
Dado won the women's race in 2:28:58, by a two-minute
margin. The 20th Marathon de La Rochelle -Serge Vigot
(more) was run in the French Atlantic port and,
further around the coast of the Bay of Biscay, the
Marathon Donostia - San Sebastian
(more).
Further south, the Semi Marathon International
Laayoune was postponed until 26 December.
Action then moved to the other side of the Atlantic with
the 10km Rio Pan American
(more)
race in Brazil.
AIMS CHILDREN´S SERIES 2010
The course, around the oldest Church in Latin America (founded
by Franciscan Monks in 1609) was difficult because of the
mountainous terrain, but children tackled it with enthusiasm and
gave great performances. The organizers had to interact with the
children through interpreters, as they speak very little
Spanish, using instead their own dialect Pame. Even so, their
enjoyment of such a high quality event was evident. It was a
shining example of how the sport of running has the power to
unite society, as it provided something in common for the rich
mix of cultures that populate the area. AIMS hopes to plant the
seed of running in these communities, and that through running
the children glimpse the opportunity of a better life.
There were various age groups ranging from 4 to 13 years old,
competing in races over different distances. The children wore
technical t-shirts, color-coded according to their age group.
The Governor Dr. Fernando Toranzo and his wife Dra. María Luisa Ramos showed great interest in the event and supported the organization by providing the services through the State Secretary of Education, the State Secretary of Security and Police, DIF System, the State Roads Authority and the Municipality of Santa Catarina.
The event was held thanks to AIMS’ sponsors ASICS, TOKYO
MARATHON, and local supporters PEPSI, TURBO, GATORADE, CONALEP
and HIALINA WATER.
The children received a runner package that included beverages, food, candies, toys and a beautiful medal produced in South Africa by the 1000km Company.
Awards were made to the first three finishers in each category and
the Organization raffled “Turbo” bicycles and toys among the
participants.
The AIMS CHILDREN'S SERIES was created to promote running in communities of the world where the promotion of sport would otherwise enjoy little financial support.
Long time member himself of several IAAF and Japanese federation (JAAF)
committees and commissions, including his present position as a
member of the IAAF Road Running Commission, Chosa has had a recent
hands-on experience of the popular influx to long distance running.
The Tokyo Marathon, once an elite-only race, has in recent years
opened its entry to the whole population. As President of the Tokyo
Marathon Foundation, Chosa announced this week that entries for
35,000 places in next year’s race exceeded 335,000.
Receiving his award Chosa said, through his long-time interpreter Yutaka Sasai, “Ten thousand words cannot express my surprise and pleasure at receiving this award from President Diack. It will be the first thing I see when I wake every morning. I’ve always refused this type of award from the Japanese government, and now I have this award, I can continue to refuse.”
From Left: Paco Borao, Martha Morales, Keisuke Sawaki, Fernando Jamarne, Guy Morse, Al Boka. (Click to enlarge images)
Martha Morales of the Tangamanga Marathon, Mexico was elected
Vice President.
Others elected to the AIMS Board of Directors at the Congress were Keisuke Sawaki of Yokohama Marathon (Japan), Guy L Morse of the Boston Marathon (USA) and Fernando Jamarne of the Santiago Marathon (Chile). Al Boka of the Las Vegas Marathon (USA) was re-elected as Treasurer.
The major theme discussed at the Congress was how sport can become more friendly to the environment and promote this ethos to runners around the world.
AIMS President Hiroaki Chosa commented: “Tadese’s commitment has
enabled him to set new milestones in the advancement of the sport.
Our congratulations also go to the Lisbon Half Marathon, an AIMS
member race, who provided the conditions for this achievement.”
Zersenay Tadese said: “It is an honour to receive this award. I would like to thank AIMS and Citizen for recognising me with this trophy. When I think about the great athletes who have broken world distance records over the years and to now find myself among them is a great honour and I am very pleased to accept this award.”
His collection includes medals, souvenirs, photos, programmes,
result lists, t-shirts, medals, newspapers, books, documentary
materials, correspondence with athletes, officials and
associations, which already provide historical documentation of
the development of running and athletics.
Every time Dr. David Martin arrives with his heavy suitcases he unpacks his valuable artifacts and presents them to the museum. Dr. Martin has given the museum an almost complete collection of t-shirts from the race in his hometown of Atlanta, the world-renowned “Peachtree Road Race“ put on by the Atlanta Track Club, which are gathered like rare treasures and enjoy a kind of cult status in the USA
He has also provided important museum treasures without personal visits, including a complete documentation of the development of the AVON Women’s Run in the USA, sending the museum medals, posters, correspondence and photos in 2008. He had been involved in the development of this race for years.
His donations are greatly appreciated and treasured by the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running.
For the Berlin Sports Museum - AIMS Marathon Museum of Running, Dr. David Martin is a true “gem”, who does not keep his own “treasures” at home under lock and key, but rather demonstrates his service to the general public by donating them for future generations to enjoy.
On 17 October the Gyeongju International Marathon (more) takes place in Korea, followed by four events in Europe: The 32nd Istanbul Eurasia Marathon (more) (starting in Asia, finishing in Europe); the 3rd Bucharest Marathon (more) in the Romanian capital; the Amsterdam Marathon (more); and La Voie Royal - Semi Marathon de Saint Denis (more) in a northern suburb of Paris.
Museum director Maria Polyzou is still the Greek national record
holder for the Marathon, and two months ago retraced the steps of
Pheidippides, completing another legendary run, from Athens to
Sparta and back to the tomb of the fallen soldiers from 490BC, in
Marathon. Unlike Phillipides, she survived the ordeal.
A surprise entry, at least to himself, is 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot, who was presented with an entry by his family while celebrating his 64th birthday two months ago. It was the quick way to get him back on his feet after knee surgery.
The municipality of Marathon, which has hosted the AIMS/IAAF Marathon Symposium for the last three years will share its place with Athens, the venue for this year’s 18th World Congress of AIMS. The 200 delegates from around the world will travel to Marathon on the day before the race for the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame. The one that all marathoners carry inside.
The Marathon numbers are also strong with over 2900 entries and the
8km road race has 2400. Noel urges those thinking about entering
these races to do so soon as there is a good chance they will also
sell out. The registration fees are $130 for the Marathon and $45
for the 8km road race. The Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon remains
at $15 until 9 October.
The 31st Annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon takes place on 10 October 2010. The Victoria Marathon is ranked number one in Canada for most Boston Marathon qualifiers and number two in Canada of top Boston Marathon qualifying races. For the second year it will host the 2010 Provincial Marathon Championships. There is $26,000 available in prize money with $3,000 each going to the top male and female and a $5,000 bonus for a new men’s or women’s course record. In 2006, Steve Osaduik broke a 25-year record by winning the Marathon in 2:16:49. In addition to the Marathon there is a Half Marathon, 8km road race and Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon.
For more details, visit www.runvictoriamarathon.com.
Nonetheless, with a temperature of 11C (52F), which endured
throughout, with little or no wind, and only a gentle rain at the
start, hopes were still high that a new record might materialise.
But after 15k in 44.10, which was right on pace for Haile
Gebrselassie's 2.03.39WR here two years ago, the tempo dropped, and
a group of eight, including all the pre-race favourites, went
through the 'half' in 62.37.
After 30km Worku and Mutai eased away from the pack and pacers, with Makau in close attendance. And so it remained for the next 8km. At 39km Makau looked as if he was starting to flag, but it was a ploy, whose success became apparent a half kilometre later, when he steamed past Worku.
Mutai had dropped away in the final kilometre in Rotterdam, but not here. The pair ran abreast through the Brandenburg Gate, with a final 400m to contest. Makau went away comfortably in the final 200m and was able to raise an arm in victory while still 20m from the line.
On his ploy at 39km, Makau admitted it was done on purpose. "To win a race, you need many things. To drop back some metres, and catch up again is usually very difficult, but it was one of my tactics".
Waiting past the finish line to greet the top two was Kenyan Prime Minster, Raila Odinga, whose big bear hug for Makau and Mutai can only increase his own popularity.
The Ethiopian pair of Aberu Kebede and Bezunesh Bekele dominated the
women's race up to 25km, at which point Kebede eased away to win by
exactly one minute.
Despite being greatly outnumbered the Athenians fought and won the
Battle of Marathon. The casualties were recorded as 192 Athenians,
11 Plataeans and 6400 Persians. The 192 Athenians were buried in a
tomb near the Village of Marathon, at an area today called the Tomb
of Marathon. This battle was one of the proudest moments in the
history of ancient Greece. The Athenian and Plataean forces,
unassisted, beat the Persians for the first time on land. The
victory endowed them with a faith in their destiny which was to
endure for three centuries, during which time western culture was
born. It is said that a defeat of the Athenians in this battle could
easily have changed the tide of history and that Classical
civilisation was saved by the few, to become the heritage of the
many.
Although the writings do not mention his name, the legend says that a brave Athenian called Pheidippides, who had previously run to Sparta and back seeking military aid, ran the 40km (approximately 25 miles) from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory. “Nenikèkamen” (“We are victorious”) or “Niki” (“Victory”) and then collapsed from exhaustion and died. He may have also taken part in the battle.
This is the tale upon which the modern Olympic Marathon rests: the mythic run of Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens.
On 29 August
the Hokkaido Marathon
(more) took place in sweltering conditions (27C, 70%
humidity) in the northernmost of Japan's main islands. Debutant
Cyrus Njui posted the second fastest time in the race's history
to win in 2:11:22. Yumiko Hara won the women's race in
2:34:12. In Africa the Victoria Falls Marathon
(more) was run in Zimbabwe. In Europe the Galway
City Marathon
(more) took place in the west of Ireland and the SSQ
Quebec Marathon
(more) was run in Canada.
At present the count stands at 9000 participants from abroad, making
the Amsterdam Marathon The Netherlands’ biggest one-day
international sporting event. British runners top the list with over
3000 entries; Germany currently has 825, Belgium 600, Denmark 515
and Spain 425. Many runners from Sweden, America, Switzerland,
Finland, Brazil and Israel (175) are also entered. Since the Tour de
France started in Amsterdam this year, awareness of The Netherlands
has grown in France again. To date, 1200 French entries have come
in. Partly as a result of the start of the Giro d’Italia in
Amsterdam last May, almost 700 Italians have entered.
13,000 Dutch runners have entered so far. The full marathon is on its way to a total of 11,000 national and international participants, 2500 more than last year. Entries are still being accepted until midnight on 19 September, unless the maximum number of participants has been reached. www.amsterdammarathon.nl.
A local celebrity Maria Polyzou has already retraced the footsteps
of the legendary Phillipides, and run from Athens to Sparta and back
to Marathon (over 500 kilometres) within six days last week.
Although retired from competitive running, Polyzou was eminently
suited to the task, since she is still Greek women’s marathon record
holder, and is currently Director of the Museum of the Marathon, in
the town of Marathon itself.
The 18th World Congress of AIMS will be held in the Greek capital in the days preceding this year’s Athens Classic Marathon, and delegates will attend the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame at the tumulus, the burial ground for those few score Hellenic soldiers who fell in the victorious Battle of Marathon against the invading Persians in 490BC.
After two and a half millennia following The Battle of Marathon - an
event widely acknowledged to have ensured the democratic legacy of
Western culture - a Greek distance runner has replicated the feat of
the legendary messenger Pheidippides.
Greek women’s marathon record holder Maria Polyzou had announced her intention to run the 520 kilometres from Athens to Sparta and back to Marathon virtually nonstop within six days, to mark the battle’s 2,500th year anniversary. As a result she set off from the Acropolis on 26 July and reached Sparta on 29 July before running back to The Tomb of Marathon. This required her to run the equivalent of a double marathon every day for a week, with minimal rest. “This is a special year for the sport and I want to be a part of our history" said Polyzou. "To put it simply, the marathon is part of my soul. You can’t undertake something like this if you do not believe in the whole idea of the marathon.”
The marathon celebrates the run of soldier Pheidippides from the
battlefield near Marathon to Athens in 490 BC. Pheidippides was
carrying the news of a Greek victory over the Persians and is said
to have collapsed and died at the completion of his efforts.
Having fulfilled her goal, she will be welcomed by General Secretary
of the Ministry for Culture Panos Bitsakses.
An earlier repeat of this performance was staged in 1992 by
Panayiotis Skoulis, who was due to accompany 42-year old Polyzou
but, now a septuagenarian, he has pulled out. Polyzou intends to
complete the epic run alone, within seven days, as a means of
marking the 2,500-year anniversary of Pheidippides' run.
Day 2
Day 4 -
the return journey
Day 5 -Polyzou
goes on, passing Tripolis
Day 7 - Maria Polyzou - where no woman has gone before
Polyzou’s
541km run signals the start of celebrations for the 2500 year
anniversary of the Battle that shaped the history of Europe.
On Monday
evening at 20.00. the General Secretary for Sports Panos Bitsaxis
will honour Polyzou for what she has achieved and what this
signifies to the Greek nation: that even when problems seem
insurmountable, one can still hope and strive for success. Polyzou
has shown the Greeks that where’s a will, there’s a way. A long,
very long way at that!
But participants in the Swissalpine Marathon are not going to run
into an ibex. In spite of this, the proud heraldic animal and symbol
of Graubünden is ubiquitous. The logo incorporates a stylised ibex
in an elegant black and fiery red design, along with - as in all
things Swiss - the national cruciform.
The Graubünden provincial government is dotting the "i" on the occasion of the Silver Anniversary: it is sponsoring ibex trophies for the two winners of the 78km race. "The king of the mountains in the animal kingdom is the ibex, and in terms of mountain running it is the winners of the K78," said race founder and race director Andrea Tuffli.
Even without meeting an ibex, the Swissalpine Marathon guarantees runners an unforgettable encounter with nature. The course runs through idyllic surroundings in a unique mountain world. The culture of the region is all around: in the air and under the feet. The 42km event, run from Davos to Tiefencastel, is the first cultural marathon in Switzerland. A supporting programme under the name of "Highseven" offers a visit to the Convent of St. John on 27 July and the day after a trip on the Bernina Express railway. Both are UNESCO world heritage-listed and attract tourists from far and wide. The Swissalpine Marathon is an event – sporting, cultural and touristic - with wide international appeal.
On 26 June the first edition of the
Olomouc Half Marathon
(more), a sister event to the Prague Marathon, right away
recorded a sub-hour performance from Stephen Kibet - he appeared
to have broken the barrier by a single second with Stephen Tum
100m behind him. However, it later emerged that the first three
men to finish had unintentionally cut the course when following
the TV motorbike. Victory instead went to Joseph Maregu in
1:03:20. In the women's race Asnakech Mengistu had a much easier
win over Lucia Kimani 1:13:13 to 1:16:06. The Vidovdan
10km (more)
road race was held in Brcko, Bosnia, and won by Gordon Mahago in
28:11, just a fraction of a second ahead of Sammy Kiprono. The
Portumna Marathon, 50km & 100km
(more) was run amid scenic forest landscape in Ireland.
Chosa especially emphasised the international importance of the
New York City Marathon for the development of the marathon boom
and thanked the organisers for their exemplary support of mass
participation and elite performance distance running and wished
them continued success.
It was a matter of the heart for Hiroaki Chosa to visit the Boston Marathon, an active AIMS member and the oldest marathon in the world. In Boston the AIMS delegation met with Thomas S. Grilk, president of the BAA, Gloria G. Ratti, vice-president, and Guy Morse, race director.
A special ceremony to recognise and honour the achievements of the first AIMS president, William T. Cloney (who died on 16 January 2003 at age 91) took place at the cemetery in Milton, Massachusetts, which was also attended by William T. Cloney’s daughter, Mia Menjes.
Will Cloney, who was in large part responsible for the unbroken continuity of the Boston Marathon, was its race director from 1947–1982, president of the Boston Athletics Association (BAA) from 1964–1982 and the first president of AIMS from 1982–1983.
The visit concluded with dinner in the famous Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, the athletes’ hotel for the Boston Marathon near to the finish line, and with an affirmation of the mutual respect and appreciation for the decades of harmonious cooperation in the interest of the sport of running.
Organisers received 2287 registrations – mostly in a flood at
the last minute. Supporting the event with their presence were
top Kenyan runner Benjamin Limo and Dieudonne Disi, Rwanda’s top
runner, but injured at the moment. Grant Robinson a 1500m
semi-finalist in the Athens Olympics, also attended and all
conducted some clinics with the children before the races, and
ran with them. Boys and Girls races were run separately all
wearing the AIMS T-shirts and at the finish scrambling for the
finisher medals. The top finishers were awarded with ASICS shoes
and bags in the national stadium the following day, when the
Kigali Peace Marathon took place.
The AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Awards were founded in
1992 and are decided from nominations made by the 300+ member
races. Previous winners, apart from Tergat, include Josia
Thugwane (South Africa), Ronaldo da Costa (Brazil), Abel Anton
(Spain), Khalid Kannouchi (USA), Stefano Baldini (Italy) and
Jaouad Gharib (Morocco).
AIMS president Hiroaki Chosa commented: "It is a privilege to honour Haile's achievements. This third successive Golden Shoe confirms that he is not just an athlete of the highest calibre but is probably "the greatest" marathon runner the world has yet seen."
Keitany joined the group and Nicola took over as her coach. She
won the silver medal in the World Half Marathon Championships in
2007, breaking the Kenyan record, but then pregnancy interrupted
her running career. “My son Jared was born in June 2008,” says
Mary Keitany. She is married to Charles Koech, who has a 10km PB
of 27:56 and has run a 61:27 half marathon.
Since giving birth Keitany has fulfilled all of her goals: to qualify for the World Half Marathon Championships and to run well (she won); to win the Abu Dhabi Half Marathon (she did, in 1:07:14); and to break the world 25km record. The next step, the marathon, will be taken this autumn, She is already prepared: "she has run between 180-200km/week in training”, explains Gabriele Nicola. “So far my longest training runs were 30km”, says Keitany.
"There are not many runners who can even think of attacking the women's marathon record,” says Gabriele Nicola (Paula Radcliffe's 2:15:25 from 2003), but: “Mary has great potential. We only get a Mary Keitany every 20 years.”
AIMS President Hiroaki Chosa commented: “It is my pleasure to
acknowledge the great achievements of Mary Keitany. Mary had an
exceptional year in 2009 and proved that she is an athlete of
the highest standard”
Mary Keitany said: “It is a fantastic honour to join a list of such esteemed winners, and a great source of inspiration to me. I would like thank AIMS, ASICS and everyone involved. I am happy to be here in Berlin and I am looking forward to taking part in the 25K event.”
More than 10,000 entries are expected for the 30th edition of the BIG 25 Berlin, which will also features a 10 k race, a 5×5 k relay and a children’s event. All events will finish on the blue track inside the famous Berlin Olympic Stadium, which hosted the IAAF World Championships last summer.
Bernard Fridman entered the
1975 race and finished in a time
of 7:00:00, to achieve a silver
medal. He entered officially
again in 1976 and 1977 finishing
the race in 06:14:00 and
07:14:00 respectively and again
being awarded silver medals. A
special award ceremony was held
at Comrades house on 12 April
2010 to officially recognize
Fridman's 1974 performance and
retrospectively award him a
silver medal. He was also
recognized as one of the
“Forgotten Comrades” for taking
a stand against the oppressive
Apartheid laws of the time.
The Spring Marathon season got underway
in earnest on 11 April
with six marathons held on three
continents. The Daegu Int'l
Marathon
(more) in Korea was off,
as a test event for next year's
IAAF World Championships in
Athletics. In Europe four major
Marathons took place: The
Milan Marathon
(more), the
Zurich Marathon
(more), the
Rotterdam Marathon
(more) and the
Paris Marathon
(more).
With Patrick Makau's 2:04:48 win the Rotterdam Marathon became the fastest marathon in the world on two counts: the top-10 performances ever, and the top-10 performances since 2007. Behind Makau there was a best-ever for 4th by Feyisa Lelisa. After the 2010 race the average of top-10 performances in Rotterdam is 2:05:15, 15 seconds faster than the average for Berlin. The average of top-10 performances since 2007 in Rotterdam is 2:05:20, 29 seconds faster than the average in London. Makau covered the last 2195m in 6:10, which is same as Ronald da Costa when he set his world record in 1998, but still slower than 6:05 Mutai took in the 2009 Eindhoven marathon. He ran his last 7195m in 20:56, two seconds slower than Haile Gebrselassie's time when he set his world record. Da Costa ran this section in 20:50, and Mutai in 20:29.
After the 2009 finish in Rotterdam, in which the third and fourth fastest times ever run were posted, the organisers quietly insured against the "risk" of a world record faster than Haile Gebrselassies existing 2:03:59. At the start this looked like a wise move as a very big group with six pace makers went out fast, with 5km splits of 14:47, 29:15, 43:56 and 58:39 - all within those Gebrselassie had run during his world record in Berlin, 2008. The group passed halfway in 1:02:08 just three seconds down on world record pace but then slowed and it seemed as if sub-2:05:00 times were beyond reach. But then came the long kick for home.
In Paris Tadesse Tola sliced nine minutes off his personal best to win the men's race in 2:06:41, while Atsede Baysa defended her title with a world-leading time of 2:22:03
In South America the Santiago Marathon (more) was held in the Chilean capital, and the only non-Marathon AIMS event, the Sao Paulo Half Marathon Corpore (more) took place in Brazil's biggest city.
There could
be a home win for Germany in the
women’s race, with Sabrina
Mockenhaupt defending the title
she won last year in 1:08:45
Mockenhaupt’s strongest rivals
will most likely be Leah Malot (PB:
69:35) and Pasalia Kipkoech
(69:56). “I plan to run the
first half at a good 69 minute
pace so that I will have
something left in the second
part" said Mockenhaupt
But generations
come and go,
runners get
older and even
retire. Which is
why it is
incumbent on any
sports authority
like AIMS to
nurture the next
generation by
introducing
running to young
people.
The AIMS children’s series is the result. Normally venues change every three years or so, but when you have a location like a refugee camp in the Sahara Desert, and see the enthusiasm of the youngsters in Dakhla camp, there need be no excuses for celebrating the fifth year there, with the AIMS Children’s Series 2010.
Dakhla is one of four camps
in south western Algeria – the
others being Smara, Auserd and
El Ayoun – housing around
200,000 Saharawi refugees,
displaced from the Western
Sahara 35 years ago. Dakhla is
the southernmost camp, near the
north west border of Mauretania,
and around 170k south of Smara.
The camps are named after towns
in the Western Sahara itself, a
land that was formerly called
“Spanish Sahara”. On the death
of General Franco in 1975, and
under pressure from a Saharawi
liberation organisation known as
the Polisario, the Spanish
withdrew, but neighbouring
Morocco and Mauretania quickly
moved in, claiming the land was
theirs. The Mauretanians
withdrew after two years of
fighting with the Polisario, but
the Moroccans stayed and fought
until a cease-fire was declared
in 1991.
Politics aside, the children's race in Dakhla must be the most successful of any like event anywhere in the world.
Held on 25 February, three
days after the Sahara Marathon
was run between the other three
camps, the conditions could
hardly have been less favourable,
with temperatures in the Dakhla
camp reaching 40C earlier in the
day. It was only 37C at 17.00,
when over a thousand children
marched down the long straight
to the start of the half dozen
races, which ranged from 300m
for the youngest to 1000m for
the early teenagers.
The whole camp, it seemed had
turned out for the event. Both
men and women wear long scarves
wrapped around their heads and
faces, not from any religious
conviction, but for the simple
expedient of keeping the
pervasive sand out of their
mouths, ears and eyes. The
majority of the thousands of
onlookers reclined in the shade
of the long wall of the
school/sports centre.
The starting line was
dignified by three tribesmen in
blue ceremonial robes on top of
three large white camels. And
waiting at the finish line, to
greet the competitors was
marathon winner Jon Salvador,
from the Spanish Basque country,
and an extra special guest, a
Saharawi athletics hero, Salah
Amaidan, who boasts times of
3:39 for 1500m, and 28:53 for
10km.
