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Four in a Row! Men's World Record-Holder Haile Gebrselassie Delivers at real,-Berlin Marathon
Men's and Women's Titles at 2009 real,-Berlin Marathon Earned by Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie and Atsede Habtamu Besuye
From Sport-Club CharlottenburgSeptember 21, 2009
Berlin, Germany
When Bill Rodgers won his fourth straight New York City Marathon title in 1979, Sports Illustrated honored his achievement on their October 29 cover with the caption, "New York, New York, It's a Helluva Town for Marathoner Bill Rodgers." (Rodgers also won four men's titles at the Boston Marathon.)
Thirty years later, double Olympic 10,000m gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie (all photos of him taken by www.photorun.net during this year's event) has matched that feat by
winning his fourth straight real,-Berlin Marathon men's race in 2:06:08. Race day, Sunday, September 20, brought rising temperatures that inhibited the incredible Haile from setting another world record; at the 2008 race, he had lowered his own men's marathon standard to 2:03:59.Haile Gebrselassie reached for the stars with a ferocious attempt to break his world record set in the German capital last year, but the fatigued Ethiopian ended up with a handful of moondust. "I was very tired, I pushed too much," he said immediately after the race.
Francis Kiprop of Kenya was second in a personal best (2:07:04), and third place Negari Terfa of Ethiopia also set a best (2:07:40). Pre-race co-favorite Duncan Kibet of Kenya fell off the pace near the half, and later dropped out of the race. But he has the consolation of remaining fastest marathoner of the year, with his 2:04:27 victory in Rotterdam in April.
The women's podium looked destined to be all Ethiopian, but after a group of four Ethiopian women dominated the early stages of the race, only Atsede Habtamu Besuye remained at the front of the pack; she won the women's title in 2.24.47, a half minute faster than her personal best set this year in Dubai (second place). This is the first time she has raced a World Marathon Majors (WMM) event. Silvia Skvortsova of Russia had a strong finish to place second (2:26:24) in Berlin, a 33-second improvement on her previous best from 2002 in London (seventh place). Debutante Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia was third in 2:26:38.
"My preparation was perfect," Haile Gebreselassie said after winning the men's title. "That's why I was on world record pace until 32-33 kilometers. But after 33K, with the sun getting warmer, I switched into a different gear. I tried to push, but it didn't work".It would be unfair to call his performance a failure, since such ambition is what pushes back frontiers, and forges legends and reputations. Gebrselassie (36) has the character to reach for greatness.
The temperature was not as hot as expected (16C/61 F at the start, rising to 20C/68 F for the men's finish), but the pace was. Haile had asked for a pace of 61:30 at halfway, and was clocked through 13.1 miles at 61:48, 16 seconds faster than his pace during last year's world record race.
With Kibet already fallen off the back of the pack, the remaining pacemakers--all Kenyan, which gives some idea of the relaxed East African rivalry between distance power houses Kenya and Ethiopia--accelerated to deliver Gebreselassie to the 30K mark in 1:27:49. That was four seconds slower than he had hoped, but 36 seconds ahead of his 2008 record pace.
The remaining pacemaker, Sammy Kosgei upped the allure even more in the final kilometre before he dropped out, the 32nd was run in 2.46, thus 39 seconds ahead of world record schedule. But that may have been the final straw, because having maintained a relentless sub-three minutes per kilometre pace (average 2.56 was necessary for a new record), Geb dropped off to successive kilometres well outside
three minutes.And that was that. He slowed and tired visibly, and although finishing well clear of closest pursuer, Kiprop, his time was only his own sixth best, and the 26th fastest in history. And, incidentally three seconds slower than the 2.06.05 world record of Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil in Berlin 1998, a record which prompted a spate of fast times, after a hiatus of ten years of no men's marathon records.
There was the consolation of a 30k world record for Haile, his 1.27.49 (the pacemakers duly dropped back a little in order not to spoil the party) being 11sec faster than the 1.28.00 achieved by the Japanese Takayuki Matsumiya in a rarely run 30k race in February 2005. Yet to be ratified, it will be Gebrselassie's 27th world best or record. But it, patently was not the one he sought.
"If you look at the 30K world record, it wasn't too bad," he opined of his run. "What I've understood from today is that the temperature has to be under 16-17 degrees (celsius), to break the marathon world record (last year the temperatures were between 12-16C/54-61 F). People say the marathon begins after 30K or 35K, and the weather is important. Perhaps I should have calculated that from the beginning. I've learned a lot today. If I become a coach for marathon runners, I'll be a good coach".
Kiprop in second place improved his personal best by one minute and 24 seconds, from his 2.08.30 fourth place in Seoul last year, and Terfa in third was 1.17 faster than the 2.09.01 that he clocked for second place in Xiamen, China in January this year.
Duncan Kibet dropped out shortly after the 30k mark. Luke Kibet (no relation), the 2007 world champion made a late appearance as a pacemaker, but dropped out at 15k with a back injury.
World Marathon Majors Standings
The points earned by Gebrselassie and Habtamu Besuye will not have a significant impact on who will be the overall champions for