Resplendent in AIMS
tee-shirts, on both white and
red, the children charged up the
straight trailing clouds of sand
dust behind them. Each finisher
was rewarded with a substantial,
specially struck bronze medal,
and a prize of a toy.
The marathon's technical
team is studying the alterations
to the route that will be
necessary to make the
spectacular passage inside the
square possible, a passage that
will only occur in 2010, for the
25th anniversary race. The
finish line will be about 1000m
after exiting St.Mark's Square,
located as always in the "Riva
Sette Martiri". The marathon
route could also change in the
section run on the Venetian
mainland. Subject to agreement
with the town administration the
course may pass through Piazza
Ferretto, located in the heart
of Mestre, wich is the mainland
counterpart of the more famous
Piazza San Marco.
A year after his debut race
at the Vienna City Marathon
Austrian record holder Günther
Weidlinger returns to Austria’s
most prestigious running event.
He recorded 2:12:39 in 2009, but
improved in Frankfurt in October
to 2:10:47, smashing the 23
year-old Austrian record.
Weidlinger's next target must
surely be the 2:10 barrier.
Defending women's champion and
national record holder Andrea
Mayr recorded 2:30:43 in her
2009 debut, but will surely be
seeking a sub-2:30 time on 18
April.
This year is the 2500th anniversary of the legend of Marathon when, after the battle against the Persian fleet in 490BC, the soldier-messenger Pheidippidis is said to have run about 40km from the battlefield to announce news of the Greek victory in Athens, but then collapsed and died. To mark the birth of the marathon a flame is lit every year at the tomb of the warriors on the former battlefield, on the day before the Athens Marathon in autumn. Last November representatives of the Vienna City Marathon proudly received a spark of this flame in a lantern. They brought it back to Vienna so that the original marathon flame will feature at the finish area of the Vienna City Marathon on 18th April, at the Wiener Hofburg.
In addition to the recycling
and composting efforts, the Big
Sur Marathon introduced several
new innovative programs. It
provided runners with one of the
country’s first-ever “Virtual
Goodie Bags” to showcase sponsor
and vendor products online
instead of a plastic bag filled
with paper brochures. It also
integrated solar power for the
finish line public address
system, timing mats, music and
awards stage, and offered ride
sharing options through
PickUpPal. Unclaimed clothes and
running gear were donated to the
Salvation Army, organic food was
offered, and runners were
encouraged to make donations to
offset their carbon footprint of
traveling to the race.
National Public Radio’s California Report featured an in-depth story on the greening efforts of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay in early December. Publicity has helped raise awareness among runners, event organizers, and the general public about the importance of keeping sporting events as sustainable as possible.
The Big Sur Marathon team will continue its greening efforts for the 25th presentation of the full marathon in April.
The end of 2009 was
marked by two
contrasting AIMS
races. On 31
December the
St Catherine
Marathon
( more)
in
Sinai hosted a small
field of enthusiasts
who completed two
laps of the
semi-desert course
through the Bedouin
lands at the foot of
Moses' Mountain
starting and
finishing just a few
hundred metres from
the St Catherine
monastery. Several
hours later the
85th Sao Sivestre
15km
( more)
road race
was run through the
streets of one of
the world's largest
cities, Sao Paulo,
with a mass race
following on the
heels of the invited
elite.
Twelve hours later. as the clock ticked into 1 January, 600 runners took part in the Neujahrsmarathon Zurich( more)
through the
Swiss financial
centre in the early
hours of the
morning. Next day,
on 2 January,
Ethiopians Fayisa
Lilesa and Atsede
Bayisa won the
Xiamen International
Marathon
( more)
with
times of 2:08:47 and
2:28:53
respectively.
On 1 January, at the stroke of midnight, the Neujahrsmarathon (more) was started in Zurich, won by Dirk Joos and Astrid Meuller-Amstad. At almost the same time the Xiamen International Marathon (more) was run in China with Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba setting a world-leading time of 2:08:07. Women's winner Amane Gobena's time presents a less impressive initial posting of 2:31:49.
Running the marathon in Vienna was no option since Haile Gebrselassie had already agreed to compete in Tokyo on 27 February and the budget would not have been big enough for such a signing. Organisers looked for alternatives, and created a special race for Gebrselassie: "Catch me, if you can". The 37 year-old will not only run the half marathon but will also chase the elite marathon runners, who will run on the same course and get a head start. The time difference between the two starts will be determined nearer to the event. “We were able to convince Haile of our city, our race and our plans,” said race director Wolfgang Konrad.
“I look forward to running in Vienna” said Gebrselassie, who will celebrate his 38th birthday in Vienna on the day after the event. The world marathon record holder (2:03:59 in Berlin 2008) said that he would prepare seriously and “as usual I will give my best”. “It was probably our last chance to bring Haile to the Vienna City Marathon and give our spectators the opportunity to see the world’s greatest long distance runner in action,” said Konrad. “I am sure he will get a great reception”
Photo: Haile Gebrselassie
winning the Berlin Marathon 2008 www.photorun.net
The Vienna City Marathon is Austria’s biggest one day sports event. In 2010 a total of 32,940 runners from 108 nations entered the race. Online entry for the 2011 race is available at:
www.vienna-marathon.com
The marathon is the main event but other races are staged parallel, including the half marathon in which Gebrselassie will compete.
On 19 December the Fubon Taipei Marathon
(more) took
place in Chinese Taipei. The Pisa Marathon was
scheduled for the same day but on 18 December the local
authorities (Provincia di Pisa) decided to cancel the race
(and the Half Marathon), citing adverse weather conditions.
Those runners wanting to take part in the half marathon next year are urged to enter as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Enter online at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za. Runners taking part in the ultra event will need to qualify with a marathon time before they can enter. Donations to Bobs for Good, the official charity for the event, currently stand at R66 742, almost R23 000 up on the same time last year.
 |
In the Antarctica Ice Marathon (more) held at Union Glacier on 15 December Bernardo Fonseca of Brazil won the men's race in 4:20:31 and Clare Apps (GBR) the women's in 4:47:37. 36 runners finished the race. The associated 100km was run the following day, with 5 competitors. Homebound travel is scheduled on 17 December. |
Thomas Grilk, 63, President of the BAA Board of Governors since 2003, will replace Morse on 1 January. "This is the perfect time for me to take a new role for the BAA," said Morse through a media release. "After having rebounded from health-related issues a couple of years ago, my enthusiasm and belief in our mission is as strong as ever. The expansion in leadership "enables the BAA to retain Morse's experience and relationships while transferring the responsibility of the Association's daily management to Grilk," said the organization's media liaison Jack Fleming. Grilk, a longtime corporate attorney, has been a member of the BAA since 1987.
The Boston Athletic Association is a not-for-profit organization with an operating budget of $9 million. In addition to the Boston Marathon, the BAA produces the BAA Invitational Mile, BAA 5K (4329 finishers), BAA Half-Marathon (4498 finishers), and the Boston Mayor's Cup Cross Country.
The busiest race weekend of the year started with the
Reggae Marathon
(more) on 4 December in which
Rupert Green (2:30:27) and Elizabeth Mondon (2:55:50)
took victories.
In the 64th Fukuoka International Open Marathon
Championship (more) on 5 December Jaouad Gharib ran
away to a solo win in 2:08:24, and was the only runner
to break 2:10 on an unseasonably warm day. The Nara
Marathon (more) was also held in Japan, followed by the
Toray Cup Shanghai Marathon
(more), the Macau Galaxy
Entertainment International Marathon
(more) the Angkor
Wat International Half Marathon
(more) and the Standard
Chartered Marathon Singapore
(more). Still in Asia, the
25th Pune International Marathon
(more) was run in India.
The Lisbon International Marathon
(more) was the only
AIMS event in Europe, but there were several in the
Caribbean, taking up where the Reggae Marathon left off
the day before. These included the 27th Run Barbados
Marathon
(more), the 12th Cayman Islands Marathon
(more),
the St Croix International Marathon
(more) in the US
Virgin Islands and, on the Central American mainland,
the 34th Panama International Marathon. To the
south the 12th Pampulha Lagoon International Road
Race (more) was held in Brazil over a distance of 17.8km,
while to the north the 12th Gran Maraton Pacifico
(more)
was held in Mazatlan, Mexico. The Rock n Roll Las
Vegas Marathon
(more) rounded off action for the day.
On 12 November 2010
the AIMS Children’s Series conducted its second event in the
Indian Community of Santa María Acapulco, within the
Municipality of Santa Catarina in San Luis Potosí, México.
A total of 1100 children from 16 different native communities
participated, made possible by the Education Secretariat of the
State. The event was organized by AIMS in association with
Tangamanga Marathon and the State Government of San Luis Potosí.
The Governor Dr. Fernando Toranzo and his wife Dra. María Luisa Ramos showed great interest in the event and supported the organization by providing the services through the State Secretary of Education, the State Secretary of Security and Police, DIF System, the State Roads Authority and the Municipality of Santa Catarina.
The children received a runner package that included beverages, food, candies, toys and a beautiful medal produced in South Africa by the 1000km Company.
The AIMS CHILDREN'S SERIES was created to promote running in communities of the world where the promotion of sport would otherwise enjoy little financial support.
21 November started with two marathons
in Southeast Asia: the Penang Bridge
International Marathon
(more) in Malaysia and the
Standard Chartered Bangkok Marathon
(more) in
Thailand.
In the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon
(more)
favourable conditions led to fast times and very
competitive races with Geoffrey Mutai winning in 59:38 -
a second ahead of Lelisa Desisa. Aselefech Mergia won
the women's race in 1:08:35, with eight others following
her in under 69 minutes. The Great Ethiopian Run
(more)
was held in Addis Ababa over 10km with some of the
country's best runners spearheading a mass field of
30,000 runners. In Europe the Medio Maraton de
Valencia
(more) was the headline event.
Half of the day's events were held in the Americas, with
the Philadelphia Marathon
(more) in USA and
the Marabana Marathon and Half Marathon
in Cuba. Elsewhere it was back to shorter distances with
the Quito 21km Mitad del Mundo
(more) race in
Ecuador and the 10km Corpore Sao Paulo Classic
(more)
in Brazil.
16 November: Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) Race Director
Rick Nealis has been named Race Director of the Year by the US
organisation Road Race Management.
The award was presented during a reception held on 11 November at Road Race Management's Race Directors' annual meeting in Coral Gables, Florida.
"As race director of the Marine Corps Marathon it is even more meaningful to have received this award on Veterans Day and to share it with the 40,000 Marines and Sailors who have volunteered since 1976, organizing the MCM with the precision of a military operation," said Nealis.
Nealis has directed the MCM for the last 18 years, steering it to become the fourth largest marathon in the United States and the eighth largest in the world. On 31 October the 35th MCM hosted its largest race field to date including 21,942 finishers from all 50 states and 54 countries.
"As race director of the Marine Corps Marathon, Rick Nealis has done it all" said Road Race Management President Phil Stewart. "Coordinating eight separate law enforcement agencies through whose jurisdictions the event passes; keeping the paparazzi away from Oprah Winfrey for over four-and-a-half hours; his boyish exuberance for the event belies his abilities as a master tactician who makes the Marine Corps proud of the race that serves as the organization's single largest public relations event,"
The 36th Marine Corps Marathon will be held on 30 October 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. Registration opens online on 23 February at www.marinemarathon.com.
The award was presented during a reception held on 11 November at Road Race Management's Race Directors' annual meeting in Coral Gables, Florida.
"As race director of the Marine Corps Marathon it is even more meaningful to have received this award on Veterans Day and to share it with the 40,000 Marines and Sailors who have volunteered since 1976, organizing the MCM with the precision of a military operation," said Nealis.
Nealis has directed the MCM for the last 18 years, steering it to become the fourth largest marathon in the United States and the eighth largest in the world. On 31 October the 35th MCM hosted its largest race field to date including 21,942 finishers from all 50 states and 54 countries.
"As race director of the Marine Corps Marathon, Rick Nealis has done it all" said Road Race Management President Phil Stewart. "Coordinating eight separate law enforcement agencies through whose jurisdictions the event passes; keeping the paparazzi away from Oprah Winfrey for over four-and-a-half hours; his boyish exuberance for the event belies his abilities as a master tactician who makes the Marine Corps proud of the race that serves as the organization's single largest public relations event,"
The 36th Marine Corps Marathon will be held on 30 October 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. Registration opens online on 23 February at www.marinemarathon.com.
The Medio Maraton Turistico Riviera Nayarit
(more) took place
on 13 November in north-western Mexico.
On 14 November the Garda-Trentino Half Marathon (more), the Turin Marathon (more) and the Marathon des Alpes Maritimes Nice-Cannes (more) all took place within close proximity of each other.
Much further away the 8th presentation of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay (more) was run on California's Pacific coast.
On 14 November the Garda-Trentino Half Marathon (more), the Turin Marathon (more) and the Marathon des Alpes Maritimes Nice-Cannes (more) all took place within close proximity of each other.
Much further away the 8th presentation of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay (more) was run on California's Pacific coast.
The Sharm El Sheikh Half Marathon was held on 5 November
through the Ras Mohamed National Park in Sinai.
On 6 November the Taroko Gorge International Marathon was held in Chinese Taipei.
In the BLOM Beirut Marathon (more) on 7 November Lebanese PM Saad Hariri vividly demonstrated the unifying force of running. Son of Rafik, the former PM who was assassinated in 2005, he ran the 10km through the city's streets. The Marathon was won by putative pacemaker Mohamed Temam in 2:16:43. He swept back past Abere Chaneeth, who he had been pacing up to halfway until Chaneeth became impatient and set off on his own. Etaferahu Tarekegn lived up to her favourite's billing in the women's race to win in 2:41:15
The Hangzhou Marathon (more) was held in China. The Joongang Seoul International Marathon (more) was earlier held in Korea, but action at the other end of the Mediterranean continued with the Zaragoza Marathon (more) in Spain, and then the Porto Marathon (more) in Portugal's second city, won by Alex Kirui in 2:14:29 and debutant Beatrice Toroitich in 2:37:45. The IAU 100km World Championship (more) was hosted on a 5km circuit in Gibraltar, in the GI100 (more) event which also incorporated the European Championship and the World Masters Championship.
In North America the Bass Pro Shops Springfield Marathon (more) was run in the state of Missouri and the Guadalajara Marathon (more) took place in Mexico.
On 6 November the Taroko Gorge International Marathon was held in Chinese Taipei.
In the BLOM Beirut Marathon (more) on 7 November Lebanese PM Saad Hariri vividly demonstrated the unifying force of running. Son of Rafik, the former PM who was assassinated in 2005, he ran the 10km through the city's streets. The Marathon was won by putative pacemaker Mohamed Temam in 2:16:43. He swept back past Abere Chaneeth, who he had been pacing up to halfway until Chaneeth became impatient and set off on his own. Etaferahu Tarekegn lived up to her favourite's billing in the women's race to win in 2:41:15
The Hangzhou Marathon (more) was held in China. The Joongang Seoul International Marathon (more) was earlier held in Korea, but action at the other end of the Mediterranean continued with the Zaragoza Marathon (more) in Spain, and then the Porto Marathon (more) in Portugal's second city, won by Alex Kirui in 2:14:29 and debutant Beatrice Toroitich in 2:37:45. The IAU 100km World Championship (more) was hosted on a 5km circuit in Gibraltar, in the GI100 (more) event which also incorporated the European Championship and the World Masters Championship.
In North America the Bass Pro Shops Springfield Marathon (more) was run in the state of Missouri and the Guadalajara Marathon (more) took place in Mexico.
Hiroaki Chosa given IAAF Silver Award of Merit
At the Athens Classic Marathon celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon the retiring President of AIMS, Hiroaki Chosa, was presented with the IAAF Silver Order of Merit reports Pat Butcher. The Gold award is reserved for heads of state.
Leading up to the Marathon held on the inaugural 1896 Olympic course, the 18th World Congress of AIMS and concurrent 4th AIMS-IAAF Marathon Symposium were held on 28-30 October. IAAF President Lamine Diack, attending the Symposium after the ceremonial lighting of the Marathon Flame, took advantage of the occasion to present the award.
Now in his 81st year, former middle distance runner Chosa has guided AIMS for the last 20 years, a time of unprecedented growth in AIMS membership. The Association was formed in 1982 with 28 members and has grown to currently represent 304. At his farewell address, Chosa predicted that by 2015 there could be 500 members.
At the Athens Classic Marathon celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon the retiring President of AIMS, Hiroaki Chosa, was presented with the IAAF Silver Order of Merit reports Pat Butcher. The Gold award is reserved for heads of state.
Leading up to the Marathon held on the inaugural 1896 Olympic course, the 18th World Congress of AIMS and concurrent 4th AIMS-IAAF Marathon Symposium were held on 28-30 October. IAAF President Lamine Diack, attending the Symposium after the ceremonial lighting of the Marathon Flame, took advantage of the occasion to present the award.
Now in his 81st year, former middle distance runner Chosa has guided AIMS for the last 20 years, a time of unprecedented growth in AIMS membership. The Association was formed in 1982 with 28 members and has grown to currently represent 304. At his farewell address, Chosa predicted that by 2015 there could be 500 members.
Receiving his award Chosa said, through his long-time interpreter Yutaka Sasai, “Ten thousand words cannot express my surprise and pleasure at receiving this award from President Diack. It will be the first thing I see when I wake every morning. I’ve always refused this type of award from the Japanese government, and now I have this award, I can continue to refuse.”
Following the 18th World Congress of AIMS in
Athens on 28-30 October, the Athens
Classic Marathon
(more) was
run on the original course from Marathon to Athens on
31 October, 2500 years after the
legendary run by the soldier-messenger Pheidippides.
Raza Drazdauskaite, entered in the concurrently run
world Military Championship, broke the event record by
two minutes. Male winner Raymonf Bett scraped a couple
of seconds from the Men's event record.
In the Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon
(more) in
Germany Wilson Kipsang won in 2:04:57 to become the 8th
fastest marathon runner ever, and third fastest of this
year. Caroline Kilel won the women's race in 2:23:25,
and led three others under the old course record..
Elsewhere in Europe the Podgorica Marathon
(more)
took place in Montenegro, the Lucerne Marathon
(more) and
the Lausanne Marathon
(more) in
Switzerland,.
The 8th Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon
was run in the Kenyan capital.
In the USA the 35th edition of the Marine Corps
Marathon
(more)
took place in Washington DC.
In the Eastern Caribbean the University of the West
Indies hosted the UWI-SPEC Half Marathon
(more) from
their campus at St Augustine, Trinidad.
Paco Borao elected
as new
President of AIMS
29 October: Paco Borao of the Valencia Marathon
was elected as the new President of AIMS at the 18th World
Congress of AIMS held on 28-30 October in Athens, Greece. The
Congress coincided with the 2500th anniversary celebrations of
the Marathon legend, dating from the Battle of Marathon (490BC)
Borao has been Membership Director of AIMS since he was elected
to this position at the 10th World Congress of AIMS held in
Barcelona in March 1996. Since then AIMS membership has grown
from 100 members to 304.
Borao succeeds Hiroaki Chosa of Japan who retired at the Athens
Congress after holding the Presidency for 20 years.
Paco Borao (64 years old), is a former executive at IBM in
Spain, USA & France. He commented: "As well as an honour, it is
a great responsibility to become President of AIMS but I will
work hard to develop and promote the sport of distance running
around the world. I hope to build upon the work of Mr. Chosa who
has served AIMS, its members and the sport of distance running
with great distinction." of distance
running with great distinction.
From Left: Paco Borao, Martha Morales, Keisuke Sawaki, Fernando Jamarne, Guy Morse, Al Boka. (Click to enlarge images)
Others elected to the AIMS Board of Directors at the Congress were Keisuke Sawaki of Yokohama Marathon (Japan), Guy L Morse of the Boston Marathon (USA) and Fernando Jamarne of the Santiago Marathon (Chile). Al Boka of the Las Vegas Marathon (USA) was re-elected as Treasurer.
The major theme discussed at the Congress was how sport can become more friendly to the environment and promote this ethos to runners around the world.
A new book captures the soul of the Marine Corps Marathon
(MCM) and explains what “The People’s Marathon” represents.
Marine Corps Marathon: A Running Tradition is written from
the heart and by those who have a personal connection to the
race, the race directors and runners. More than 330,000 runners
have crossed the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon since
1976. Their stories are captured within these pages: including
their joy and triumph, as well as their mental and physical
pain, which they endured while covering 26.2 miles. The heart of
the race is in the heart of the runners.
Supporting the text is a collection of pictures dating as far back as 1976. There are top athletes who run alongside amateur runners, as well as celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey. The marathon includes the Ad Hoc Publicity Committee of the Marine Corps Marathon, the Special Olympics, the Ground Pounders, the Challenge Cup, and the Charity Partners. The appendices are an extensive collection of race statistical facts and top performances.
The author, TSgt. George Banker, U.S. Air Force Reserves (retired), serves on the Ad Hoc Publicity Committee of the Marine Corps Marathon as the historian. He received 14 military decoration. Raised in a Marine Corps family, Banker is an avid runner who completed 78 marathons, including 26 Marine Corps Marathons and the JFK 50 Miler (4 times). He is a senior writer for the Runner’s Gazette, a correspondent and photographer for the National Master News, Running Journal and a member of the Track & Field Writers Association. http://www.mcmhistory.com
Supporting the text is a collection of pictures dating as far back as 1976. There are top athletes who run alongside amateur runners, as well as celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey. The marathon includes the Ad Hoc Publicity Committee of the Marine Corps Marathon, the Special Olympics, the Ground Pounders, the Challenge Cup, and the Charity Partners. The appendices are an extensive collection of race statistical facts and top performances.
The author, TSgt. George Banker, U.S. Air Force Reserves (retired), serves on the Ad Hoc Publicity Committee of the Marine Corps Marathon as the historian. He received 14 military decoration. Raised in a Marine Corps family, Banker is an avid runner who completed 78 marathons, including 26 Marine Corps Marathons and the JFK 50 Miler (4 times). He is a senior writer for the Runner’s Gazette, a correspondent and photographer for the National Master News, Running Journal and a member of the Track & Field Writers Association. http://www.mcmhistory.com
On 22 October the Amman
International Marathon
(more) was held in the
Jordanian capital.
On 24 October the Chosunilbo
Chunchon International Marathon was run in
Korea, followed by the Beijing International
Marathon
(more) in which Ethiopia's Siraj outlasted
veteran Gert Thys as they struggled through typhoon
conditions. In Europe the Ljubljana Marathon
(more)
took place in the Slovenian capital, followed by the
Venicemarathon
(more) and the Marato
del Mediterraneo just outside of Barcelona.
Across the Mediterranean Morocco hosted the Grand
Marathon International de Casablanca
(more). Finally,
the Niagara Falls Marathon
(more) took
place near the famous landmark.
On Monday 25 October the Dublin Marathon (more) took place in the Irish capital.
On Monday 25 October the Dublin Marathon (more) took place in the Irish capital.
AIMS/CITIZEN WORLD’S FASTEST TIME AWARD
20 October 2010: Eritrean long-distance athlete Zersenay Tadese has been awarded the AIMS/Citizen World’s Fastest Time Award in recognition of his world record breaking time of 58:23, set during the Lisbon Half Marathon on 21 March 2010. He broke Olympic Marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru’s mark by 10 seconds.
AIMS Board member Dave Cundy presented Tadese with the award ahead of the recent IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Nanning, China.
20 October 2010: Eritrean long-distance athlete Zersenay Tadese has been awarded the AIMS/Citizen World’s Fastest Time Award in recognition of his world record breaking time of 58:23, set during the Lisbon Half Marathon on 21 March 2010. He broke Olympic Marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru’s mark by 10 seconds.
AIMS Board member Dave Cundy presented Tadese with the award ahead of the recent IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Nanning, China.
Zersenay Tadese said: “It is an honour to receive this award. I would like to thank AIMS and Citizen for recognising me with this trophy. When I think about the great athletes who have broken world distance records over the years and to now find myself among them is a great honour and I am very pleased to accept this award.”
22 October: Dr. David Martin has come to Berlin three
times from Atlanta, Georgia with 80–100 kg of luggage – so much
that it could hardly be carried – and the contents were always
meant for the Berlin Sports Museum - AIMS Marathon Museum of
Running writes Horst Milde.
Dr Martin, professor of Sports Medicine at Georgia State University in Atlanta/Georgia, was for years an advisor to the US national team marathon and long-distance runners, and is still active as a statistician for AIMS.
Through his activities with the US Association, he has attended countless Olympic Games, World Championships in Athletics, and other competitions in the USA and abroad. He played a significant role in the promotion of running and athletics and thus was in close contact with the stars in this area.
In addition to his medical and research activities at the university and his “hobby” of athletics, he is also the author of numerous books, including the classic “The Marathon Footrace”, which he wrote with Roger Gynn, the comprehensive compendium “The Olympic Marathon” with all of the details about the Olympic Marathon since 1896, and together with Peter Coe, the father of Sebastian Coe, a book about training.
In the process, he became a great collector of track and field memorabilia – especially of running artifacts. This collection include posters and t-shirts from various IAAF World Championships, Olympic Games, commemorative materials from the major running and sports events around the world – and he has been collecting stuff for decades.
Dr Martin, professor of Sports Medicine at Georgia State University in Atlanta/Georgia, was for years an advisor to the US national team marathon and long-distance runners, and is still active as a statistician for AIMS.
Through his activities with the US Association, he has attended countless Olympic Games, World Championships in Athletics, and other competitions in the USA and abroad. He played a significant role in the promotion of running and athletics and thus was in close contact with the stars in this area.
In addition to his medical and research activities at the university and his “hobby” of athletics, he is also the author of numerous books, including the classic “The Marathon Footrace”, which he wrote with Roger Gynn, the comprehensive compendium “The Olympic Marathon” with all of the details about the Olympic Marathon since 1896, and together with Peter Coe, the father of Sebastian Coe, a book about training.
In the process, he became a great collector of track and field memorabilia – especially of running artifacts. This collection include posters and t-shirts from various IAAF World Championships, Olympic Games, commemorative materials from the major running and sports events around the world – and he has been collecting stuff for decades.
Every time Dr. David Martin arrives with his heavy suitcases he unpacks his valuable artifacts and presents them to the museum. Dr. Martin has given the museum an almost complete collection of t-shirts from the race in his hometown of Atlanta, the world-renowned “Peachtree Road Race“ put on by the Atlanta Track Club, which are gathered like rare treasures and enjoy a kind of cult status in the USA
He has also provided important museum treasures without personal visits, including a complete documentation of the development of the AVON Women’s Run in the USA, sending the museum medals, posters, correspondence and photos in 2008. He had been involved in the development of this race for years.
His donations are greatly appreciated and treasured by the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running.
For the Berlin Sports Museum - AIMS Marathon Museum of Running, Dr. David Martin is a true “gem”, who does not keep his own “treasures” at home under lock and key, but rather demonstrates his service to the general public by donating them for future generations to enjoy.
21 October: The city of Venice will be made more
accessible thanks to the installation over the bridges of 13
wooden ramps that will help not only disabled people, but also
the inhabitants, the runners and the tourists to run and to walk
more easily in Venice. In the first year of the project, in
2006, the ramps stayed over the bridges for 80 days at the time
of the marathon, making Venice accessible for those people
obliged to move with wheelchairs or that have problems managing
the steps. In 2010, on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of
the marathon, the ramps will be at the public's disposal for
over 150 days, till the end of February, including the marathon
day, Christmas time, the New Year’s Day and the Carnival. To
have further information on the Venice City Council’s project
“City for All”
click here
On 16 October Wilson Kiprop and
Florence Kiplagat took the IAAF World Half
Marathon Championships
(more) titles in Nanning (CHN),
in only their second races at the distance. Kiprop
overtook four-time champion Zersenay Tadese just metres
before the finish line to record 1:00:07, while Kiplagat
kicked clear of Dire Tune in the last 800m to win in
1:08:24. Kenya captured both team titles.
On 17 October the Gyeongju International Marathon (more) takes place in Korea, followed by four events in Europe: The 32nd Istanbul Eurasia Marathon (more) (starting in Asia, finishing in Europe); the 3rd Bucharest Marathon (more) in the Romanian capital; the Amsterdam Marathon (more); and La Voie Royal - Semi Marathon de Saint Denis (more) in a northern suburb of Paris.
Across the Atlantic the Goodlife Fitness Toronto
Marathon
(more) completes the programme for the day.
Toronto hosts
Marathon Flame
On 9 October the Kinmen Round the Island Marathon
was held in Chinese Taipei.
There were 13 AIMS events scheduled on 10-10-(20)10, starting with the St. George Melbourne Marathon (more) in Australia before a clutch of European events. The fastest times and closest finish came in the 27th Eindhoven Marathon (more), where Charles Kamathi pipped Nicholas Kipkorir, but both ran 2:07:38 and Paul Biwott was only two seconds behind. By contrast Atsede Habtamu won the women's race by five minutes. The Brussels Marathon (more) was won by Levy Matebo in 2:13:30 and Mariska Dute in 2:59:16. In the Poznan Marathon (more) in Poland, Isaac Macharia had a 5-second margin of victory over Haile Tesfaye (2:16:27 to 2:16:32) while Marina Damantsevich (BLR) took the women's title. The winners in the 23rd Ferrari Italian Marathon (more) were Paul Malakwen in 2:09:00 and Hellen Wajiku in 2:27:16. The Timisoara Marathon (more) in Romania, the NIS Novi Sad Marathon in Serbia, the Zagreb Marathon (more) in Croatia, the Lake Guarda Marathon (more) and and the 25th Munich Marathon (more) in Germany were also run on the same day.
Moving west, in Canada the BMO Okanagan Marathon (more) was held in the province of Alberta and the 31st Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon (more) in British Columbia enjoyed record numbers and a world age record. South of the 49th parallel the 39th Portland Marathon (more) took place in the US state of Oregon and the Guayaquil Marathon (more) was run in Ecuador.
There were 13 AIMS events scheduled on 10-10-(20)10, starting with the St. George Melbourne Marathon (more) in Australia before a clutch of European events. The fastest times and closest finish came in the 27th Eindhoven Marathon (more), where Charles Kamathi pipped Nicholas Kipkorir, but both ran 2:07:38 and Paul Biwott was only two seconds behind. By contrast Atsede Habtamu won the women's race by five minutes. The Brussels Marathon (more) was won by Levy Matebo in 2:13:30 and Mariska Dute in 2:59:16. In the Poznan Marathon (more) in Poland, Isaac Macharia had a 5-second margin of victory over Haile Tesfaye (2:16:27 to 2:16:32) while Marina Damantsevich (BLR) took the women's title. The winners in the 23rd Ferrari Italian Marathon (more) were Paul Malakwen in 2:09:00 and Hellen Wajiku in 2:27:16. The Timisoara Marathon (more) in Romania, the NIS Novi Sad Marathon in Serbia, the Zagreb Marathon (more) in Croatia, the Lake Guarda Marathon (more) and and the 25th Munich Marathon (more) in Germany were also run on the same day.
Moving west, in Canada the BMO Okanagan Marathon (more) was held in the province of Alberta and the 31st Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon (more) in British Columbia enjoyed record numbers and a world age record. South of the 49th parallel the 39th Portland Marathon (more) took place in the US state of Oregon and the Guayaquil Marathon (more) was run in Ecuador.
7 October: The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) will
celebrate its 35-year history while commemorating the 2500th
anniversary of the Battle of Marathon and Pheidippidies'
legendary run. To mark the occasion, the MCM will receive the
Marathon Flame from the Municipality of Marathon, Greece, and
embark on a multi-city tour beginning on Thursday, 21 October
and concluding at the MCM on race day, 31 October - the same day
that the Athens Classic Marathon is held.
The MCM will present the Marathon Flame in four locations including the start and finish locations of the 115-year old BAA Boston Marathon (Hopkinton and Boston), New York and Philadelphia in ceremonies to include US Marines and Sailors, Marine Corps veterans, members of the Greek community and MCM runners. Permanently housed at the Marathon Museum in the town of Marathon, Greece, the Flame is a perpetual reminder of those who died in the Battle of Marathon between the vastly outnumbered Greeks and attacking Persians.
"It is appropriate that the sport with military roots be
celebrated by the United States Marine Corps," says Rick Nealis,
MCM Race Director. The MCM will receive the Marathon Flame on 21
October during a ceremony in Hopkinton, MA, the sister city of
Marathon, Greece. The ceremony will include the lighting of the
Marathon torch at 10.00 outside the Hopkinton Police Department.
The next stop is a ceremony in Boston at 14.00 on 21 October,
adjacent to the USS Constitution. US Marines and the US Navy
crew of the USS Constitution will join the event while
celebrating the ship's 213th birthday from its homeport at the
Charlestown Navy Yard. On 22 October the Flame will make an
early-morning stop in New York City before continuing to the
Philadelphia Vietnam Veteran's Memorial located near Tun Tavern,
the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps, for a ceremony
at 15.00.
Following the last stop in Philadelphia, the Marathon Flame will
arrive at Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, to be incorporated
into a variety of programs throughout MCM Weekend. In addition,
Dimitri Kyriakides, official representative of the Municipality
of Marathon will present "The Battle of Marathon: The Sport's
Greek History" at 12.00 on 30 October at the Health and Fitness
Expo to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,
Washington DC
This year’s Athens Classic Marathon on 31 October
may propel itself into the stratosphere that its legend and
history deserves, writes Pat Butcher. It is the 2500th
anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, whose legend created a
place for a long distance race in the inaugural modern Olympic
Games held in Athens in 1896. This year’s race, on the original
course from Marathon to Athens, is a special celebration.
The Athens Classic Marathon has been relatively low-key since it was revived three decades ago. There were 3600 finishers last year, and Paul Lekuraa's 2008 race record of 2:12:42 is almost two minutes slower than the course record of 2:10:55, set by 2004 Olympic winner Stefano Baldini. But this year the elite entry has been beefed up, with Jonathan Kosgei Kipkorir leading the pack on paper, with his 2:07:31 personal best from Paris 2009. There are three other sub-2:10 Kenyans, as well as Lekuraa. The leading woman is Ashu Kasim of Ethiopia, who also ran her personal best of 2:25:49 in Paris last year.
Apart from the elite entry, the event has proved a hit with the mass public all across the world. The popular entry was limited to 20,000 yet oversubscribed within two weeks of opening. Baldini will be one of half a dozen special ‘marathon’ guests, who will be able to re-live their exploits at the Museum of the Marathon in the town itself, venue of the battle which both gave the race its name, and is still the starting point for the event.
Museum director Maria Polyzou is still the Greek national record holder for the Marathon, and two months ago retraced the steps of Pheidippides, completing another legendary run, from Athens to Sparta and back to the tomb of the fallen soldiers from 490BC, in Marathon. Unlike Phillipides, she survived the ordeal.
A surprise entry, at least to himself, is 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot, who was presented with an entry by his family while celebrating his 64th birthday two months ago. It was the quick way to get him back on his feet after knee surgery.
The municipality of Marathon, which has hosted the AIMS/IAAF Marathon Symposium for the last three years will share its place with Athens, the venue for this year’s 18th World Congress of AIMS. The 200 delegates from around the world will travel to Marathon on the day before the race for the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame. The one that all marathoners carry inside.
The Athens Classic Marathon has been relatively low-key since it was revived three decades ago. There were 3600 finishers last year, and Paul Lekuraa's 2008 race record of 2:12:42 is almost two minutes slower than the course record of 2:10:55, set by 2004 Olympic winner Stefano Baldini. But this year the elite entry has been beefed up, with Jonathan Kosgei Kipkorir leading the pack on paper, with his 2:07:31 personal best from Paris 2009. There are three other sub-2:10 Kenyans, as well as Lekuraa. The leading woman is Ashu Kasim of Ethiopia, who also ran her personal best of 2:25:49 in Paris last year.
Apart from the elite entry, the event has proved a hit with the mass public all across the world. The popular entry was limited to 20,000 yet oversubscribed within two weeks of opening. Baldini will be one of half a dozen special ‘marathon’ guests, who will be able to re-live their exploits at the Museum of the Marathon in the town itself, venue of the battle which both gave the race its name, and is still the starting point for the event.
Museum director Maria Polyzou is still the Greek national record holder for the Marathon, and two months ago retraced the steps of Pheidippides, completing another legendary run, from Athens to Sparta and back to the tomb of the fallen soldiers from 490BC, in Marathon. Unlike Phillipides, she survived the ordeal.
A surprise entry, at least to himself, is 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot, who was presented with an entry by his family while celebrating his 64th birthday two months ago. It was the quick way to get him back on his feet after knee surgery.
The municipality of Marathon, which has hosted the AIMS/IAAF Marathon Symposium for the last three years will share its place with Athens, the venue for this year’s 18th World Congress of AIMS. The 200 delegates from around the world will travel to Marathon on the day before the race for the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame. The one that all marathoners carry inside.
A surprise entry, at least to himself, is 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot, who was presented with an entry by his family while celebrating his 64th birthday two months ago. It was the quick way to get him back on his feet after knee surgery.
The municipality of Marathon, which has hosted the AIMS/IAAF Marathon Symposium for the last three years will share its place with Athens, the venue for this year’s 18th World Congress of AIMS. The 200 delegates from around the world will travel to Marathon on the day before the race for the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame. The one that all marathoners carry inside.
5 October: With half a dozen runners featuring personal
bests of sub 2:08 and another eight runners having achieved sub
2:10 times so far the Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon
promises to produce yet another thrilling and high-class men’s
race on 31 October. Gilbert Kirwa's course record of 2:06:14
from last year will be under threat. Germany’s oldest city
marathon could well see its first sub 2:06 result. A record
field of around 13,000 runners is expected to take part in the
race. Online entry is still available at:
www.frankfurt-marathon.com
The two men that could be the strongest in a deep field are Kenyans Sylvester Teimet and Wilson Kipsang. 26 year-old Sylvester Teimet broke into world-class this March, when he won the Seoul Marathon in 2:06:49. It was a close race until the final 2km, when Teimet finally dropped Kirwa. The Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon course record holder was second in 2:06:59.
Wilson Kipsang is reported to be in good shape. The 28 year-old debuted by finishing second in Paris in April with 2:07:13 and has a half marathon best of 58:59 minutes. Four more runners have sub-2:08 times, the fastest being 27 year-old Elijah Keitany with a best of 2:06:41 from Amsterdam in 2009. David Mandago is just 12 seconds slower. The 32 year-old clocked 2:06:53 in Paris last year, but finished only sixth. also competing are three-time winner Wilfred Kigen (2005 to 2007 / PB: 2:07:33) and Francis Kiprop, 28, who was second behind world record holder Haile Gebrselassie in the 2009 Berlin Marathon with 2:07:04.
The two men that could be the strongest in a deep field are Kenyans Sylvester Teimet and Wilson Kipsang. 26 year-old Sylvester Teimet broke into world-class this March, when he won the Seoul Marathon in 2:06:49. It was a close race until the final 2km, when Teimet finally dropped Kirwa. The Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon course record holder was second in 2:06:59.
Wilson Kipsang is reported to be in good shape. The 28 year-old debuted by finishing second in Paris in April with 2:07:13 and has a half marathon best of 58:59 minutes. Four more runners have sub-2:08 times, the fastest being 27 year-old Elijah Keitany with a best of 2:06:41 from Amsterdam in 2009. David Mandago is just 12 seconds slower. The 32 year-old clocked 2:06:53 in Paris last year, but finished only sixth. also competing are three-time winner Wilfred Kigen (2005 to 2007 / PB: 2:07:33) and Francis Kiprop, 28, who was second behind world record holder Haile Gebrselassie in the 2009 Berlin Marathon with 2:07:04.
The AIMS programme on 3 October opened with the Colombo
Marathon
(more) in Sri Lanka, followed by four Marathons in Europe:
the venerable Kosice Marathon
(more) in Slovakia, now in its
86th year; the Sparkasse 3-Country Marathon
(more) at Lake
Constanz, where the borders of Germany, Austria and Switzerland
converge; the Koln Marathon
(more) in Germany and the
Baxter's Loch Ness Marathon
(more) in the north of Scotland.
With less than two weeks to go until the 31st Annual GoodLife
Fitness Victoria Marathon, the Half Marathon has sold out,
reaching its cap of 6,800. Registration totals to date have also
exceeded the total number of registrations received in 2009 with
12,584 registered in all events, an increase of 300 over last
year.
“We expected to reach the Half Marathon cap,” says Cathy Noel, General Manager. “The half marathon distance is the fastest growing in North America so we are following a very popular trend. To see a record number of registrations with 13 days to go proves the popularity of our event, and it is likely that we will see another surge before race day.”
With the Half Marathon sold out, entries will only be accepted in the Marathon and 8km road race. In 2009 some runners, disappointed at not getting into the Half Marathon, entered the Marathon and ran the Half. “These runners will be disqualified,” says Noel. Registration transfers are also not allowed. “We can’t have people giving or selling their entry to another person for medical and safety reasons. If someone wears another person’s bib, and they for some reason collapse on course, we won’t know who that person is.”
“We expected to reach the Half Marathon cap,” says Cathy Noel, General Manager. “The half marathon distance is the fastest growing in North America so we are following a very popular trend. To see a record number of registrations with 13 days to go proves the popularity of our event, and it is likely that we will see another surge before race day.”
With the Half Marathon sold out, entries will only be accepted in the Marathon and 8km road race. In 2009 some runners, disappointed at not getting into the Half Marathon, entered the Marathon and ran the Half. “These runners will be disqualified,” says Noel. Registration transfers are also not allowed. “We can’t have people giving or selling their entry to another person for medical and safety reasons. If someone wears another person’s bib, and they for some reason collapse on course, we won’t know who that person is.”
The 31st Annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon takes place on 10 October 2010. The Victoria Marathon is ranked number one in Canada for most Boston Marathon qualifiers and number two in Canada of top Boston Marathon qualifying races. For the second year it will host the 2010 Provincial Marathon Championships. There is $26,000 available in prize money with $3,000 each going to the top male and female and a $5,000 bonus for a new men’s or women’s course record. In 2006, Steve Osaduik broke a 25-year record by winning the Marathon in 2:16:49. In addition to the Marathon there is a Half Marathon, 8km road race and Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon.
For more details, visit www.runvictoriamarathon.com.
On 26 September Leonard Komen set a new world record
for 10km on the road in the Fortis Singelloop 10km
(more) in
Utrecht, with a time of 26.44 - 17 seconds faster than the
old mark recorded by Micah Kogo.
The 37th real,- Berlin Marathon
(more) was run in
rain swept conditions but Patrick Makau edged Geoffrey Mutai
2:05:08 to 2:05:10, with 20-year old Bazu Worku in third, in
2:05:25
The Route du Vin Half Marathon
(more) in
Luxembourg, the Maratonina di Udine
(more), the
Turin Half Marathon
(more) in Italy,
and the Half Marathon of Portugal Vodafone
(more) in Lisbon
were all held on 26 September, along with the 25th SPAR
Budapest International Marathon
(more) in the
Hungarian capital.
The Cape Town Marathon was run in South Africa while across the Atlantic the Costa Rica International 10km, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (more) and the Lake Tahoe Marathon (more) rounded off an action-packed day.
The Cape Town Marathon was run in South Africa while across the Atlantic the Costa Rica International 10km, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (more) and the Lake Tahoe Marathon (more) rounded off an action-packed day.
Patrick Makau of Kenya underlined his ascendancy over
compatriot Geoffrey Mutai, when he won a rainswept 37th
edition of the real,- Berlin Marathon on 26
September, in 2.05.08 writes Pat Butcher. He was two
seconds ahead of Mutai, with 20 year old Ethiopian Bazu
Worku third, in 2.05.25.
The two Kenyans are also the world's fastest marathoners this year, having finished in the same order at Rotterdam in April, in 2.04.48 and 2.04.55 respectively. Worku ran a personal best just ten days past his 20th birthday. The top three returned the fifth, sixth and seventh fastest times ever.
The one opponent that all fast marathoners fear is extreme weather. And though the leading contenders made a brave attempt to stay on pace, the chances of a seventh world record in 13 years in the German capital evaporated as the rain which had been falling steadily throughout the previous 12 hours increased as the race progressed on Sunday morning.
The two Kenyans are also the world's fastest marathoners this year, having finished in the same order at Rotterdam in April, in 2.04.48 and 2.04.55 respectively. Worku ran a personal best just ten days past his 20th birthday. The top three returned the fifth, sixth and seventh fastest times ever.
The one opponent that all fast marathoners fear is extreme weather. And though the leading contenders made a brave attempt to stay on pace, the chances of a seventh world record in 13 years in the German capital evaporated as the rain which had been falling steadily throughout the previous 12 hours increased as the race progressed on Sunday morning.
After 30km Worku and Mutai eased away from the pack and pacers, with Makau in close attendance. And so it remained for the next 8km. At 39km Makau looked as if he was starting to flag, but it was a ploy, whose success became apparent a half kilometre later, when he steamed past Worku.
Mutai had dropped away in the final kilometre in Rotterdam, but not here. The pair ran abreast through the Brandenburg Gate, with a final 400m to contest. Makau went away comfortably in the final 200m and was able to raise an arm in victory while still 20m from the line.
On his ploy at 39km, Makau admitted it was done on purpose. "To win a race, you need many things. To drop back some metres, and catch up again is usually very difficult, but it was one of my tactics".
Waiting past the finish line to greet the top two was Kenyan Prime Minster, Raila Odinga, whose big bear hug for Makau and Mutai can only increase his own popularity.
On 19 September Blackmore's Sydney Running Festival
(more)
started action for the day, followed up in Europe with the
Wachau Marathon
(more) along a
particularly scenic stretch of the Danube in Austria, the
Varazdin Half Marathon
(more) in Croatia
the popular Dam to Damloop
(more) over a 10-mile
course from Amsterdam to Zandam with 30,000 runners, and the
Hans Christian Andersen Marathon
(more) in the
Danish town of Odense.
Passing into the western hemisphere the Maraton Leon Indepencencia took place in Mexico.
Passing into the western hemisphere the Maraton Leon Indepencencia took place in Mexico.
The racing programme on 11 September started with the
Novosibirsk Half Marathon
(more) before
moving to Europe with the
Ruskamarathon
(more) in Finland and
the Stockholm Half Marathon
(more). The
Jungfrau Marathon
(more)
was run in Switzerland, near Interlaken, before the Tesco
Grand Prix Prague
(more) was run in the
Czech capital at nightfall.
On 12 September action in Europe was concentrated around the east end of the Baltic, with the SEB Tallinn Marathon (more) in Estonia, the Vilnius Marathon (more) in Lithuania, the Moscow Marathon and the Wroclaw Marathon (more) in Poland. Over the Atlantic, the Maraton de la Ciudad de Mexico (more) was run and the Medio Maraton Ciudad de Medellin (more) follows on from the meeting of Latin American race directors which convened the previous day.
On 12 September action in Europe was concentrated around the east end of the Baltic, with the SEB Tallinn Marathon (more) in Estonia, the Vilnius Marathon (more) in Lithuania, the Moscow Marathon and the Wroclaw Marathon (more) in Poland. Over the Atlantic, the Maraton de la Ciudad de Mexico (more) was run and the Medio Maraton Ciudad de Medellin (more) follows on from the meeting of Latin American race directors which convened the previous day.
The Marathon as we know it today is little more than 100 years
old, but the springboard from which it launched was the Battle
of Marathon, fought 2500 years ago, on September 490BC. This is
the anniversary that we celebrate in 2010. Nothing like the
Marathon was ever seen in the ancient Olympics, run from 776BC
to 261AD. The longest race then was less than 5km. The Marathon
was adopted in 1896 as a central part of the modern Olympic
programme, and takes place in countless cities all over the
world today, purely because of its popular appeal to the
imagination, stemming from the Marathon legend of 2500 years
ago.
In 490BC the Persian Army, the greatest imperial power of the age, had mustered an estimated 150,000 troops to invade Greece, in order to punish the small city state of Athens for their earlier support of the Ionian Revolt, a military rebellion against absolutist Persian rule that lasted from 499BC to 493BC. Led by Generals Datis and Artaphernes, they launched their attack from the Gulf of Marathon. The Athenian forces consisted of 10,000 citizen-soldiers, including 1000 soldiers from Plataea, and were lead by General Miltiades. The two forces met near the small village of Marathon, to the north of Athens, in September 490BC. At that time, the Persian military was the greatest fighting force of the era, and the odds were heavily against the Athenians.
In 490BC the Persian Army, the greatest imperial power of the age, had mustered an estimated 150,000 troops to invade Greece, in order to punish the small city state of Athens for their earlier support of the Ionian Revolt, a military rebellion against absolutist Persian rule that lasted from 499BC to 493BC. Led by Generals Datis and Artaphernes, they launched their attack from the Gulf of Marathon. The Athenian forces consisted of 10,000 citizen-soldiers, including 1000 soldiers from Plataea, and were lead by General Miltiades. The two forces met near the small village of Marathon, to the north of Athens, in September 490BC. At that time, the Persian military was the greatest fighting force of the era, and the odds were heavily against the Athenians.
Although the writings do not mention his name, the legend says that a brave Athenian called Pheidippides, who had previously run to Sparta and back seeking military aid, ran the 40km (approximately 25 miles) from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory. “Nenikèkamen” (“We are victorious”) or “Niki” (“Victory”) and then collapsed from exhaustion and died. He may have also taken part in the battle.
This is the tale upon which the modern Olympic Marathon rests: the mythic run of Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens.
On 4 September in the Fjord Norway Half Marathon
(more) just to the north of Bergen Girma Assefa was more
than nine minutes ahead of his nearest rival Bjarte Eikanger
(1:04:58 to 1:14:02). Audhild
Hestad won a closer women's contest with Gro Svendal(1:25:28 to
1:26:25).
Faster times were recorded in hald marathons
run elsewhere in Europe, with Cosmas Kyeva running 1:03:31 and
Agnieszka Gortel 1:12:52 in the Pila International Half
Marathon
(more); Edwin Kipyego 1:03:08 and Claire
Hallisey 1:12:02 in the Bristol Half
Marathon (more),
and fastest of all, Hailu Mekkonen 1:01:53 and Caroline
Kilel 1:09:11 in the Great Scottish Run
(more) in Glasgow
The 25th Nike Budapest International Half Marathon
(more) was held in Hungary and the Torshavn Marathon
(more) in the Faroe Islands.
Across the Atlantic the
Medio Maraton Atlas de Guadalajara
(more) was run in
Mexico, while halfway across the Pacific the Kaua'i
Marathon (more)
was won by Michael Wardian - only one week after finishing
third in the IAU 50km trophy race in Ireland.
After Haile Gebrselassie's four wins (including two world
records) this year's real,- BERLIN-MARATHON on 26
September is wide open. With Haile opting to run in New York,
seven runners in the field have sub-2:07 times, three of them
under 2:06. Patrick Makau and Geoffrey Mutai top the list with
their 2:04:48 and 2:04:55 times recorded in the Rotterdam
Marathon earlier this year.
Makau won the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon in 2007 and 2008, and in 2007 set a course record and personal best of 58:56 (which he has since improved to 58:52 in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 2009. Eliud Kiptanui, 21, recently won the Prague Marathon in 2:05:39 - in only his second effort at the distance. Bazu Worku (ETH), 20, ran 2:06:15 to get second at the Paris Marathon in 2009 and Gilbert Yegon (KEN), 22,won the 2009 Amsterdam Marathon in 2:06:18.
The race starts at 09.00 and is covered live in Germany by n-tv, and by Eurosport to Europe and Asia. Fuji TV will broadcast to Japan.
Makau won the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon in 2007 and 2008, and in 2007 set a course record and personal best of 58:56 (which he has since improved to 58:52 in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 2009. Eliud Kiptanui, 21, recently won the Prague Marathon in 2:05:39 - in only his second effort at the distance. Bazu Worku (ETH), 20, ran 2:06:15 to get second at the Paris Marathon in 2009 and Gilbert Yegon (KEN), 22,won the 2009 Amsterdam Marathon in 2:06:18.
The race starts at 09.00 and is covered live in Germany by n-tv, and by Eurosport to Europe and Asia. Fuji TV will broadcast to Japan.
On the evening of 28 August the Ruta de
las Iglesias 10km
(more), was held in Quito, Ecuador, on a route
lined by flaming torches.
27 August: The 2011 Comrades Marathon, an "up" run
from Durban to Poetermaritzburg to be held on 29 May, launched
on 26 August. Entries will be open from 09.00 on Wednesday 1
September 2010 for all athletes; this includes online entries at
www.comrades.com.
The 2010 Comrades Marathon, the 85th celebration of the world’s biggest ultra-marathon, was hugely successful. Interest in the event is growing among South Africans and all over the world. The 2010 Comrades Marathon was the second largest ever, only surpassed by the millennium race in 2000. The race set new records for international (5%), female (24%) and novice (29%) participation. Organisers expect the Comrades Marathon to be officially recognised as the world’s biggest ultra-marathon by the Guinness Book of Records
Aspiring entrants should note the limit of 18,000 entries and that entry requirements must be met. Entries will be taken on a first-come first-served basis.
The Comrades Marathon Association is confident that it can repeat the success of the 2010 Comrades Marathon next year and expects a surge in interest from novices from all over the world, but mostly from South African athletes who have rediscovered the lure of the Comrades Marathon as a national icon and a “must do” event for sportsmen and women.
The 2010 Comrades Marathon, the 85th celebration of the world’s biggest ultra-marathon, was hugely successful. Interest in the event is growing among South Africans and all over the world. The 2010 Comrades Marathon was the second largest ever, only surpassed by the millennium race in 2000. The race set new records for international (5%), female (24%) and novice (29%) participation. Organisers expect the Comrades Marathon to be officially recognised as the world’s biggest ultra-marathon by the Guinness Book of Records
Aspiring entrants should note the limit of 18,000 entries and that entry requirements must be met. Entries will be taken on a first-come first-served basis.
The Comrades Marathon Association is confident that it can repeat the success of the 2010 Comrades Marathon next year and expects a surge in interest from novices from all over the world, but mostly from South African athletes who have rediscovered the lure of the Comrades Marathon as a national icon and a “must do” event for sportsmen and women.
26 August: The 22,000th participant entered the 2010
Amsterdam Marathon earlier this week. Entries are 7500
higher than at the same time in 2009. The numbers are in line
with the ambition announced at the beginning of this year: to be
the biggest marathon in Europe by 2014, with 37,000 runners. The
35th edition of the Amsterdam Marathon will be held on Sunday 17
October.
Amsterdam is a city with international allure and is attracting runners in their thousands. Foreign participants, who often stay a few days to a week, boost the local economy. They visit theatres and museums, go out to eat and walk along the canals (which were this month put on UNESCO's World Heritage List).. Looking further ahead, the path that the Amsterdam Marathon is following with the Municipality fits perfectly with the ambition to hold the 2028 Olympic Games in the city.
Amsterdam is a city with international allure and is attracting runners in their thousands. Foreign participants, who often stay a few days to a week, boost the local economy. They visit theatres and museums, go out to eat and walk along the canals (which were this month put on UNESCO's World Heritage List).. Looking further ahead, the path that the Amsterdam Marathon is following with the Municipality fits perfectly with the ambition to hold the 2028 Olympic Games in the city.
13,000 Dutch runners have entered so far. The full marathon is on its way to a total of 11,000 national and international participants, 2500 more than last year. Entries are still being accepted until midnight on 19 September, unless the maximum number of participants has been reached. www.amsterdammarathon.nl.
The 27th edition of the Reykjavik Marathon Islandsbanka
(more) was held in the Icelandic capital on 21
August, won by Björn Margeirsson in 2:33:57 and
Rannveig Oddsdottir in 2:57:33.
The
17th edition of the Rio de Janeiro Half Marathon
(more) was run on 22 August, with foreign
participants from 20 countries among the 18000 field. Foremost
among them were winning Kenyans Joshua Kiplagat Kemei in 1:04:03
and Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa in 1:14:37. The Intact Canadian
Derby Edmonton Marathon
(more) took place the same day, won by Canadians Brendan
Lunty in 2:33:21 and Ellie Greenwood in 2:49:57.
The Helsinki City Marathon
(more), run in the Finnish capital on 14 August,
was won by Girma Gezahagne (ETH) in 2:22:36 and Leena Puotiniemi
(FIN) in 2:49:11.
August 7: Two (male and female) world records have never
before been set in the same road race, but this was achieved by
Mary Keitany and Samuel Kosgei in the BIG Berlin 25km on
9 May 2010. These records have just been ratified by the world
governing body, IAAF.
IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss sent a letter to the event organiser, Gerhardt Janetzky, on 6 August advising that both of the world records set at the BIG 25 Berlin have been ratified.
Mary Keitany (KEN), the World Champion in the half marathon, set a new record of 1:19:53, while Samuel Kosgei (KEN) recorded 1:11:50. Keitany's performance was a huge leap forward, lopping more than two minutes from the previous mark and ducked inside 1:20 for the first time.
Five world records have been set at the BIG 25 Berlin, which was started in 1981 by the French Allied forces as the “25km de Berlin”. It was the first road race in Germany to take place on roads through the centre of a major city.
The previous world records set in the BIG Berlin 25km were in 1997 by Kenneth Cheruiyot (KEN) in 1:13:58; in 2001 by Rodgers Rop (KEN) who lowered the record to 1:13:44, and then in 2004 by Paul Malakwen Kosgei (KEN) who set a new record at 1:12:45.
IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss sent a letter to the event organiser, Gerhardt Janetzky, on 6 August advising that both of the world records set at the BIG 25 Berlin have been ratified.
Mary Keitany (KEN), the World Champion in the half marathon, set a new record of 1:19:53, while Samuel Kosgei (KEN) recorded 1:11:50. Keitany's performance was a huge leap forward, lopping more than two minutes from the previous mark and ducked inside 1:20 for the first time.
Five world records have been set at the BIG 25 Berlin, which was started in 1981 by the French Allied forces as the “25km de Berlin”. It was the first road race in Germany to take place on roads through the centre of a major city.
The previous world records set in the BIG Berlin 25km were in 1997 by Kenneth Cheruiyot (KEN) in 1:13:58; in 2001 by Rodgers Rop (KEN) who lowered the record to 1:13:44, and then in 2004 by Paul Malakwen Kosgei (KEN) who set a new record at 1:12:45.
5 August: The Portland Marathon, scheduled for 10
October, announced today that both the full Marathon and the
Inaugural Portland Marathon Half are sold out. Ten thousand
participants are registered for the 39th Portland Marathon and
3,000 are registered for the Half Marathon.
Only a few spaces are still available through the event's twelve official charities. The exclusive charity entries are for those running or walking the full or half marathons to help raise money for one of the charities.
Race director Les Smith commented: "It's fun to plan for a sold out event. It allows us the extra time to carefully plan our logistics because we know how many are coming to the party. We can fine-tune our systems to provide an even better experience for everyone.”
This year, the Portland Marathon will also host a Kids’ Obstacle Course Fun Run (ages 2-12) as part of a new Family Festival that will be held on the Saturday 9 October 2010. Registration for this event will be available at www.portlandmarathon.org.
Another change to the event lineup this year will be made due to potential conflicts between the new Portland Marathon Half course and the 5 mile event. The Five-Miler will not be run this year but will return next year, in the 40th anniversary celebrations, as a competitive “Downhill 10km Dash.”. The 10km walk continues this year as a non-competitive fun family event. Limited registration is available.
Only a few spaces are still available through the event's twelve official charities. The exclusive charity entries are for those running or walking the full or half marathons to help raise money for one of the charities.
Race director Les Smith commented: "It's fun to plan for a sold out event. It allows us the extra time to carefully plan our logistics because we know how many are coming to the party. We can fine-tune our systems to provide an even better experience for everyone.”
This year, the Portland Marathon will also host a Kids’ Obstacle Course Fun Run (ages 2-12) as part of a new Family Festival that will be held on the Saturday 9 October 2010. Registration for this event will be available at www.portlandmarathon.org.
Another change to the event lineup this year will be made due to potential conflicts between the new Portland Marathon Half course and the 5 mile event. The Five-Miler will not be run this year but will return next year, in the 40th anniversary celebrations, as a competitive “Downhill 10km Dash.”. The 10km walk continues this year as a non-competitive fun family event. Limited registration is available.
The big-city marathons have had a huge impact in the last 30
years, getting unprecedented numbers of people onto the roads
writes Pat Butcher. Boston can even boast over a hundred years’
legacy, beginning as it did in the late 19th century.
But when the Athens Classic Marathon takes place later this year it will be celebrating an anniversary that puts all others into the shade. The year 2010 is the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, an event which arguably ‘saved’ democracy in what would become Western Europe, and ultimately provided the impetus for the creation of the marathon race for the inaugural modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896.
The organisers of this year’s event, from the town of Marathon to the old marble Panathenaiko stadium in Athens, are putting on an unprecedented show for the race on Sunday, 31 October. Last year’s record field of 7000 has been increased to 20,000+, a quota that was filled within weeks of entry being opened at the start of the year. Elite entries already include Kenyans Isaac Macharia and Jonathan Kipkorir, both of whom have run just over 2.07, while famous guests so far include double Olympic marathon gold medalist Waldemar Cierpinski, Ron Hill, who won the Euro Marathon in Athens 1969, and Kathrine Switzer, whose gate-crashing of the hitherto all-male Boston Marathon in 1967 helped kick-start the explosion in women’s marathoning.
But when the Athens Classic Marathon takes place later this year it will be celebrating an anniversary that puts all others into the shade. The year 2010 is the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, an event which arguably ‘saved’ democracy in what would become Western Europe, and ultimately provided the impetus for the creation of the marathon race for the inaugural modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896.
The organisers of this year’s event, from the town of Marathon to the old marble Panathenaiko stadium in Athens, are putting on an unprecedented show for the race on Sunday, 31 October. Last year’s record field of 7000 has been increased to 20,000+, a quota that was filled within weeks of entry being opened at the start of the year. Elite entries already include Kenyans Isaac Macharia and Jonathan Kipkorir, both of whom have run just over 2.07, while famous guests so far include double Olympic marathon gold medalist Waldemar Cierpinski, Ron Hill, who won the Euro Marathon in Athens 1969, and Kathrine Switzer, whose gate-crashing of the hitherto all-male Boston Marathon in 1967 helped kick-start the explosion in women’s marathoning.
The 18th World Congress of AIMS will be held in the Greek capital in the days preceding this year’s Athens Classic Marathon, and delegates will attend the traditional lighting of the Marathon Flame at the tumulus, the burial ground for those few score Hellenic soldiers who fell in the victorious Battle of Marathon against the invading Persians in 490BC.
On 1 August The Bogota International
Half Marathon
(more) took place in the Colombian capital, with its usual
cast of thousands and a top-quality international elite field.
Further north, the Northwest Passage Marathon
(more) was held on Somerset Island in Nunavut. It is the
western hemisphere's most northerly marathon and the world’s
most northerly ultra marathon (55km), held under the 24-hour
Arctic sun and against the backdrop of the fabled the Northwest
Passage
On 31 July the
first edition of the Australian Outback Marathon
(more) took place within view of Ayers Rock. On the same day
in the Swiss Alps the 25th anniversary Swissalpine
Marathon
(more) was run in the Davos resort, with Jonas Buud (SWE,
5:49:14) and Jasmin Nunige (SUI, 6:39:28) taking the laurels.
Greek women’s marathon record holder Maria Polyzou had announced her intention to run the 520 kilometres from Athens to Sparta and back to Marathon virtually nonstop within six days, to mark the battle’s 2,500th year anniversary. As a result she set off from the Acropolis on 26 July and reached Sparta on 29 July before running back to The Tomb of Marathon. This required her to run the equivalent of a double marathon every day for a week, with minimal rest. “This is a special year for the sport and I want to be a part of our history" said Polyzou. "To put it simply, the marathon is part of my soul. You can’t undertake something like this if you do not believe in the whole idea of the marathon.”
 |
But the original legend whose first report was 600 years after
the battle, was that the messenger first went to Sparta to ask
for help but was rebuffed due to the fact that the Spartans were
in the middle of a religious festival. He then ran back to
Marathon before going to Athens to announce the Greek victory
following the successful efforts of 10,000 Athenian soldiers and
1,000 Plataeans who repelled King Darius’ invading army of
Persia. Polyzou was well prepared to spread the marathon spirit. At 42 she has been running marathons for 23 years. She is also the director of The Museum of Marathon and Vice President of Greece’s athletic federation SEGAS. |
Day 1
Greek Marathon record holder Maria Polyzou set off on 26 July in an attempt to cover the 541km distance from Athens to Sparta, emulating the feat of the ancient Athenian messenger Pheidippides immediately before the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.
On the afternoon of 27 July, 36 hours into her quest, Polyzou had covered 120km and arrived outside Ancient Nemea, to the south of Corinth, approximately half way to Sparta. She has begun to feel the effects of her grueling effort, with pains in her legs and blisters on her feet, but her will remains undiminished. "As soon as we solve one problem, another comes up" said her husband Apostolis Mavrogiannis "but mentally she is as strong as ever".
Day 3
On the morning of Wednesday 28 July Maria
Polyzou had shaken off the problems that came up on her second day
of running in Pheidippides' footsteps and by Wednesday evening she
was only 50km from Sparta.
Her pace is on schedule, too, as
she had planned to reach Sparta on Thursday, and barring a
significant problem she will be at the Peloponnesian city on
Thursday afternoon.
Polyzou has been boosted by the support
that residents of the areas she passes by give her, with her
husband, Apostolis Mavrogiannis recounting what happened on Tuesday
at the village of Malandreni.
"Some villagers had come out of
Malandreni to see Maria run and asked her whether she needed
anything, whether she wanted some food and so on. Maria was pleased
to see their genuine interest and said she would love some chicken
with spaghetti.
"A family named Kyriakopoulos rushed back to
their village and prepared a home-made meal as Maria had wanted it,
with exemplary hospitality, stating their pride for what Maria was
doing. It was really moving," said Mavrogiannis.
Maria Polyzou reached Sparta at 12.00 on
29 July and started her journey back north to Athens and
Marathon, as she braves the heat. She has now covered 255km of her
541km run from Athens to Sparta and back since and believes she will
be at the Tomb of Marathon on Sunday evening as planned.
"I am
facing unforeseen problems and I almost fainted 37km before reaching
Sparta," she said. "It is such a great distance, endless kilometres
to run, but I am going to make it back."
Polyzou had a rest
on the night of 28 July before reaching Sparta and got to the famous
statue of King Leonidas around noon. This is the landmark where
athletes finish the 240km Spartathlon race every autumn, and Maria
was visibly moved to have got there.
She got on her knees and
touched the statue, holding a Greek flag, before collapsing in tears
for what she had already achieved.
By early afternoon she had
already started back north towards Tripolis, which she expects to
reach on Friday (30 July).
If she completes the run, Polyzou
will become the first woman ever to replicate the legendary feat of
Pheidippides, a self-appointed task undertaken in celebration of the
2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon.
Maria Polyzou suffered injury and
was running a high fever on Friday 30 July, but by evening
time she was 200km from completing her 541km emulation of
Pheidippides' run before the Battle of Marathon, 2500 years ago.
She passed Artemision Mountain, outside Tripolis, and expected to
reach Ancient Nemea on Saturday. "Every day I get to a point where I
think that I will quit within the next five minutes but I always go
on" she said. "I draw strength from the people I see on the road.
They come out of their villages to see me and help me. I am looking
forward to reaching the Tomb of Marathon and paying my respects
there," she concluded, before returning to her evening rest.
Day 6 - Polyzou approaches Corinth
Maria Polyzou was a few
kilometres away from Corinth on the evening of 31 July and if
all goes well she will be at the Tomb of Marathon by the evening
of 2 August. She has shaken off the injuries and high fever that
affected on Friday 30 August and has covered more than 400km
since last Monday.
Polyzou spent a virtually sleepless night at the prefecture of
Arkadia in central Peloponnese with fever getting the better of her,
but got up from 05.00 on Saturday and started running towards
Corinth. By early evening she was 13km to the south.
“The heat was unbearable today" said her husband Apostolis
Mavroyiannis. "The tarmac was burning, but Maria is going on."
Maria PolyzouMaria Polyzou has run from Athens to Sparta and back
within a week, becoming the first woman ever to revive the feat of
ancient messenger Pheidippides.
Polyzou reached the Acropolis
on 1 August at 23.00 with a broad smile on her tired face, as well
as eagerness to continue to Marathon. She will reach the Tomb on
Monday evening, where the 192 Athenians killed 2500 years ago in the
Battle of Marathon were buried.
Polyzou was to have been
accompanied by an experienced male runner but Panayiotis Skoulis had
to pull out a few days before Polyzou set off.. Despite quickly
realising that she was not adequately prepared for the run, she
decided to go on. From the second day she had to endure pain in her
knees, heat, blisters and high fever on the way back etc. Yet she
continued.
3 August: The Marine Corps Marathon and Athletes for
a FitPlanet announced today the first-ever MCM Green Team
Challenge. Runners are invited to enter the challenge to win the
opportunity to run in the 35th edition of the race as the Marine
Corps Marathon Green Team
Runners are asked to submit a green plan by entering the contest through www.marinemarathon.com. Entrants must detail a green plan for the most sustainable practices during training and participation at the 35th MCM on 31 October 2010.
Entries will be open from 2 - 15 August 2010. A team of judges will evaluate each green plan and chose two winners who best demonstrate how they can implement the most sustainable practices while participating in the marathon. Winners will be announced on the MCM and FitPlanet websites on 18 August.
The winning "green" plan will be posted on the FitPlanet Green Team webpage blog.
The two winners will each receive a pair of Brooks Green Silence running shoes, a performance shoe made from recycled and other earth-friendly components. Other prizes include a tote made from MCM recycled finish-line banners.
Together, MCM and FitPlanet aim to implement environmental practices to conserve natural resources and reduce waste, as well as set a good example for the participants, fans and communities where MCM events are held.
"The ultimate goal of this promotion is to increase awareness and demonstrate how runners can positively support event environmental initiatives through planned sustainable efforts," said Marc Goldman, MCM Sponsorship/Marketing Manager.
Runners are asked to submit a green plan by entering the contest through www.marinemarathon.com. Entrants must detail a green plan for the most sustainable practices during training and participation at the 35th MCM on 31 October 2010.
Entries will be open from 2 - 15 August 2010. A team of judges will evaluate each green plan and chose two winners who best demonstrate how they can implement the most sustainable practices while participating in the marathon. Winners will be announced on the MCM and FitPlanet websites on 18 August.
The winning "green" plan will be posted on the FitPlanet Green Team webpage blog.
The two winners will each receive a pair of Brooks Green Silence running shoes, a performance shoe made from recycled and other earth-friendly components. Other prizes include a tote made from MCM recycled finish-line banners.
Together, MCM and FitPlanet aim to implement environmental practices to conserve natural resources and reduce waste, as well as set a good example for the participants, fans and communities where MCM events are held.
"The ultimate goal of this promotion is to increase awareness and demonstrate how runners can positively support event environmental initiatives through planned sustainable efforts," said Marc Goldman, MCM Sponsorship/Marketing Manager.
On 25 July the Westlink M7 Cities
Marathon (more)
was run on the highway linking the western suburbs of Sydney,
between the towns of Liverpool, Fairfield and Blacktown.
Eighteen time zones to the west, the San Francisco
Marathon
(more) took place later that same day and incorporated a
unique double crossing on the roadway of the iconic Golden Gate
Bridge.
The Rio de Janeiro Marathon
(more) was held on 18 July.
20 July: The Swissalpine Marathon in Davos, run for
the 25th time on 31 July, is about more than just sport writes
Anita Fuchs. It also means culture, nature and tourism. At every
turn, runners are following in the footsteps of the Graubünden
heraldic animal, the ibex. Both are persistent creatures that
feel at home in the mountains. They are agile and move with ease
through virtually impassable country and are not very fussy
about what they eat.
Runners primarily eat carbohydrate-rich solid foods and drinks, whereas the ibex prefers grasses, herbs and low-growing woody plants which it finds in Alpine meadows and on rock faces. Runners finishing the 78km Swissalpine Marathon and the ibex (especially when it comes down from the summer mountain pastures for the winter) have many miles behind them. The ibex knows where it is going. So do the runners - because the route they follow heads up towards the mountain peaks. They scale the ascent to the culmination of the Swissalpine Marathon just like an ibex: with an assured gait and without stumbling.
Runners primarily eat carbohydrate-rich solid foods and drinks, whereas the ibex prefers grasses, herbs and low-growing woody plants which it finds in Alpine meadows and on rock faces. Runners finishing the 78km Swissalpine Marathon and the ibex (especially when it comes down from the summer mountain pastures for the winter) have many miles behind them. The ibex knows where it is going. So do the runners - because the route they follow heads up towards the mountain peaks. They scale the ascent to the culmination of the Swissalpine Marathon just like an ibex: with an assured gait and without stumbling.
Photo:
http://www.swiss-image.ch/
The Graubünden provincial government is dotting the "i" on the occasion of the Silver Anniversary: it is sponsoring ibex trophies for the two winners of the 78km race. "The king of the mountains in the animal kingdom is the ibex, and in terms of mountain running it is the winners of the K78," said race founder and race director Andrea Tuffli.
Even without meeting an ibex, the Swissalpine Marathon guarantees runners an unforgettable encounter with nature. The course runs through idyllic surroundings in a unique mountain world. The culture of the region is all around: in the air and under the feet. The 42km event, run from Davos to Tiefencastel, is the first cultural marathon in Switzerland. A supporting programme under the name of "Highseven" offers a visit to the Convent of St. John on 27 July and the day after a trip on the Bernina Express railway. Both are UNESCO world heritage-listed and attract tourists from far and wide. The Swissalpine Marathon is an event – sporting, cultural and touristic - with wide international appeal.
13 July: Still three months away from the race on 10
October, entries are up by 24% for the 31st GoodLife Fitness
Victoria Marathon compared to last year. More than 5,500
registrations have been received for all four events – the
Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K Road Race and the Kids Run , with
the ‘early bird’ deadline just two days away.
General manager Cathy Noel said “we see a commitment to an event but also to a healthier lifestyle”. “With an increase of 24% overall and 28% more women signed up compared to last year, it is evident that many are choosing running as their activity of choice.”
The ‘early bird’ marathon entry fee is $95. The deadline also applies to the Half Marathon and the 8K Road Race where the fees are $70 and $35. After July 15 regular registration fees will apply – $105 for the Marathon, $80 for the Half Marathon and $40 for the 8K Road Race. The entry fee for the Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon remains at $15 until October 9.
The Victoria Marathon is ranked number one in Canada for most Boston Marathon qualifiers and number two in Canada of top Boston Marathon qualifying races. For the second year it will host the 2010 Provincial Marathon Championships. There is $26,000 available in prize money with $3,000 each going to the top male and female and a $5,000 bonus for a new men’s or women’s course record. In 2006, Steve Osaduik broke a 25-year record by winning the Marathon in 2:16:49. For more details, visit www.runvictoriamarathon.com.
General manager Cathy Noel said “we see a commitment to an event but also to a healthier lifestyle”. “With an increase of 24% overall and 28% more women signed up compared to last year, it is evident that many are choosing running as their activity of choice.”
The ‘early bird’ marathon entry fee is $95. The deadline also applies to the Half Marathon and the 8K Road Race where the fees are $70 and $35. After July 15 regular registration fees will apply – $105 for the Marathon, $80 for the Half Marathon and $40 for the 8K Road Race. The entry fee for the Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon remains at $15 until October 9.
The Victoria Marathon is ranked number one in Canada for most Boston Marathon qualifiers and number two in Canada of top Boston Marathon qualifying races. For the second year it will host the 2010 Provincial Marathon Championships. There is $26,000 available in prize money with $3,000 each going to the top male and female and a $5,000 bonus for a new men’s or women’s course record. In 2006, Steve Osaduik broke a 25-year record by winning the Marathon in 2:16:49. For more details, visit www.runvictoriamarathon.com.
On 10 July the 9th Zermatt Marathon
(more) was held in the Swiss Alpine resort, climbing 1500m
from the start at St Niklaus (1085m), through Zermatt to the
finish at Riffelberg (2585m), with 29 four-thousand metre peaks
towering all around.
On 11
July the 4th Marathon de Quito
(ECU)
(more) was run at 2800m altitude in the Ecuadorean capital.
On 27 June action started with the
Lake Saroma 100km
(more) event in the northernmost Japanese island of
Hokkaido, won by Olympic Marathon medalist Eric Wainana in
6:39:52 - nearly two hours inside the previous Kenyan
national record. Japan's Nonyuki Araki was only 75 seconds
behind him. I considerably warmer latitudes the
Standard Chartered KL Marathon
(more) was staged in the Malaysian capital. In a tight
four-way finish Nelson Kirwa surged ahead to win by 9
seconds in 2:16:43.
 |
The only European event of the day was the Ergo
White Nights Marathon
(more) in St Petersburg, won by Mikhail Bykov (RUS) in
2:19:15 and Olga Malevich (BLR) in 2:41:22. In North America the Tangamanga Marathon (more) was held in in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon (more) in which Kip Kangogo made a solo break from 11km and had the course record in his sights until the 18th kilometre, but then tailed off. |
For the Stockholm Marathon
(more) on 5 June
a record number of 20,136 runners were accepted, 1400 more
than last year, and including 5,412 runners from
Finland and a total of 8700 from 76 countries other than
Sweden.
In the New York State capital of Albany Emily Chebet (KEN)set a new course record of 15:12 in the 32nd running of the Freihofers Run for Women 5km (more).
In the New York State capital of Albany Emily Chebet (KEN)set a new course record of 15:12 in the 32nd running of the Freihofers Run for Women 5km (more).
AIMS President Hiroaki Chosa visited the New York City
Marathon and the oldest marathon in the world (since 1897),
the famous Boston Marathon, from 7-12 April 2010.
After almost 20 years as a highly successful President of AIMS, Chosa will not be up for re-election at the 18th World Congress of AIMS to be held in Athens on 30 October 2010. He saw it as his duty to pay his respects to two of the founding members of AIMS, the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon, in recognition of their great achievements – and to thank them for their pioneering work for the international running movement over the past decades.
After almost 20 years as a highly successful President of AIMS, Chosa will not be up for re-election at the 18th World Congress of AIMS to be held in Athens on 30 October 2010. He saw it as his duty to pay his respects to two of the founding members of AIMS, the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon, in recognition of their great achievements – and to thank them for their pioneering work for the international running movement over the past decades.
| Fred Lebow (New York City) and
Will Cloney (Boston) were founders of AIMS; both have
since passed away. William T. Cloney was elected as the
first AIMS president in May 1982. Mr. Chosa was accompanied by vice-president Paco Borao and Board member Horst Milde (founder of the Berlin Marathon). In New York they met with Allan Steinfeld, who followed Lebow as race director of the New York City Marathon. The AIMS delegation also met with Ann Wells Crandell, senior vice-president and Richard Finn, press director for the New York Road Runners (NYCM president Mary Wittenberg was not able to attend as she had an invitation to the White House from First Lady Michelle Obama. |
|
It was a matter of the heart for Hiroaki Chosa to visit the Boston Marathon, an active AIMS member and the oldest marathon in the world. In Boston the AIMS delegation met with Thomas S. Grilk, president of the BAA, Gloria G. Ratti, vice-president, and Guy Morse, race director.
A special ceremony to recognise and honour the achievements of the first AIMS president, William T. Cloney (who died on 16 January 2003 at age 91) took place at the cemetery in Milton, Massachusetts, which was also attended by William T. Cloney’s daughter, Mia Menjes.
Will Cloney, who was in large part responsible for the unbroken continuity of the Boston Marathon, was its race director from 1947–1982, president of the Boston Athletics Association (BAA) from 1964–1982 and the first president of AIMS from 1982–1983.
The visit concluded with dinner in the famous Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, the athletes’ hotel for the Boston Marathon near to the finish line, and with an affirmation of the mutual respect and appreciation for the decades of harmonious cooperation in the interest of the sport of running.
In the 85th edition of the Comrades Marathon
(more) on 30 May, over
a slightly augmented new distance of 89.28km, Elena
Nurgalieva beat her twin sister by a single second, after
more than six hours' running. In the men's race Stephen
Mizhingi retained his title in 5:29:01
In the Ottawa Marathon
(more) Arata Fujiwara
ran 2:09:34, leading two others under the 2:10 barrier. In
the women's section Merima Mihamed won easily in 2:28:19,
nearly seven minutes ahead of her nearest rival.
Graeme Wilson won the Scotiabank Calgary
Marathon
(more)
in 2:32:14, over six minutes ahead. Although Ellie
Greenwood ran 2:52:23 to cut 10 minutes off the women's
course record, her winning margin was only two minutes.
The second race of the AIMS Children’s Series 2010
took place in Kigali (RWA) on 22 May.
27
May: The Royal
Victoria Marathon, to be held on 10 October, has secured a
title sponsor for the next three years -. GoodLife Fitness.
The race will now be known as the GoodLife Fitness
Victoria Marathon. “With the GoodLife partnership
we will become a destination event for active people across
the country” said general manager Cathy Noel.
“As the largest fitness
club chain in Western Canada, GoodLife Fitness is
thrilled to become lead sponsor of this prestigious
event,” said David Patchell-Evans, company founder and
CEO. “Competing in a marathon is a unique experience for
all participants as they enjoy the city, its beauty and
energy. Whether you are a first time marathoner
accomplishing a significant goal, or a seasoned runner
adding to your list of accomplishments, you are
reinforcing your dedication to having the good life for
yourself and inspiring others.”
It is the first time
that the Victoria Marathon has acquired a title sponsor
in its 31-year history. “[This is] the merger of a
first-class running event with a blue-chip fitness
business, both of which have a vision of exercise, good
health and well-being,” said Bob Reid, President of the
Victoria Marathon Society. Reid manages the elite
athletes for the race and hopes to partner with the
GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon. “Our race, held in
October, will co-operate with the GoodLife Fitness
Toronto Marathon – which moves from an October event in
2010 to May dates in 2011 and 2012 to cross-promote both
events and present an opportunity for runners from east
and west of Canada to compete in both marathons at a
reduced rate."
The second race in the AIMS Children's Series 2010 took
place in Kigali, Rwanda, on 22 May,
with children running a distance of 5km, starting and
finishing inside the National Stadium.
AIMS races on the same day included the Goteborg
Half Marathon
(more) in Sweden and the Terwamarathon
(more) in Oulu, northern Finland. In Italy the
Nightmarathon started in the town of Jesolo, just
west along the Adriatic coast from Venice, at 20.00, with
many runners finishing the race after midnight.
On 23 May action started with the third
annual edition of the Sunfeast World 10K
Bangalore
(more), in which Titus Mbishi ran 27:54, just
missing the 27:51 course record of Zersenay Tadese.
Yimer Wude clocked 31:58, to clip four seconds off the
joint record of Elvan Abelegesse and Grace Momanyi, who
finished 11th and 3rd respectively. Defending champion
Aselefech Mergia (32:00) came in second, while Deriba
Merga (28:32) finished fourth in the men's race. Back in
Rwanda, the Kigali Peace Marathon
(more) followed on from the previous day's AIMS
Children's event. Across the border in Kenya the
Sotokoto Safari Marathon (more)
was held at the Nairobi national park, in which
participants got a chance to run next to the big five.
In Europe The Nordea Riga Marathon
(more) was held in the Latvian capital, while the
Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon
(more) took place at the other end of the Baltic Sea.
Further west, across the North Sea, the Edinburgh
Marathon
(more) was run through the Scottish capital. Finally,
the Douro Valley Half Marathon
(more) was run along the spectacularly scenic Douro
River in northern Portugal.
On 15 May the Great Wall Marathon
(more) took place in China,
including a section along the wall itself featuring 5164
steps. Tong Qiang came out on top with a time of 3:24:44;
the women's winner was Dutchwoman Inez-Anne Haagen in
3:56:38. The Three Hearts Marathon
(more) in Slovenia celebrated
its 30th edition, with Joshua Kurui taking the title in
2:19:38 and local Daneja Grandovec winning the women's race
in 2:47:10
For 16
May the Lodz Marathon (in Poland)
had been cancelled. The Wuerzburg Marathon
(more) went ahead with 1700 registered runners through
the picturesque German town.
The great Ethiopian athlete Haile Gebrselassie has
been awarded the AIMS/ASICS Athlete of the Year Award, for a
record-breaking third successive year. The award was
presented during a ceremony on 2 May 2010 at the resort
hotel being developed by Haile in Hawassa, Ethiopia.
AIMS General Secretary Hugh Jones presented the Golden Shoe on the eve of the inaugural Hawassa Half Marathon - a race staged by the "Great Ethiopian Eun" organisation of which Haile is himself patron. Never before has any runner become a triple winner of the award. Paul Tergat, Haile's predecessor as world record holder in the Marathon, has won the accolade twice, and graciously attended the ceremony as Haile's guest.
AIMS General Secretary Hugh Jones presented the Golden Shoe on the eve of the inaugural Hawassa Half Marathon - a race staged by the "Great Ethiopian Eun" organisation of which Haile is himself patron. Never before has any runner become a triple winner of the award. Paul Tergat, Haile's predecessor as world record holder in the Marathon, has won the accolade twice, and graciously attended the ceremony as Haile's guest.
AIMS president Hiroaki Chosa commented: "It is a privilege to honour Haile's achievements. This third successive Golden Shoe confirms that he is not just an athlete of the highest calibre but is probably "the greatest" marathon runner the world has yet seen."
10 May: After her phenomenal world record in the
BIG 25km Berlin on 9 May Mary Keitany is already looking
ahead to the marathon. The 28 year-old is capable of
becoming the world’s next great marathon runner. The London
Olympics in 2012 is the obvious target.
Keitany has three sisters and one brother. Her eldest sister started running at school. “I saw that she was talented and thought that I should try this as well,” says Mary Keitany. She did, and is now the world’s number one road runner. Before her 25km world record Keitany was honoured with the AIMS/ASICS Athlete of the Year Award. In 2009 she dominated the Half Marathon and recorded the second fastest ever time, of 66:36,
Mary Keitany started running at school only trained seriously from the age of 18. At the end of 2006 she ran in Europe for the first time - a half marathon in Spain. “In April 2007 Gianni Demadonna opened a training camp in Iten, which is where Mary lives”, explains her current coach Gabriele Nicola, who works for Demadonna’s management.
Keitany has three sisters and one brother. Her eldest sister started running at school. “I saw that she was talented and thought that I should try this as well,” says Mary Keitany. She did, and is now the world’s number one road runner. Before her 25km world record Keitany was honoured with the AIMS/ASICS Athlete of the Year Award. In 2009 she dominated the Half Marathon and recorded the second fastest ever time, of 66:36,
Mary Keitany started running at school only trained seriously from the age of 18. At the end of 2006 she ran in Europe for the first time - a half marathon in Spain. “In April 2007 Gianni Demadonna opened a training camp in Iten, which is where Mary lives”, explains her current coach Gabriele Nicola, who works for Demadonna’s management.
Photo credit: Victah Sailer/photorun.net
Since giving birth Keitany has fulfilled all of her goals: to qualify for the World Half Marathon Championships and to run well (she won); to win the Abu Dhabi Half Marathon (she did, in 1:07:14); and to break the world 25km record. The next step, the marathon, will be taken this autumn, She is already prepared: "she has run between 180-200km/week in training”, explains Gabriele Nicola. “So far my longest training runs were 30km”, says Keitany.
"There are not many runners who can even think of attacking the women's marathon record,” says Gabriele Nicola (Paula Radcliffe's 2:15:25 from 2003), but: “Mary has great potential. We only get a Mary Keitany every 20 years.”
10 May: The Comrades Marathon race route has
changed and slightly lengthened for this year's edition on
30 May. The official distance is confirmed as 89.28km, 110m
longer than last year. The increase is as a result of
changing the exit route from Pietermaritzburg in order to
facilitate an easier and faster flow for the 23 000 athletes
expected to start the race. “It is still pitch dark at 05.30
in the morning when the race gets underway" said general
manager Gary Boschoff. "We also wanted to keep the race
distance as close as possible to that of the 2009 race,
which was also a 'down' run”.
To date 19,300 runners' entries have been confirmed, of 23,500 expected. The already confirmed entries make this the second biggest field assembled under the Comrades banner in the 85 year history of the event. Comrades will attempt to be included in the Guinness Book of Records as the Ultra-Marathon (80km and longer) with highest number of finishers. 26% (approximately 5000) of those entered are first timers. “This achievement is a huge vote of confidence in Athletics and Road Running in particular" said race director Johan Van Staden. "It is fantastic to see the commitment from both local and international athletes to the Ultimate Human Race.”
To date 19,300 runners' entries have been confirmed, of 23,500 expected. The already confirmed entries make this the second biggest field assembled under the Comrades banner in the 85 year history of the event. Comrades will attempt to be included in the Guinness Book of Records as the Ultra-Marathon (80km and longer) with highest number of finishers. 26% (approximately 5000) of those entered are first timers. “This achievement is a huge vote of confidence in Athletics and Road Running in particular" said race director Johan Van Staden. "It is fantastic to see the commitment from both local and international athletes to the Ultimate Human Race.”
Of six AIMS events held on 9 May, five were
in Europe. In the BIG 25 Berlin
(more) Sammy Kosgei and Mary Keitany
broke the world 25km records, with Kosgei (1:11:50) taking
55 seconds from the mark held by namesake Paul Kosgei since
2004. Keitany improved on Mizuko Noguchi's time (1:22:13,
set en route to a Berlin Marathon finish in 2005) to
1:19:53. In the Volkswagen Prague
Marathon
(more) both course records fell, with Helena Kirop
running 2:25:29 and Eliud Kiptanui 2:05:39, making him the
20th fastest marathon runner ever.
Other Marathons held were the Skopje Marathon
(more) in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the
Geneva Marathon
(more) and the Martin Fiz Marathon
(more) in the Basque country city of Vittoria.
The hugely popular Vancouver Sun Run 10km
(more) was run on the Canadian Pacific Coast, and
attracted upwards of 50,000 runners, headed by Kip Kangogo
(29:02) and Malindi Elmore (33:06).
6 May: Mary Keitany (KEN) has been awarded, the
AIMS/ASICS Athlete of the Year Award in Berlin, Germany
where on 9 May she contests the BIG Berlin 25km race, in
which expectations of her setting a World record are high.
AIMS Board Member Horst Milde presented the AIMS/ASICS Golden Shoe to Keitany at a ceremony prior to the race. She becomes the first Kenyan woman to win the award since Catherine Ndereba in 2001.
28-year old Keitnay, set a new personal best of 32:09 in the World 10K Bangalore in May 2009 and in October went on to win the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham in a new personal best of 1:06:36 - the second fastest time ever run. She took a second gold as part of the winning team, all just 15 months after the birth of her son Jared.
The AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Awards were founded in 1992 and are decided each year from nominations made by AIMS member races, of which there are over 300 in 91 countries. Recent winners include Paula Radcliffe (GBR), Mizuki Noguchi (JPN), Lornah Kiplagat (NED) & Constantina Dita (ROM).
AIMS Board Member Horst Milde presented the AIMS/ASICS Golden Shoe to Keitany at a ceremony prior to the race. She becomes the first Kenyan woman to win the award since Catherine Ndereba in 2001.
28-year old Keitnay, set a new personal best of 32:09 in the World 10K Bangalore in May 2009 and in October went on to win the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham in a new personal best of 1:06:36 - the second fastest time ever run. She took a second gold as part of the winning team, all just 15 months after the birth of her son Jared.
The AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Awards were founded in 1992 and are decided each year from nominations made by AIMS member races, of which there are over 300 in 91 countries. Recent winners include Paula Radcliffe (GBR), Mizuki Noguchi (JPN), Lornah Kiplagat (NED) & Constantina Dita (ROM).
Mary Keitany said: “It is a fantastic honour to join a list of such esteemed winners, and a great source of inspiration to me. I would like thank AIMS, ASICS and everyone involved. I am happy to be here in Berlin and I am looking forward to taking part in the 25K event.”
More than 10,000 entries are expected for the 30th edition of the BIG 25 Berlin, which will also features a 10 k race, a 5×5 k relay and a children’s event. All events will finish on the blue track inside the famous Berlin Olympic Stadium, which hosted the IAAF World Championships last summer.
Teyba Erkesso has gone from "up-and-comer" to "the one to
watch" and now, after her victory at last month's Boston
Marathon, "the one to beat". Erkesso's versatility makes her
dangerous at almost any distance. Now, with one of the
marathon's "crown jewels" under her belt, Erkesso is setting
her sights again on the 5km, defending her title at the 32nd
edition of the Freihofer's Run for Women, scheduled
for Saturday 5 June in Albany, NY.
Elite athlete recruiter John Tope enthused: "It's great to see your defending champion return. There are few people who can successfully run from 5km to the Marathon but Erkesso is one of those people." In January, she defended her Houston Marathon title with a new course record (2:23:53). She placed fourth at the RAK Half-Marathon in February, before going on to win the race of her life at the Boston Marathon. "Having athletes of Teyba's caliber, three-time champion Benita Willis (Johnson) and others reinforces that Freihofer's is one of the premier women's races in the United States." said Tope.
With only four weeks remaining till race day, organizers are pulling together yet another stellar elite field for the event. The race offers $27,000 in prize money with the winner taking $10,000.
Elite athlete recruiter John Tope enthused: "It's great to see your defending champion return. There are few people who can successfully run from 5km to the Marathon but Erkesso is one of those people." In January, she defended her Houston Marathon title with a new course record (2:23:53). She placed fourth at the RAK Half-Marathon in February, before going on to win the race of her life at the Boston Marathon. "Having athletes of Teyba's caliber, three-time champion Benita Willis (Johnson) and others reinforces that Freihofer's is one of the premier women's races in the United States." said Tope.
With only four weeks remaining till race day, organizers are pulling together yet another stellar elite field for the event. The race offers $27,000 in prize money with the winner taking $10,000.
5 May: Runners already registered for the 35th Marine
Corps Marathon on 31 October who find themselves unable
to participate can defer entry to 2011. Many races,
particularly those which are over-subscribed, operate such a
policy, in order to avoid runners risking injury by running
while ill or injured.
Like most such races, Marine Corps Marathon maintains a no refund policy, so runners have to pay $30 to defer their 2010 registration to the following year's event, and also submit an accompanying form. Deferment cannot be for more than one year, but all deferments from 2010 to 2011 will be accepted up to 30 September.
From January 2011 runners who have deferred will receive email reminders with a one-time password with which they must re-register to run in the 2011 race. Once a deferment is made, no additional fees will apply.
Like most such races, Marine Corps Marathon maintains a no refund policy, so runners have to pay $30 to defer their 2010 registration to the following year's event, and also submit an accompanying form. Deferment cannot be for more than one year, but all deferments from 2010 to 2011 will be accepted up to 30 September.
From January 2011 runners who have deferred will receive email reminders with a one-time password with which they must re-register to run in the 2011 race. Once a deferment is made, no additional fees will apply.
4 May: The Amsterdam Marathon is set to grow
considerably in the next few years. The Le Champion
organisation has been working on an ambitious plan to
increase the number of participants to 37,000 in the next
four years, in an effort to become one of the biggest
marathons in Europe.
“Along with London and Berlin, this marathon is very appealing to people from abroad,” said race director Cees Pronk. “Runners from Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Scandinavia and Switzerland all come to Amsterdam in large numbers. For the next edition we are expecting 10,000 foreign runners. The course is fast and flat and the many tourist sights in the city make it very attractive. It is a city marathon where sport, culture and art come together.”
37,000 runners by 2014 is a realistic target, considering that in 2000, the first year Le Champion organised the race, 6,400 runners entered the Marathon and half marathon. Five years later the count stood at 19,500 and last year 25,700 people entered. Pronk said: “We expect an increase of 15,000 participants in the full marathon compared to 2009, when 9,500 runners ran. The Mizuno Half Marathon will also see a comparable increase. The number of entries at this moment is already much greater than at this time last year.”
The Amsterdam Marathon is the sixth fastest marathon in the world. Elite runners are keen to make their marathon debut in Amsterdam because of the fast course and the sound organisation. Many, like Tsegay Kebede, go on to start in pole position at the ‘bigger’ marathons.
Plans are supported by the City Council of Amsterdam, who plan to bring the 2028 Olympic Games to The Netherlands, 100 years after they were held in Amsterdam. Le Champion director Simone Richardson said: “To realise this Olympic ambition we need top international events in the capital and in growing the marathon, we have our Olympic ambitions in mind.” Amsterdam Marathon includes some parts of the original course on which the 1928 Olympic Games Marathon was run. The 35th Amsterdam Marathon will be held on 17 October 2010.
“Along with London and Berlin, this marathon is very appealing to people from abroad,” said race director Cees Pronk. “Runners from Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Scandinavia and Switzerland all come to Amsterdam in large numbers. For the next edition we are expecting 10,000 foreign runners. The course is fast and flat and the many tourist sights in the city make it very attractive. It is a city marathon where sport, culture and art come together.”
37,000 runners by 2014 is a realistic target, considering that in 2000, the first year Le Champion organised the race, 6,400 runners entered the Marathon and half marathon. Five years later the count stood at 19,500 and last year 25,700 people entered. Pronk said: “We expect an increase of 15,000 participants in the full marathon compared to 2009, when 9,500 runners ran. The Mizuno Half Marathon will also see a comparable increase. The number of entries at this moment is already much greater than at this time last year.”
The Amsterdam Marathon is the sixth fastest marathon in the world. Elite runners are keen to make their marathon debut in Amsterdam because of the fast course and the sound organisation. Many, like Tsegay Kebede, go on to start in pole position at the ‘bigger’ marathons.
Plans are supported by the City Council of Amsterdam, who plan to bring the 2028 Olympic Games to The Netherlands, 100 years after they were held in Amsterdam. Le Champion director Simone Richardson said: “To realise this Olympic ambition we need top international events in the capital and in growing the marathon, we have our Olympic ambitions in mind.” Amsterdam Marathon includes some parts of the original course on which the 1928 Olympic Games Marathon was run. The 35th Amsterdam Marathon will be held on 17 October 2010.
Six
Marathons
were
held
on
2 May,
two
each
in Europe,
North
America
and
South
America.
The
11th
edition
of the
Maratona
d'Europa
(more)
was
run
in Trieste
(ITA)
followed
by the
METRO
Group
Marathon
Duesseldorf
(more),
in which
Iaroslav
Musinschi
of Moldova
posted
a European
leading
time
of 2:08:31
on the
flat,
fast
course
beside
the
River
Rhine.
Natalia
Volgina
took
the
women's
race
in 2:30:47
In North
America
the
New
Jersey
Marathon
(more)
offered
a two-lap
course
with
Atlantic
views,
won
by Michael
Arnstein
in 2:37:54
and
Holly
Parker
in 3:13:18.
In the
BMO
Vancouver
Marathon
(more)
victories
went
to Kenyans
Thomas
Omwenga
(2:16:55)
and
Emmah
Kituki
(2:37:17).
In South
America
the
continent's
largest
city
hosted
the
Sao
Paulo
Marathon
(more),
while
in the
Peruvian
capital
the
second
edition
of the
Lima
42km
was
run.
Patrick
Ivuti
returns
to the
Volkswagen
Prague
Marathon
on 9 May
hoping
to
record
his
third
victory
in the
city
after
winning
the half
marathon
in 61.00
in 2007,
and the
Marathon
last
year
writes
Pat
Butcher.
In both events he set course records, 1:01:00 and 2:07:48. His win last year left him just two seconds shy of the personal best he recorded in his debut in Chicago 2005. Two years later, on a sweltering day in Chicago, Ivuti had the biggest win of his career, outsprinting twice world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco.
Due to the 30C heat, the time was slow (2:11:11), and a recommendation from brother-in-law Jimmy Muindi, a six-time winner of the Honololu Marathon himself, that Ivuti go there has resulted in similarly slow times for Ivuti’s sucessive two victories in Honolulu. But Prague last year proved that Ivuti is not exclusively a warm weather runner. He is unbeaten in four marathons over the last two years.
Other top contenders include Yemane Tsegay, fourth in last summer’s IAAF World Championships who has run 2.06.30, and finished a close third in the Hervis Prague Half-Marathon on 27 March. Nicholas Kipruto Koech lowered Ivuti’s half-marathon record to 1:00.07 in Prague last year.
In the women’s race favourite Helen Kirop (2:24:54) is up against the experienced Russian Lyubov Morgunova (2:25:12), and either of them could surpass the current Prague women’s record of 2.26.33, set by Maura Viceconte of Italy in 2001.
Entries, which remain open until the day before the race, have already reached 6600, with a huge 50% representation from abroad. Last year’s field numbered 5800.
In both events he set course records, 1:01:00 and 2:07:48. His win last year left him just two seconds shy of the personal best he recorded in his debut in Chicago 2005. Two years later, on a sweltering day in Chicago, Ivuti had the biggest win of his career, outsprinting twice world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco.
Due to the 30C heat, the time was slow (2:11:11), and a recommendation from brother-in-law Jimmy Muindi, a six-time winner of the Honololu Marathon himself, that Ivuti go there has resulted in similarly slow times for Ivuti’s sucessive two victories in Honolulu. But Prague last year proved that Ivuti is not exclusively a warm weather runner. He is unbeaten in four marathons over the last two years.
Other top contenders include Yemane Tsegay, fourth in last summer’s IAAF World Championships who has run 2.06.30, and finished a close third in the Hervis Prague Half-Marathon on 27 March. Nicholas Kipruto Koech lowered Ivuti’s half-marathon record to 1:00.07 in Prague last year.
In the women’s race favourite Helen Kirop (2:24:54) is up against the experienced Russian Lyubov Morgunova (2:25:12), and either of them could surpass the current Prague women’s record of 2.26.33, set by Maura Viceconte of Italy in 2001.
Entries, which remain open until the day before the race, have already reached 6600, with a huge 50% representation from abroad. Last year’s field numbered 5800.
No less
than seven
AIMS
marathons
took
place on
25 April,
six of
them in
Europe,
but the
first
event
off was
the
Golden
Horn
Half
Marathon
(more),
bursting
into
life
again on
the
European
side of
the
Bosphorus
after a
gap of
17 years
since
the last
edition
was
held.
The
Cracovia
Marathon
(more)
in
Poland
followed,
along
with the
Enschede
Marathon
(more)
in
Holland,
the
Mobel
Kraft
Hamburg
Marathon
(more),
the
Antwerp
Marathon
(more),
the
Sant
Antonio
Marathon
(more)
in
Padua,
and the
Marathon
Popular
de
Madrid
(more).
In
Madrid
Thomson
Cherogony
recorded
a new
course
record
of
2:11:27
The
Big Sur
International
Marathon
(more),
run
along
the
scenic
Californian
coastline,
enjoyed
a
sell-out
entry of
4600
full
marathoners
from all
50 US
states
and 49
countries.
22
April:
Venice
is a
city
built
upon
water,
and the
Venicemarathon
every
year has
to build
its own
bridges
to allow
runners
to
negotiate
the
final
few
kilometres
of the
marathon
route across
the
canals
of the
city to
the
finish
line.
Taking water
as the
theme to
of the
Venicemarathon solidarity
programme,
surpluses
raised
from
Venicemarathon
operations
have
been
used to
provide
clean
drinking
water in
developing
countries.
In the
most
recent
project
of this
sort
students
of the
primary
school
of
Loputuk
in the
Katamoja
region
of
northeastern
Uganda
will no
longer have
to lug
heavy
tanks
for
miles to
get
water,
thanks
to a new
well dug
in
collaboration
with
Africa
Mission
–
Cooperazione
e
Sviluppo.
This was
made
possible
thanks
to the
fundraising
campaign
promoted
during
the
marathon
last
year.
Venicemarathon
participants
and those
in the
two
Family
Runs
supplemented
race
dues
with
donations
and
bought
special
bracelets
and
t-shirts
at the
race
expo.
Alex
Zanardi’s
race
tracksuit
was
auctioned,
and
suppliers
made
their
own
contributions.
The
well is
in a
very dry
region
and will
supply
over 100
primary
school
pupils
and 700
inhabitants
of the
village
with
drinking
water.
The
solidarity
programme
is run
in co
operation
with the
project
Run for
Water,
Run for
Life
and from
2006 to
date seven
wells
have
been dug
and three
have
been
renewed
in
Uganda
to
supply
over
9,000
people.
On 17 April the Pardubice Wine Half Marathon
(more) was run in the Czech Republic, won by Comas Kyena in 1:03:10 and Jane Gakunyi who just bested Purity Macharia, both being timed at 1:13:21.
On 18 April the Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon
(more) was won by Nicholas Chelimo in 2:10:24 with the Australian Lisa Wrightman taking the women's title in 2:28:48. In Europe the Alexander the Great Marathon
(more) was run in Thessaloniki, and in a windy Belgrade Marathon
(more) Johnstone Maiyo out-finished a group of his countrymen to win in 2:16:23, with Hellen Mugo first woman in 2:41:19. The Vienna Marathon
(more) was also windy, but this did not stop Henry Sugut from recording an impressive 2:08:40 - a personal best by two minutes. Hellen Kimutai, who finished second in Vienna 10 years ago, won the women's race in 2:31:08
The Nice Half Marathon
(more) in the South of France and the Semi Marathon de Rabat
(more) in the Moroccan capital rounded off action for the day.
The BAA Boston Marathon
(more) celebrated its 114th edition on Monday 19 April with a new course record of 2:05:52 by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (not to be confused with three-time winner Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot). In the women's race Teyba Erkesso launched a strong attack and was clear before halfway, but at the end only just held off a late charge by Tatyana Pushkareva, 2:26:11 to 2:26:14.
17 April:
Success is
not always
measured in
fast
marathon
times writes
Pat Butcher.
Christopher
Cheboiboch
ran 2:08:17
in New York
eight years
ago and runs
the
Belgrade
Time Force
Marathon,
in the
Serbian
capital on
18 April.
He has finished second in both Boston and New York and has been proactive in the use of his prize money. While many of his contemporaries invest in livestock or farm equipment, Cheboiboch’s priority was to open a junior school in his home town of Iten, also the location of the famous St Patrick’s secondary college - which is virtually a finishing school for Olympians.
Harking back to his own barefoot childhood, Cheboiboch said: “It was very hard times for us, 4km to school on foot in the morning, going home for lunch, back again, and in the evening going home. Unknowingly it was training for us. But the problem we had, the school fees were not enough.
“I told myself I don’t want my kids to suffer that way, so I used my money that I won in Boston and New York to build a primary education school, Salaba Academy. My wife Rebecca is manager, she has a degree from Moi Campus. We have 369 children in the school, but I also have a group of 56 I’m coaching, not all from the school, because we want to see others develop too. I hope around five of them will run in the African Junior Champioships this year.
“This dream has to come side by side with my running. When I run good, I know the kids in Kenya, learning in the school will also benefit from me. And, of course my family. And definitely my life will change. I know sports has changed me since I ran marathons.”
He has finished second in both Boston and New York and has been proactive in the use of his prize money. While many of his contemporaries invest in livestock or farm equipment, Cheboiboch’s priority was to open a junior school in his home town of Iten, also the location of the famous St Patrick’s secondary college - which is virtually a finishing school for Olympians.
Harking back to his own barefoot childhood, Cheboiboch said: “It was very hard times for us, 4km to school on foot in the morning, going home for lunch, back again, and in the evening going home. Unknowingly it was training for us. But the problem we had, the school fees were not enough.
“I told myself I don’t want my kids to suffer that way, so I used my money that I won in Boston and New York to build a primary education school, Salaba Academy. My wife Rebecca is manager, she has a degree from Moi Campus. We have 369 children in the school, but I also have a group of 56 I’m coaching, not all from the school, because we want to see others develop too. I hope around five of them will run in the African Junior Champioships this year.
“This dream has to come side by side with my running. When I run good, I know the kids in Kenya, learning in the school will also benefit from me. And, of course my family. And definitely my life will change. I know sports has changed me since I ran marathons.”
16 April:
Every year
the
Comrades
Marathon,
celebrated
as “the
Ultimate
Human Race”,
offers a
programme of
material
support to
disadvantaged
runners
wishing to
participate.
Organisers
will be
providing
1000 runners
with a roof
over their
heads, a
comfortable
mattress and
blankets.
Washing
facilities
and a
substantial
meal on the
evenings
prior to and
after the
race will be
provided.
Breakfasts
on race day
and the
morning
after will
also be
served.
“For many of our runners, the greatest struggle is overcoming poverty and simply getting to the starting line" said Comrades Marketing Coordinator, Thami Vilakazi. "We appreciate their courage and commitment and wish to ensure that they have a roof over their heads, are well-rested and have had decent sustenance when they get to the start. Comrades is South Africa’s most inclusive sporting event and this entails catering for runners across the socio-economic spectrum." Organisers have provided similar support to disadvantaged runners for the past 10 years. Following each year’s race the mattresses and blankets used are donated to charities in the Pietermaritzburg and Durban areas.
This year accommodation will be made available at the YMCA in Pietermaritzburg on 29-30 May. Transportation will be provided at 18.00 on 29 May from the race expo in Durban to the YMCA in Pietermaritzburg and from The finish in Durban on 30 May back to the YMCA in Pietermaritzburg after the race, from 18.30. Although there is no charge to the runners, for planning purposes they must apply to the organisers by 30 April. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis up to a limit of 1000.
“For many of our runners, the greatest struggle is overcoming poverty and simply getting to the starting line" said Comrades Marketing Coordinator, Thami Vilakazi. "We appreciate their courage and commitment and wish to ensure that they have a roof over their heads, are well-rested and have had decent sustenance when they get to the start. Comrades is South Africa’s most inclusive sporting event and this entails catering for runners across the socio-economic spectrum." Organisers have provided similar support to disadvantaged runners for the past 10 years. Following each year’s race the mattresses and blankets used are donated to charities in the Pietermaritzburg and Durban areas.
This year accommodation will be made available at the YMCA in Pietermaritzburg on 29-30 May. Transportation will be provided at 18.00 on 29 May from the race expo in Durban to the YMCA in Pietermaritzburg and from The finish in Durban on 30 May back to the YMCA in Pietermaritzburg after the race, from 18.30. Although there is no charge to the runners, for planning purposes they must apply to the organisers by 30 April. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis up to a limit of 1000.
15 April:
Günther
Weidlinger
and Andrea
Mayr are
chasing
national
records in
the
Vienna City
Marathon
on 18 April.
If they
succeed it
would be the
first time
that both
marks are
broken in
the same
race. They
also hope to
become the
first
Austrian
runners to
break the
2:10 and
2:30
barriers.
A record number of around 32,500 runners have entered the 27th edition including associated races at shorter distances. A live stream will be available on www.vienna-marathon.com from 08.40.
Last year Weidlinger debuted here but a hip problem hampered him. In the Commmerzbank Frankfurt Marathon he went on to smash the 23 year-old Austrian record with a time of 2:10:47. “This will be a home game for me” said Weidlinger. “Of course I am nervous – but if I would not be then I would not run a good race.”
Andrea Mayr is the defending champion in Vienna. It was her first and only marathon so far, and she recorded 2:30:43, the current national record. "Breaking 2:30 is quite a goal” said Mayr, who had major international success as a mountain runner and is also the national steeplechase champion.
A record number of around 32,500 runners have entered the 27th edition including associated races at shorter distances. A live stream will be available on www.vienna-marathon.com from 08.40.
Last year Weidlinger debuted here but a hip problem hampered him. In the Commmerzbank Frankfurt Marathon he went on to smash the 23 year-old Austrian record with a time of 2:10:47. “This will be a home game for me” said Weidlinger. “Of course I am nervous – but if I would not be then I would not run a good race.”
Andrea Mayr is the defending champion in Vienna. It was her first and only marathon so far, and she recorded 2:30:43, the current national record. "Breaking 2:30 is quite a goal” said Mayr, who had major international success as a mountain runner and is also the national steeplechase champion.
13 April:
The Paris
Marathon
on 11 April
not only
secured a
new French
National
record of
2:24:22 by
second-placed
Chantal
Daunay, but
also enjoyed
a record
number of
entries
(40300, up
from 39511
in 2009). Of
these 32741
registered
at the expo,
(2009:
32601),
31566
started the
race (2009:
31373) and
30815
finished.
the previous
record was
30 772
finishers in
2006.
12 April:
Comrades
Marathon
revisits
history
Prior to 1975 non-white runners were not eligible to compete in the Comrades Marathon due to South Africa’s racial policies at the time. Since then Comrades has become a race that epitomizes human spirit, friendship and camaraderie shared between all runners irrespective of race, sex, or social class.
Bernard Fridman entered and ran the Comrades Marathon in 1972, and finished in 9:12:22 to gain a bronze medal. He ran again in 1974, but did so unofficially to protest against the exclusion of non-whites. Although white himself he felt it important to show solidarity with his fellow runners, and that he could not morally enter a race that was closed to a large proportion of South African runners. Bernard completed his unofficial race in a time of approximately 6:30:00. This would have won him a silver medal, but the unofficial status of his run meant he did not receive anything for his efforts. In 1975 the Comrades Marathon Association opened the race to all, allowing previously excluded runners to participate in the race and demonstrating the stance taken by the Comrades Marathon Association towards the South African Government’s racist legislation of the time.
Prior to 1975 non-white runners were not eligible to compete in the Comrades Marathon due to South Africa’s racial policies at the time. Since then Comrades has become a race that epitomizes human spirit, friendship and camaraderie shared between all runners irrespective of race, sex, or social class.
Bernard Fridman entered and ran the Comrades Marathon in 1972, and finished in 9:12:22 to gain a bronze medal. He ran again in 1974, but did so unofficially to protest against the exclusion of non-whites. Although white himself he felt it important to show solidarity with his fellow runners, and that he could not morally enter a race that was closed to a large proportion of South African runners. Bernard completed his unofficial race in a time of approximately 6:30:00. This would have won him a silver medal, but the unofficial status of his run meant he did not receive anything for his efforts. In 1975 the Comrades Marathon Association opened the race to all, allowing previously excluded runners to participate in the race and demonstrating the stance taken by the Comrades Marathon Association towards the South African Government’s racist legislation of the time.
Dave Dixon, Chairman Comrades
Marathon Association, Bernard
Fridman &
Gary Boshoff, General Manager,
Comrades Marathon Association
With Patrick Makau's 2:04:48 win the Rotterdam Marathon became the fastest marathon in the world on two counts: the top-10 performances ever, and the top-10 performances since 2007. Behind Makau there was a best-ever for 4th by Feyisa Lelisa. After the 2010 race the average of top-10 performances in Rotterdam is 2:05:15, 15 seconds faster than the average for Berlin. The average of top-10 performances since 2007 in Rotterdam is 2:05:20, 29 seconds faster than the average in London. Makau covered the last 2195m in 6:10, which is same as Ronald da Costa when he set his world record in 1998, but still slower than 6:05 Mutai took in the 2009 Eindhoven marathon. He ran his last 7195m in 20:56, two seconds slower than Haile Gebrselassie's time when he set his world record. Da Costa ran this section in 20:50, and Mutai in 20:29.
After the 2009 finish in Rotterdam, in which the third and fourth fastest times ever run were posted, the organisers quietly insured against the "risk" of a world record faster than Haile Gebrselassies existing 2:03:59. At the start this looked like a wise move as a very big group with six pace makers went out fast, with 5km splits of 14:47, 29:15, 43:56 and 58:39 - all within those Gebrselassie had run during his world record in Berlin, 2008. The group passed halfway in 1:02:08 just three seconds down on world record pace but then slowed and it seemed as if sub-2:05:00 times were beyond reach. But then came the long kick for home.
In Paris Tadesse Tola sliced nine minutes off his personal best to win the men's race in 2:06:41, while Atsede Baysa defended her title with a world-leading time of 2:22:03
In South America the Santiago Marathon (more) was held in the Chilean capital, and the only non-Marathon AIMS event, the Sao Paulo Half Marathon Corpore (more) took place in Brazil's biggest city.
9 April:
The
Big Sur
International
Marathon,
to be held
on 25 April,
offers a
scenic and
descriptive
course video
tour in
advance its
25th
Presentation.
The
15-minute
video,
divided into
three
segments,
gives
viewers a
runners-eye
perspective
of the 26.2
mile
marathoner’s
journey.
Produced and
distributed
by New York
based RCI
TV, the Big
Sur Marathon
video course
tour is the
first of
several
prominent
race tours
in
development,
designed to
be shared in
the social
media arena.
“It gives us an opportunity to show why we’re known as one of the most beautiful courses in the world." said Julie Armstrong, Marketing Director of the Big Sur Marathon. The video provides useable information for runners, and a high quality, entertaining overview for all viewers. The videos also enable advertisers to serve relevant ads to a highly targeted, interactive audience, and can be embedded on any website and can be easily shared. Race organizers and sponsors are able to insert relevant clickable video ads into the stream wherever the videos are being watched. Currently Big Sur Marathon sponsors Asics and Gatorade introduce the individual segments with 5-second branded spots. For the 12,000 runners registered for the upcoming Big Sur International Marathon the video gives a preview of the course. The video can currently be seen on the homepage of the Big Sur Marathon website at www.bsim.org.
“It gives us an opportunity to show why we’re known as one of the most beautiful courses in the world." said Julie Armstrong, Marketing Director of the Big Sur Marathon. The video provides useable information for runners, and a high quality, entertaining overview for all viewers. The videos also enable advertisers to serve relevant ads to a highly targeted, interactive audience, and can be embedded on any website and can be easily shared. Race organizers and sponsors are able to insert relevant clickable video ads into the stream wherever the videos are being watched. Currently Big Sur Marathon sponsors Asics and Gatorade introduce the individual segments with 5-second branded spots. For the 12,000 runners registered for the upcoming Big Sur International Marathon the video gives a preview of the course. The video can currently be seen on the homepage of the Big Sur Marathon website at www.bsim.org.
9
April:
Almost 1,000
runners per
hour
registered
for the
Marine Corps
Marathon
(to be held
on 31
October)
when the
entry system
opened on 7
April. After
24 hours
23,793 had
registered
per hour,
resulting in
almost 80
percent of
the 30,000
slots sold.
Runners from all 50 states and 48 countries are designated to run the 2010 MCM, known as "The People's Marathon." Of the nearly 24,000 registered, approximately 60 percent runners are male, while 40 percent are female.
The MCM, which is the fourth largest marathon in the United States and the eighth largest in the world, does not offer prize money; runners
participate for a variety of personal reasons, like the very first runner to register online, Isaac Yates. "The crowd support in the Marine Corps Marathon is unparalleled to any other race that I've participated in," he said. "The crowds basically lift you all the way through, especially while running near the National Mall, sometimes you cannot even hear yourself before you realize you've already run another mile."
Runners from all 50 states and 48 countries are designated to run the 2010 MCM, known as "The People's Marathon." Of the nearly 24,000 registered, approximately 60 percent runners are male, while 40 percent are female.
The MCM, which is the fourth largest marathon in the United States and the eighth largest in the world, does not offer prize money; runners
participate for a variety of personal reasons, like the very first runner to register online, Isaac Yates. "The crowd support in the Marine Corps Marathon is unparalleled to any other race that I've participated in," he said. "The crowds basically lift you all the way through, especially while running near the National Mall, sometimes you cannot even hear yourself before you realize you've already run another mile."
5
April:
Mary Keitany, the world’s top female road runner in 2009, will run the BIG 25 Berlin on 9 May. The 28 year-old has entered the 30th edition of Germany’s oldest big city road race aiming to break the world 25km record. More than 10,000 entries are expected for the 25km and associated 10km race, 5x5km relay and children’s run, which all finish on the blue track inside the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Online entry is still available at:
www.berlin-laeuft.de
Mary Keitany won the World Half Marathon in Birmingham (GBR) last October in 1:06:36. She finished more than a minute ahead, and missed the world record by just 11 seconds. Of the ten best times ever run at the distance, Keitany recorded four. Last year Keitany was also top-ranked in the 10km (31:04) and 20km (1:02:59). Berlin will be her first attempt at 25km, but she is likely to beat the official world record of 1:22:13, which was set by Mizuki Noguchi in 2005, as a split time in the Berlin Marathon.
Photo credit:
Victah Sailer/photorun.net
The race starts in front of the Olympic Stadium with runners then going into the city centre and passing through the Brandenburg Gate, along Unter den Linden, Friedrichstraße, Gendarmenmarkt, Potsdamer Platz, the Memorial Church at Kurfürstendamm and the TV tower near the Olympic Stadium.
On
3 April, runners
from
Lesotho
dominated the
men's
race in
the Old
Mutual
Two
Oceans
Marathon
(more).
Mabhutile
Lebopo
won the
56km
ultra in
3:06:18.
and
along
with his
countrymen
took
four of
the five
top
places.
The
Nurgalieva
twins
again
headed
the
women's
race,
with
Olesya
finishing
in
3:41:53,
26
seconds
ahead of
Elena.
On
7 April
a
select group
of
runners
ran
a lap
course
on
the polar
ice cap
in the
North
Pole
Marathon
(more),
departing
from
Svaalbad
(NOR,
80degN)
on 5
April
From the
highest
(in
latitude)
to the
lowest
(in
altitude):
on
9 April
the
Dead Sea
Ultramarathon
(50km,
but
also offering
Marathon
and Half
Marathon
options)
was run
in
Jordan
on a
point-to-point
course
descending
from
higher
land to
the Dead
Sea
shore,
at 400m
below
sea
level.
3
April:
This year
marks a
unique celebration
for marathon
running. It
is 2500
years since
the Battle
of Marathon
took place
in Greece,
in 490 BC.
To announce
the Greek
victory
against the
Persians the
messenger
Pheidippidis
is said to
have run the
distance
from the
battlefield
to Athens.
Legend has
it that
after doing
so he
collapsed
and died,
and it was
this story
which gave
birth to the
Marathon
event at the
modern
Olympic
Games - the
first of
which was
held in
Athens in
1896. In
remembrance
of this
history
a flame is
lit every
year on the
day before
the Athens
Classic
Marathon at the
Tomb of the
Athenian
Warriors on
the former
battlefield. A
children's
relay
transports
the flame to
the start
line in the
town of
Marathon,
and at a
ceremony
there on 7
November
last
year representatives
of the
Vienna City
Marathon
received a
lantern into
which the
flame had
been
transferred.
They brought
it back to
Vienna so
that the
original
marathon
flame will
burn during
the Vienna
City
Marathon on
18 April.
Runners will
pass it in
the finish
area at the
Wiener
Hofburg.
2 April:
Two races not
due to take
place for around
six months open
their entry
systems, and
expect to sell
out in days.
The Dam tot Damloop race from Amsterdam to Zandam in the Netherlands will be held at Sunday 19 September. Registration opened at 09.00 local time on 1 April and will close as soon as 35,000 runners have entered. such is the popularity of the race, run over a distance of 10 English miles (16093.4m) that in past years the entry has sold out within a few days. Runners can enter via the website www.damloop.nl.
Online entries for the 35th Marine Corps Marathon, to be held in Washington DC on 31 October 2010, open from 12.00 local time at www.marinemarathon.co Entries are limited to 30,000 and are expeced to be taken up quickly. Registration costs US$90 and includes the runner bib witha B-tag timing device that gives times at 10 split locations, live results, text messaging, medical tracking, individual finisher web pages, online certificate, e-newsletter, souvenir T-shirt, goodie bag, race program, shuttle services and race day parking.
Some of those places have already been taken up by 1800 runners who secured guaranteed entry to the Marathon by finishing the Run to Register 10km and 28th Irish Sprint held on 27 March at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. Runners from across the country, as far as Hawaii, participated in one or both of the races.
The Dam tot Damloop race from Amsterdam to Zandam in the Netherlands will be held at Sunday 19 September. Registration opened at 09.00 local time on 1 April and will close as soon as 35,000 runners have entered. such is the popularity of the race, run over a distance of 10 English miles (16093.4m) that in past years the entry has sold out within a few days. Runners can enter via the website www.damloop.nl.
Online entries for the 35th Marine Corps Marathon, to be held in Washington DC on 31 October 2010, open from 12.00 local time at www.marinemarathon.co Entries are limited to 30,000 and are expeced to be taken up quickly. Registration costs US$90 and includes the runner bib witha B-tag timing device that gives times at 10 split locations, live results, text messaging, medical tracking, individual finisher web pages, online certificate, e-newsletter, souvenir T-shirt, goodie bag, race program, shuttle services and race day parking.
Some of those places have already been taken up by 1800 runners who secured guaranteed entry to the Marathon by finishing the Run to Register 10km and 28th Irish Sprint held on 27 March at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. Runners from across the country, as far as Hawaii, participated in one or both of the races.
On
27 March
the
Hervis
Prague
Half
Marathon
(more)
was run,
with
strong
winds
just
preventing Joel
Kemboi from
breaking
the
course
record.
He ran
1:00:09
to beat
pre-race
favourite Wilson
Chebet by
75
seconds.
Tose
Kosgei
took the
women's
race in
1:09:57.
Next day,
across
the
border
in
Poland,
the
38th
IAAF
World
Cross
Country
Championships
(more)
were
held in
Bydgoszcz
on
28 March.
Kenyan
swept
all
before
them
taking
all
individual
and team
golds
available,
with
Eritrea
also
showing
well in
the
senior
men's
race,
taking
individual
and team
silver.
Mercy
Cherono
won
the junior
women's race
as she
pleased,
easing
away on
the last
lap and
leading
her
teammates
to a"
perfect
10"
score.
This
feat was
repeated
by Caleb
Ndiku in
the
Junior
men's
race.
Linet
Masai
was the
commanding
presence
in the
senior
women's
race as
she
seemed
to have
dropped
everyone
by the
last
half-lap.
But Emily
Chebet
clawed
back
into
contention
and
Masai
was
outkicked
at the
line, as
she was
last
year.
Kenya's
placings
were
1,2,5 &
6. Apart
from
Masai
Joseph
Ebuya
had the
closest
fight on
his
hands as
Teklemariam
Medhin
held him
until
the
final
lap -
but
Ebuya's
strength proved
just too
much for
the
20-year
old
Eritrean.
28 March was
otherwise very
much one
of Half
Marathons,
beginning
with the
Incheon
International
Half
Marathon
in
Korea,
followed
back in
Europe
by the
Poznan
Half
Marathon
(more),
The
Vattenfall
Berlin
Half
Marathon
(more),
and the
Nis
Novi Sad
Half
Marathon
(more).
The
only full-length
event
held on
the day
was the
Bratislava
Marathon
(more)
in the
Slovak
capital.
It
was on
the
roads
of Berlin
that
Ethiopia
got some
small
consolation
for
their
relatively
weak
showing
at the
World
Cross,
as
Eshetu
Wondimu
broke a
nine-year
Kenyan
stranglehold
on the
race,
beating Peter
Kirui by
one
second,
1:00:16
to
1:00:17.
Pasalia
Kipkoech
won the
women's
race in
1:00:43.
The
Panama
International
Half
Marathon
(more)
rounded
off AIMS
action
for the
day won
by
Colombians
William
Naranjo
and
Yolanda
Caballero
in
1:06:34
and
1:14:28
respectively..
27 March:
21 000 runners
are expected to
line up in Cape
Town for the
Old Mutual Two
Oceans Marathon
(56km) on Easter
Saturday, 3
April. Entries
are well up on
last year with
just under 9000
runners doing
the full
distance. The
half marathon
has attracted a
capacity field
of 11 600 with
entries closing
nearly a month
early.
Race director Rowyn James said “we are delighted to have a record field as we celebrate the event’s 41st anniversary. Interest in road running and in ultra events is still high - which is good for the sport. Many road races have seen a marked increase in numbers this year.”
80% of entries were received online; 5.4% of the field will be coming from outside South Africa, including 207 runners from Germany, 201 from UK and 108 from USA; 73 runners will get their light blue number for completing 10 half marathons. 72 runners participating in the 21km have their light blue number already; 224 runners will get their blue number for completing 10 ultras. 1 094 runners participating in the 56km have their blue number already. In the 56km 74% of the field are men and 26% are women. 34% of the ultra field will be doing the race for the first time. In the 21km, 50% of the field are men and 50% are women. Half the field will be doing the race for the first time. Of last year’s top 10 men in the 56km, eight have re-entered. In the women’s race, all of last year's top 10 have re-entered.
Race director Rowyn James said “we are delighted to have a record field as we celebrate the event’s 41st anniversary. Interest in road running and in ultra events is still high - which is good for the sport. Many road races have seen a marked increase in numbers this year.”
80% of entries were received online; 5.4% of the field will be coming from outside South Africa, including 207 runners from Germany, 201 from UK and 108 from USA; 73 runners will get their light blue number for completing 10 half marathons. 72 runners participating in the 21km have their light blue number already; 224 runners will get their blue number for completing 10 ultras. 1 094 runners participating in the 56km have their blue number already. In the 56km 74% of the field are men and 26% are women. 34% of the ultra field will be doing the race for the first time. In the 21km, 50% of the field are men and 50% are women. Half the field will be doing the race for the first time. Of last year’s top 10 men in the 56km, eight have re-entered. In the women’s race, all of last year's top 10 have re-entered.
26
March:
A record
field of
23,799
runners from
94 countries
will run in
the 30th
edition of
the
Vattenfall
BERLIN HALF
MARATHON
on 28 March,
The course
record
stands to
Patrick Makau
at 58:56,
the sixth
fastest time
ever run at
the
distance.
Two weeks
ago Eshetu
Wondimu ran
a personal
best
of 59:53 in
The
Hague, after
falling halfway
through the
race: “Had I
not fallen I
would have
run under 59
minutes” he
claimed -
and he has a
chance to
prove it on
Sunday.
Wondimu
knows the
course; the
last time he
ran here, in
2008, he was
beaten by
just one
second
and finished
in 60:01.
Kenyans have
won in
Berlin
for the past
eight years
and John
Kiprotich,
with a
personal
best of
59:23, is
the man
looking to
extend the
record.
John Kiprotich, Sabrina
Mockenhaupt and Eshetu Wondimu
(right)
with the Berlin Cathedral in the
background
Photo: Victor Sailer/PhotoRun
25 March:
There is a
record entry of
8,500 for the
12th Hervis
Prague Half
Marathon on
27 March; up 30%
on last year,
with runners
from 67
countries writes
Pat Butcher. The
legacy of Emil
Zàtopek lived on
in the Czech
capital until 10
years ago, with
Robert Stefko,
one of the few
Europeans to get
close to the one
hour barrier
(1:00:29), and
giving the East
Africans a run
for the money.
Now 42, Stefko
is content just
to "enjoy the
running". “I
don’t know if we
can ever beat
the Kenyans and
Ethiopians,”
says Stefko, a
man who used to
get very close
to doing so.
“Their whole
lifestyle is
concentrated on
running. In
Europe, we have
too many
distractions”.
Prague, one of the jewels of central Europe has plenty of distractions, but none that will tempt race favourites Wilson Chebet and Joseph Maregu of Kenya, who have run 59:15 and 59:45 respectively. Expectation is that the course record of 1:00.09, and even the one hour barrier, may be broken on the banks of the Vltava River, where the race starts and finishes.
Temperatures have been rising in central Europe this week, but for the race it is expected to be around 12C, with a possibility of rain -which is just about perfect for Chebet’s attempt at a fifth sub-60 run. “Although I have run better than 60 minutes four times, I have not won,” he said today, “I need now to win one in under the hour”.
There are few outstanding Czech runners nowadays, but retired footballer Pavel Nedved will doubtless be cheered to the echo by the roadside crowds. A winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, Nedved retired from football at the end of the 2009 season, and started training in order to fulfill his promise to run a marathon. That will be in Prague on 9 May, but he begins with the Half Marathon on 27 March.
Prague, one of the jewels of central Europe has plenty of distractions, but none that will tempt race favourites Wilson Chebet and Joseph Maregu of Kenya, who have run 59:15 and 59:45 respectively. Expectation is that the course record of 1:00.09, and even the one hour barrier, may be broken on the banks of the Vltava River, where the race starts and finishes.
Temperatures have been rising in central Europe this week, but for the race it is expected to be around 12C, with a possibility of rain -which is just about perfect for Chebet’s attempt at a fifth sub-60 run. “Although I have run better than 60 minutes four times, I have not won,” he said today, “I need now to win one in under the hour”.
There are few outstanding Czech runners nowadays, but retired footballer Pavel Nedved will doubtless be cheered to the echo by the roadside crowds. A winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, Nedved retired from football at the end of the 2009 season, and started training in order to fulfill his promise to run a marathon. That will be in Prague on 9 May, but he begins with the Half Marathon on 27 March.
Zersenay
Tadese
ran a
brilliant
solo
second
half of
20th
anniversary
EDP Half
Marathon
of
Lisbon
( more)
on
21
March to
record a
new
world
record
of
58:23,
10
seconds
faster
than
that set
by Sammy
Wanjiru
three
years
ago and
84
seconds
ahead of
his
nearest
competitor,
Sammy
Kitwara
(59:47).
Tadese sets world record
in half marathon
Photo:
Marcelino Almeida
Peninah Arusei won the
women's race by an even
bigger margin but ran
68:38, after losing time
in the latter stages
after a very ambitious
start.
By contrast Tadese´s pace was according to plan for the first 5km (13:55) but dropped slightly behind schedule in the next few kilometers. Hanging in with a group of 15 as long as he could afford, Tadese decided soon after 8km that the pace was not enough for him, and gradually glided away from his opposition. He passed 10km in 27:53, now significantly behind schedule, but was picking it up all the time, passing 15km in 41:32 and coming home with a margin to spare.
By contrast Tadese´s pace was according to plan for the first 5km (13:55) but dropped slightly behind schedule in the next few kilometers. Hanging in with a group of 15 as long as he could afford, Tadese decided soon after 8km that the pace was not enough for him, and gradually glided away from his opposition. He passed 10km in 27:53, now significantly behind schedule, but was picking it up all the time, passing 15km in 41:32 and coming home with a margin to spare.
Also on 21 March
the Seoul
International Marathon
( more)
was run in the Korean
capital, followed by the
Rome Marathon
( more)
in the "Eternal City".
The Jerusalem Half
Marathon
( more)
took place
on 18 March.
15 March:
The 2010
Canberra
Marathon and
associated fun
runs will not be
held on 11
April. This
results from an
announcement
made by the
Chief Minister
of the
Australian
Capital
Territory on 4
February, in
which he
indicated that
the ACT
Government will
not provide the
necessary
approvals for
the race to go
ahead this year
due to a legal
dispute with the
ACT Cross
Country Club.
In the intervening period race organisers explored all possible options that might have allowed the race to be held, in order to keep faith with those who had prepared for the event: who wanted to share the celebrations associated with the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon; and who were seeking qualifying times for other events like Boston and Comrades. With only four weeks remaining before the race date it became clear that the organisers were unable to proceed in 2010.
In due course, the matter will be determined by the Court. Organisers will address the question of race entry refunds with each entrant.
The Kids Marathon will be conducted, as scheduled, on 11 April. Further details will be communicated to all entrants.
In the intervening period race organisers explored all possible options that might have allowed the race to be held, in order to keep faith with those who had prepared for the event: who wanted to share the celebrations associated with the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon; and who were seeking qualifying times for other events like Boston and Comrades. With only four weeks remaining before the race date it became clear that the organisers were unable to proceed in 2010.
In due course, the matter will be determined by the Court. Organisers will address the question of race entry refunds with each entrant.
The Kids Marathon will be conducted, as scheduled, on 11 April. Further details will be communicated to all entrants.
On 14
March
Yuri Kano
won the
Nagoya
International
Women's
Marathon
( more)
in
2:27:11, a
minute ahead
of Derartu
Tulu, who
had fallen
off the pace
at halfway
and clawed
her way back
into second
spot in the
closing
stages. The
Kenting
International
Marathon
also took
place in
Chinese
Taipei,
followed by
the
Treviso
Marathon
( more)
in Northern
Italy, and
the
Standard
Chartered
Stanley
Marathon
( more)
in the South
Atlantic
outpost of
the Falkland
Islands.
Contestants
in the
100km
del
Sahara
( more)
traveled
out to
Tunisia
on 7
March
and on 9
March
started
the
first of
four
consecutive
daily
stages
of 21km,
18km,
42km and
22km
from the
oasis of
Ksar
Ghilane.
Thomas
Wittek
(GER) was
first to
finish
in Douz
on 12
March,
with a
total
time of
8:12:33.
Daniela Gilardi
was the
first
woman
home
in 8:38:33.
8 March
8:
Prague
International
Marathon
(PIM) has
launched its
Running
Circuit for
2010,
starting
with the
Hervis
Prague Half
Marathon
on Saturday
27 March.
Entries are
up by 60%
compared to
this time
last
year. Top elite
contenders
will be
Yeman Tsegay
Adhane
(ETH),
Guenther
Weidlinger (AUT) and
in the
women's race
Rosa Kosgei
(KEN) with
more names
to be
announced in
the next few
weeks.
Adhane will
return to
Prague in
May for the
Volkswagen
Prague
Marathon,
and is the
runner with
the fastest
personal
best
(2:06:30)
yet to enter
the race. He
finished
fourth in
the World
Championships'
Marathon in
Berlin last
year.
Austrian
record
holder
Guenther
Weidlinger
has become
one
of Europe's
best
runners,
while Rose
Kosgei won
last year's
Prague Half
Marathon in
a record
time of
1:09:03.
Francis
Karanja, a
blind runner
from Kenya,
will again
take part in
the Half
Marathon.
The Hervis
Prague Half
Marathon
attracted
more than
6,000
runners in
2009.
PIM has
introduced a
number of
new
initiatives
for 2010
including a
project
dedicated
specifically
to women,
the PIM
Women’s
Challenge,
aimed at
motivating
women to
incorporate
running into
their daily
life as a
part of a
healthy
lifestyle,
something
that is a
very new
concept for
the Czech
Republic.
Running into the
future – the
AIMS Children’s
Series
Once upon a time long distance running was for the few writes Pat Butcher. Most people, at least from my generation, would have run a mile to get away from running, and school cross-country put paid to most people’s potential enjoyment of the solitary pursuit.
Then came the running boom of the 1970s and 80s. Suddenly everyone was running, many not very fast, but they were running. And still are. Running is arguably the most popular participation sport in the world. AIMS owes it very existence to the boom.
Once upon a time long distance running was for the few writes Pat Butcher. Most people, at least from my generation, would have run a mile to get away from running, and school cross-country put paid to most people’s potential enjoyment of the solitary pursuit.
Then came the running boom of the 1970s and 80s. Suddenly everyone was running, many not very fast, but they were running. And still are. Running is arguably the most popular participation sport in the world. AIMS owes it very existence to the boom.
The AIMS children’s series is the result. Normally venues change every three years or so, but when you have a location like a refugee camp in the Sahara Desert, and see the enthusiasm of the youngsters in Dakhla camp, there need be no excuses for celebrating the fifth year there, with the AIMS Children’s Series 2010.
Politics aside, the children's race in Dakhla must be the most successful of any like event anywhere in the world.
It was hard to decide who was more enthusiastic, the children or the onlookers. But as the shadows lengthened, and a hectic hour came to a close, co-organisers (as they are of the marathon), Italian Mattia Durli and Spaniard Diego Muñoz declared the event the most successful in its five-year history.
In the
Lake Biwa
Marathon
( more)
on
7 March
Yemane Tsegay
ran away from
the rest in the
second half of
the race to win
the 65th edition
in 2:09:34.
On the same day the Oeger Antalya Marathon( more)
was run along
the Turkish
coastline of the
Eastern
Mediterranean
and in an
equally
picturesque
setting the
Lago Maggiore
Half Marathon
( more)
took place in
Northern Italy.
The Paris
Half Marathon
( more)
provided the
warm-up for the
city's marathon
to follow in a
month's time,
with Wilson
Kiprop's 1:01:26
and Atsede
Baysa's 1:11:05
taking top
honours. In the
Barcelona
Marathon
( more)
Jackson Kotut
won in 2:07:30
while Debele
Wudnesh Nega
took the women's
race in 2:31:50.
Five of the top
six in the men's
race were
Kenyan, while in
the women's race
five of the top
six were
Ethiopian.
In Mexico the Lala Marathon( more)
was held in the
Northern Mexican
town of Torreon,
while far to the
south the Sao
Paulo Half
Marathon
( more)
was
held on the
streets of
Brazil's biggest
city.
Even further south the Antarctica Marathon start and finish was outside the Russian base and passed by Uruguayan, Chilean and Chinese bases on dirt roads before reaching the 1 mile ascent of Collins Glacier on snow and ice. After descending the glacier, runners returned along the road and through the Russian base while heading in the opposite direction to a turnaround, finishing back at the Russian base.
On the same day the Oeger Antalya Marathon
In Mexico the Lala Marathon
Even further south the Antarctica Marathon start and finish was outside the Russian base and passed by Uruguayan, Chilean and Chinese bases on dirt roads before reaching the 1 mile ascent of Collins Glacier on snow and ice. After descending the glacier, runners returned along the road and through the Russian base while heading in the opposite direction to a turnaround, finishing back at the Russian base.
Germany honours
“2500 Years of
the Marathon”
with a festive
celebration on 7
May during the
Novo Nordisk
Gutenberg
Marathon Mainz,
which incorporates
the German
Marathon
Championships.
The purpose is
to honour a
sport that has
had great social
impact, both as
an elite sport
and as one for
the masses.
Celebrations
will begin at
18.00 on 7 May
in Mainz's
“Museum of
Antique Ships”.
The celebration
will include
a lecture by
sports historian
Norbert Müller
on the
historical
development of
the marathon.
His lecture will
launch the
travelling
exhibition
created by the
Berlin Sports
Museum – “AIMS
Marathon Museum
of Running”,
“2500 Years of
the Marathon”.
Masakazu
Fujiwara and
Alevtina
Biktimirova won
the 4th
Tokyo Marathon ( more)
on 28
February in
dismal
conditions,
recording times
of 2:12:19 and
2:34:39
respectively.
Fujiwara,
throwing off his
baseball cap and
surging hard at
40km, became the
first Japanese
man to win the
event.
Elsewhere in the
region the
Kaohsiung
International
Marathon
was held in
Chinese Taipei
and the
Standard
Chartered Hong
Kong Marathon
( more) also
took place.
Action then
moved on to
Africa,
where the
Kilimanjaro
Marathon
( more)
was
held in the town
of Moshi, on the
lower slopes of
Africa's highest
mountain and
the
Maritzburg
Marathon
( more)
took place
in South Africa
and then to
Europe, with the
GSO
Limassol
Marathon
( more)
in Cyprus and
the
Verdimarathon
( more)
in the
composer's home
town of
Salsomaggiore in
Italy.
Concluding the
day's programme
the
World's Best
10km
( more)
was run as a
double crossing
of the Teodoro
Moscoso Bridge
in San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
26
February: As
part of drive to
raise funds
for the charity
NOAH (Nurturing
Orphans of AIDS
for Humanity)
the Old
Mutual Two
Oceans Marathon,
to be
held on 3
April, are
auctioning a
pair of limited
edition
autographed
Usain Bolt
spikes -
replicas of the
shoes that took
him to world
records and
victory in last
year’s World
Championships.
Bidding opens at
R15000 (about
USD $ 2,000) and
will then go up
in R100
increments
(about USD $15)
and the auction
runs up until 5
April, just
after race day.
The winner will
be announced on
9 April.
To enter a bid go to: www.oldmutual.co.za/twooceansmarathon
To enter a bid go to: www.oldmutual.co.za/twooceansmarathon
24 February:
Rumours were already
circulating the day
after the 2009
Venicemarathon, but
now it's official:
the route of the
next Venicemarathon
will go through
St.Mark's Square.
A.S.D. Venicemarathon Club recently received approval from the City Council to go across the magnificent square that is the very heart of the lagoon town.
A.S.D. Venicemarathon Club recently received approval from the City Council to go across the magnificent square that is the very heart of the lagoon town.
On 19 February
the superfast course
of the RAK Half
Marathon
( more)
(UAE) did
not produce
any world record,
but Elvan
Abeylegesse led four
other women under 68
minutes with her
67:07 win. Deriba
Merga stepped off
the course at 18km
just as the men's
race was hotting up.
Geoffrey Mutai
surged to a 59:43
win, six seconds
ahead of Tadese Tola.
The Ohme-Hochi 30km & 10km( more)
races took place on
21 February,
followed a few hours
later by the
Maraton Popular de
Valencia
( more) . In
Spain's third city
David Njagi came
close to setting the
best-ever time on
Spanish territory,
winning in 2:09:45
just 12 seconds
short of the
all-comer's record
set eight years ago
in San Sebastian.
The next three to
finish all broke the
previous course
record. Gladys
Chebet had an
isolated win in her
debut marathon in
2:42:06
On 22 February the Sahara Marathon( more) celebrated
its 10th
anniversary run
between Saharawi
refugee camps in
south-west Algeria.
First home was the
Basque Jon Salvador
who set a course
record of 2:42:20.
Still to come is the
first event of the
AIMS
Children's Series
2010, to be
held in the Dakhla
refugee camp later
this week.
The Ohme-Hochi 30km & 10km
On 22 February the Sahara Marathon
18 February:
As part of a major
fundraising effort,
the Old Mutual
Two Oceans Marathon
will be auctioning
half marathon and
56km ultra entries
for their race on 3
April, as well as a
pair of Usain Bolt’s
autographed spikes.
20 half marathon and
10 ultra marathon
entries will be
auctioned through
the website:
www.oldmutual.co.za/twooceansmarathon
Bidding for the half
marathon entries
opens at 950 South
African Rand ($125)
on Monday, 22
February, giving
participants who
missed the entry
deadline a chance to
secure an entry.
The first auction is for half marathon entries and runs through until 10 March. The auction for the ultra marathon entries will open on 4 March, with the same starting price, and will also complete on 10 March. Successful bidders will be notified on a daily basis, with the eventual winners announced on 12 March 12. Winning bids will also get a product voucher worth 1450 Rand ($190).
Over 2000 entries were refused when the 11000 cut off was reached in the half marathon. According to race director Rowyn James: “Many people were disappointed at not getting an entry for this year’s half marathon, which filled up in record time and closed well ahead of the 3 March cut off.”
Also up for auction is a pair of Usain Bolt’s autographed spikes; replicas of the shoes that took him to victory in last year’s World Championships. This auction is from 22 February to 5 April, with bidding starting at 15000 Rand ($1970). The winner will be announced on Friday 9 April.
All funds raised will go towards helping the event’s official charity NOAH (Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity), founded in 2000 in response to the staggering number of AIDS-orphaned children. The currently estimated total of 1.7 million orphaned children is expected to reach 2.5 million by 2015.
Frank Brooks, sponsorship manager for Old Mutual said: “we tested the auction out for last year’s event and it was extremely successful, raising 30000 Rand ($3950) for NOAH. The auction is a novel way of providing people who weren’t able to get an entry with another chance to enter and support a worthy cause at the same time.”
The first auction is for half marathon entries and runs through until 10 March. The auction for the ultra marathon entries will open on 4 March, with the same starting price, and will also complete on 10 March. Successful bidders will be notified on a daily basis, with the eventual winners announced on 12 March 12. Winning bids will also get a product voucher worth 1450 Rand ($190).
Over 2000 entries were refused when the 11000 cut off was reached in the half marathon. According to race director Rowyn James: “Many people were disappointed at not getting an entry for this year’s half marathon, which filled up in record time and closed well ahead of the 3 March cut off.”
Also up for auction is a pair of Usain Bolt’s autographed spikes; replicas of the shoes that took him to victory in last year’s World Championships. This auction is from 22 February to 5 April, with bidding starting at 15000 Rand ($1970). The winner will be announced on Friday 9 April.
All funds raised will go towards helping the event’s official charity NOAH (Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity), founded in 2000 in response to the staggering number of AIDS-orphaned children. The currently estimated total of 1.7 million orphaned children is expected to reach 2.5 million by 2015.
Frank Brooks, sponsorship manager for Old Mutual said: “we tested the auction out for last year’s event and it was extremely successful, raising 30000 Rand ($3950) for NOAH. The auction is a novel way of providing people who weren’t able to get an entry with another chance to enter and support a worthy cause at the same time.”
After winning the
Vienna City Marathon
in 2007 and then
becoming World
Marathon Champion in
Osaka a couple of
months later,
Kenya’s Luke
Kibet will
return to the
Austrian capital for
the 27th edition of
the race on 18
April.
After his breakthrough race in Vienna three years ago, in very warm weather, Kibet went on to dominate a World Championships field packed with established stars in Osaka. In brutally hot and humid conditions he ran away from his rivals in the final 10km, finishing over a minute ahead of second-placed Mubarak Shami (QAT).
But he then suffered setbacks with injury, although he continued to perform exceptionally well in hot and humid conditions, twice winning the Singapore Marathon (2008/9). His latest win, just 10 weeks ago, showed him back in best form, breaking the Singapore course record with a time of 2:11:25.
After his breakthrough race in Vienna three years ago, in very warm weather, Kibet went on to dominate a World Championships field packed with established stars in Osaka. In brutally hot and humid conditions he ran away from his rivals in the final 10km, finishing over a minute ahead of second-placed Mubarak Shami (QAT).
But he then suffered setbacks with injury, although he continued to perform exceptionally well in hot and humid conditions, twice winning the Singapore Marathon (2008/9). His latest win, just 10 weeks ago, showed him back in best form, breaking the Singapore course record with a time of 2:11:25.
Luke Kibet winning the 2007
Vienna City Marathon
Photo:
www.photorun.net
This year is the 2500th anniversary of the legend of Marathon when, after the battle against the Persian fleet in 490BC, the soldier-messenger Pheidippidis is said to have run about 40km from the battlefield to announce news of the Greek victory in Athens, but then collapsed and died. To mark the birth of the marathon a flame is lit every year at the tomb of the warriors on the former battlefield, on the day before the Athens Marathon in autumn. Last November representatives of the Vienna City Marathon proudly received a spark of this flame in a lantern. They brought it back to Vienna so that the original marathon flame will feature at the finish area of the Vienna City Marathon on 18th April, at the Wiener Hofburg.
The 16th
Egyptian Marathon
( more)
took place on 12
February,
starting and
finishing at the
tomb of Hatshepsut
on a 10km lap
outside Luxor that
passes by the
entrance to the
Valley of the Kings.
At 09.00 on 14 February the XXVI Maraton Ciudad de Sevilla( more)
was
run from the Olympic
Stadium in the
Andalusian city.
At 09.00 on 14 February the XXVI Maraton Ciudad de Sevilla
After two world
records in February
last year, the 2010
edition of the
RAK Half Marathon,
on Friday 19
February, has a hard
act to follow.
According to All-Athletics.com,
the comprehensive
athletics database
that compiles
statistics and
records of athletics
worldwide, the RAK
Half Marathon was
recorded as being
the 'top road
running competition
in the world' for
2009, along with
being the top road
running competition
for men and 3rd for
women. Based on
results and
participants, the
RAK Half was also
the Number 1 road
running competition
in Asia (2009) proof
that in a mere 3
years, this race has
become world class
and that there is
every chance of more
record-setting
around the streets
of this emerging UAE
emirate. Patrick
Makau's winning time
of 58:52 last year
remained the
quickest in the
world for 2009. It
was recorded in a
genuine race to the
tape that forced the
then 23-year old to
the new course
record which remains
the second fastest
time ever. After
leading through 15km
in a world
record-equaling
41:29 last year but
eventually finishing
third, it is
Ethiopian
front-running
sensation Deriba
Merga who returns to
top a field of great
depth and quality,
while Makau sits
this one out and
awaits a return to
form. Dogging
Merga's almost
certain
front-running
approach this year
will be recent
winner of the Zayed
Half Marathon,
compatriot Tilahun
Regassa. Such is the
precocious talent of
this 20 year old,
that Merga will have
to exercise much
better pace
judgement this time
around to stay ahead
in RAK. Team mate
Lelisa Desisa, who
debuted with a 59:59
in Abu Dhabi, will
be feeling more
confident after then
leaving in his wake
a lot of his fellow
starters lined up
for RAK. The
predictable Kenyan
challenge (they have
won each edition of
this race so far),
of the men's race in
RAK will be led by
Marathon specialist
Geoffrey Mutai who
surprised last
year's runner up
Wilson Kipsang in
Valencia last
November beating him
in a race record of
59:30. Mutai will be
joined by John
Kiprotich (59:23)
and Jairus Chanchima
(59:44) to make it
an interesting
battle for East
African pride.
Former World Half
Marathon Champion
Fabiano Joseph is
the sole Tanzanian,
leading the rest of
the challengers in a
field that has no
less than ten sub-60
performers. If the
weather is kind and
the wind stays away
this rocket-fast
race may add another
record to its
already impressive
collection.
Final entries for
the 85th Comrades
Marathon, to
take place on 30
May, closed on 30
January when 2000
"extra" places were
snapped up in under
5 minutes. The race
organisation would
like to thank
runners for their
enthusiastic
response to the
various entry
phases. Official
entrants now stand
at around 23000,
although the
official figure will
be released at the
end of February.
Thanks are also due
to the management
and staff of race
sponsors Mr. Price
and all the retail
outlets where
entries were taken
on 30 January.
Comrades Marathon Association Chairman Dave Dixon said that the race has been overwhelmed by the interest from local and international runners alike. The incredible support received from athletes, commercial partners, sponsors, host cities and government institutions makes the future of the event appear bright.
Comrades organisers are aware of the many disappointed runners who have missed out on the opportunity to run the 2010 Comrades race. Runners should be on the alert for announcements about the opening date for entries for the 2011 Comrades Marathon in the near future.
Meanwhile, entries for the country’s biggest half marathon, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, which takes place on Easter Saturday 3 April, have reached the 11000 cap. The race has processed 10501 half marathon entries, 95% of which were received online. Many other road running events around South Africa have attracted record fields indicating renewed interest in road running, particularly in ultra distances. Two Oceans' flagship event, the 56km ultra marathon, currently has 2600 entries and the race office is expecting to see that increase significantly over the next three weeks with most of the major qualifying events taking place around the country during February. Runners are encouraged to get their entries in as soon as they have completed their qualifying marathon to avoid possible disappointment. Ultra marathon entries close on 3 March.
No late entries will be taken after the cut off date but representatives will be at the Seeff Weskus Marathon in Langebaan on 6 March and at the Vaal Marathon in VanderBijl Park on 7 March. They will take hand delivered ultra entries from runners who have just qualified. There will be no online entries accepted after the 3 March cut off.
Comrades Marathon Association Chairman Dave Dixon said that the race has been overwhelmed by the interest from local and international runners alike. The incredible support received from athletes, commercial partners, sponsors, host cities and government institutions makes the future of the event appear bright.
Comrades organisers are aware of the many disappointed runners who have missed out on the opportunity to run the 2010 Comrades race. Runners should be on the alert for announcements about the opening date for entries for the 2011 Comrades Marathon in the near future.
Meanwhile, entries for the country’s biggest half marathon, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, which takes place on Easter Saturday 3 April, have reached the 11000 cap. The race has processed 10501 half marathon entries, 95% of which were received online. Many other road running events around South Africa have attracted record fields indicating renewed interest in road running, particularly in ultra distances. Two Oceans' flagship event, the 56km ultra marathon, currently has 2600 entries and the race office is expecting to see that increase significantly over the next three weeks with most of the major qualifying events taking place around the country during February. Runners are encouraged to get their entries in as soon as they have completed their qualifying marathon to avoid possible disappointment. Ultra marathon entries close on 3 March.
No late entries will be taken after the cut off date but representatives will be at the Seeff Weskus Marathon in Langebaan on 6 March and at the Vaal Marathon in VanderBijl Park on 7 March. They will take hand delivered ultra entries from runners who have just qualified. There will be no online entries accepted after the 3 March cut off.
In the the
Kagawa Marugame
International Half
Marathon
( more)
on
7 February
Daniel Gitau turned
the tables on last
year's winner Moguso
Mekubo. After
falling behind
Mekubo by a few
metres soon after
the turnaround he
came back to forge
an unbeatable
lead, and won by
200m. Mekubo managed
to hold off the
fastest of the
chasing pack, Joseph
Mwaniki, who had
closed to within 50m
as they entered the
stadium with 600m to
go. Nikki Chapple
took the women's
race from the front
to record an
impressive 1:08:37
winning by
400m. Elsewhere in
Japan Jonathan
Kipkorir won the
Beppu-Oita
Mainichi Marathon
( more) from
Daniel Njenga
by little more than
30m, 2:10:50 to
2:10:56.
In the 29th Osaka
International
Ladies' Marathon
( more)
on 31 January,
Amane Gobena surged
away from Portugal's
Marisa Barros to win
in 2:25:14 to
Barros's 2:25:45 and
become the first
Ethiopian ro win the
race. The Tainan
Ancient Capital
Marathon
( more)
took
place in
neighbouring Chinese
Taipei. Action for
the day concluded
with the 21st
edition of the
Marrakech
International
Marathon
( more)
in
Morocco, where
runners passed
through "alleys of
palm trees, orange,
and olive-trees, and
also alongside the
ramparts of the
city".
The Big Sur Half
Marathon on Monterey
Bay has achieved
Gold Certification
for its green
credentials from the
Council for
Responsible Sport, a
non-profit
organization
dedicated to raising
the level of
environmental and
social awareness in
sport. To date only
one other half
marathon, in the UK,
has earned Gold
Certification and
two triathlons have
earned Evergreen
Certification, CRS’
highest designation.
The CRS standard
includes 41 credits
in six categories:
waste, climate,
equipment and
materials, community
and outreach, health
promotion and
innovation. The Big
Sur Marathon Half
Marathon earned 32
points. With its
focused efforts on
recycling, reducing
materials and
composting food
waste, Big Sur Half
was awarded all nine
credits in the waste
category. The
maximum number was
also achieved in the
categories of
community and
outreach, health
promotion and
innovation.
Karen Ferlito, volunteer chair of the Big Sur Half Marathon’s Greening Committee said “we had a dedicated committee and helped educate dozens of volunteers who staffed the waste stations to ensure the landfill trash, compostable and recyclable materials were separated. Our volunteers helped the weary runners deposit their waste in the right bins.” As a result, the landfill diversion rate was 42% higher than in 2008 and 177% higher than 2007.
Karen Ferlito, volunteer chair of the Big Sur Half Marathon’s Greening Committee said “we had a dedicated committee and helped educate dozens of volunteers who staffed the waste stations to ensure the landfill trash, compostable and recyclable materials were separated. Our volunteers helped the weary runners deposit their waste in the right bins.” As a result, the landfill diversion rate was 42% higher than in 2008 and 177% higher than 2007.
National Public Radio’s California Report featured an in-depth story on the greening efforts of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay in early December. Publicity has helped raise awareness among runners, event organizers, and the general public about the importance of keeping sporting events as sustainable as possible.
The Big Sur Marathon team will continue its greening efforts for the 25th presentation of the full marathon in April.
The 6th GENEVA
MARATHON to be
run on 8-9 May 2010,
will include two new
events. The
traditional Marathon
and Half Marathon
will take place on
Sunday 9 May, on an
unchanged route
along the Geneva
Waterfront. Two new
races have been
introduced for 2010
so that the whole
family will be able
to participate at
their own pace in
this great running
festival. A 6km
race reserved
exclusively for
women will be
organised on
Saturday 8 May along
Geneva’s quaysides
and parks.
Courses for children
aged 6 to 13
will also be
arranged for the
first time on that
same Saturday, over
distances from 500m
to 3km.
Runners will find all the information they need on the site www.genevemarathon.ch and can register online from Monday, 8 February. Preferential offers will be made to all online registrations submitted from 8-15 February. The new arrangements are part of an ambitious development plan to make Geneva one of the 15 biggest European marathons by 2015. The theme of Water, indispensable for keeping the runners hydrated, unmissable in Geneva, and a major challenge of the 21st century for many of the international organisations based in Geneva, has been retained by the Organising Committee, which will be introducing many varied activities in future editions of the race.
Within this context a partnership has been signed between the GENEVA MARATHON and UNICEF Switzerland aiming to raise funds for purchasing the water pumps that are useful in many countries. To achieve this, 5% of the registration fees will go to UNICEF, along with all registration fees for the children's races. This partnership, which will also provide UNICEF with a showcase for all its activities, will be reflected in a change of name to the GENEVA MARATHON FOR UNICEF
GENEVA MARATHON FOR UNICEF
6th edition – 8 and 9 May 2010
Registration on www.genevemarathon.ch from Monday 8 February 2010.
Runners will find all the information they need on the site www.genevemarathon.ch and can register online from Monday, 8 February. Preferential offers will be made to all online registrations submitted from 8-15 February. The new arrangements are part of an ambitious development plan to make Geneva one of the 15 biggest European marathons by 2015. The theme of Water, indispensable for keeping the runners hydrated, unmissable in Geneva, and a major challenge of the 21st century for many of the international organisations based in Geneva, has been retained by the Organising Committee, which will be introducing many varied activities in future editions of the race.
Within this context a partnership has been signed between the GENEVA MARATHON and UNICEF Switzerland aiming to raise funds for purchasing the water pumps that are useful in many countries. To achieve this, 5% of the registration fees will go to UNICEF, along with all registration fees for the children's races. This partnership, which will also provide UNICEF with a showcase for all its activities, will be reflected in a change of name to the GENEVA MARATHON FOR UNICEF
GENEVA MARATHON FOR UNICEF
6th edition – 8 and 9 May 2010
Registration on www.genevemarathon.ch from Monday 8 February 2010.
On 24 January
the 7th Khon Kaen
International
Marathon
( more) was
staged in northern
Thailand, starting
at the heat-beating
time of 04.30. Seven
time zones further
west and six hours
later, the Santa
Pola International
Half Marathon
( more)
took place just to
the south of
Alicante in Spain.
The final AIMS race
of the day, another
11 time zones to the
west, was the
Maui Oceanfront
Marathon and Half
( more) ,
run along the
Hawaiian island's
coastline with
scenic mountain
views on one side
and the chance of
spotting whales on
the other.
18 Jan 2010: The
Portland Marathon
have created a half
marathon to accompany
the title event to be
next held on 10 October
2010. Entries were
opened this month and
the race is already
nearly sold out.
Event organizers believe the half marathon will add $3 million of economic impact to the local area. The overall event is estimated to have a $26 million economic impact on the Portland Metro area and has been the "largest convention-like event" in Portland for the last four years.
Limited to 3,000 entries, the Portland Marathon Half will feature all the entertainment and amenities of the full 26.2-mile marathon, which drew over 9,700 runners and walkers in 2009. Currently, participants for the half event are 76% women from 36 states and 7 foreign countries.
Registration for the half was first offered to former Portland Marathon finishers and other special running and walking groups. Registration opened to the general public on January 10 and will continue until January 31, unless the event fills earlier. Special entries are also reserved for charities and the military. Those interested in registering can go to www.portlandmarathon.org and can use promotional code PMHALF254 for a discount through January 21.
The Portland Marathon committee is excited to add another event to its roster. Course Coordinator Chris Hardman said "The Portland Marathon Half will be a fun event with a fast course and all the well known features of our Portland Marathon."
The Portland Marathon is a non-profit organization which every year donates nearly $200,000 to over 100 local non-profits, school groups, sport teams, and other charities. Using the event as a vehicle, charities also raise about $2 million for themselves. The Portland Marathon events, which include a marathon, a half marathon, a five-miler, a 10K walk, and kids’ fun run, are produced each year by a committee and over 4,500 volunteers.
Event organizers believe the half marathon will add $3 million of economic impact to the local area. The overall event is estimated to have a $26 million economic impact on the Portland Metro area and has been the "largest convention-like event" in Portland for the last four years.
Limited to 3,000 entries, the Portland Marathon Half will feature all the entertainment and amenities of the full 26.2-mile marathon, which drew over 9,700 runners and walkers in 2009. Currently, participants for the half event are 76% women from 36 states and 7 foreign countries.
Registration for the half was first offered to former Portland Marathon finishers and other special running and walking groups. Registration opened to the general public on January 10 and will continue until January 31, unless the event fills earlier. Special entries are also reserved for charities and the military. Those interested in registering can go to www.portlandmarathon.org and can use promotional code PMHALF254 for a discount through January 21.
The Portland Marathon committee is excited to add another event to its roster. Course Coordinator Chris Hardman said "The Portland Marathon Half will be a fun event with a fast course and all the well known features of our Portland Marathon."
The Portland Marathon is a non-profit organization which every year donates nearly $200,000 to over 100 local non-profits, school groups, sport teams, and other charities. Using the event as a vehicle, charities also raise about $2 million for themselves. The Portland Marathon events, which include a marathon, a half marathon, a five-miler, a 10K walk, and kids’ fun run, are produced each year by a committee and over 4,500 volunteers.
On 16 January
the Kinmen
Marathon
( more)
took
place in Chinese
Taipei, in the
National Park of the
same name.
Next day, on 17 January the China Coast Marathon( more)
was run on a
challenging course
in the New
Territories of Hong
Kong. In the 7th
edition of the
Standard Chartered
Mumbai Marathon
( more)
Denis Ndiso
struck out for home
from 25km, to win in
2:12:34 - a very
creditable time in
the unusually warm
confitions. In the
women's race it came
down to a sprint
finish, in which
defending champion
Haile Kebebush was
outkicked by
Bizunesh Mohamed,
who won in 2:31:09.
The 21st Maraton
Int'l de Culiacan
( more)
was run next
to the Gulf of
California in
Mexico, starting
from in front of the
City Hall of
Culiacan.
Next day, on 17 January the China Coast Marathon
In the Zayed
Half Marathon
( more)
on 7 January
Tilahun Regassa won with
a new personal best of
59:15, ahead of Sammy
Kitwara and Lelisa
Desild, who also ran
under the hour. In the
women's race Mary
Keitany won by over two
minutes from Philes
Ongori, with Dire Tune
just behind her in
third. The
Tiberias Marathon
was also run on 7
January along the shores
of Lake Galilee in
Israel. Three days later
the
Mizuno Hong
Kong Half Marathon
Championships
( more)
takes place, on
10 January.
Twelve hours later. as the clock ticked into 1 January, 600 runners took part in the Neujahrsmarathon Zurich
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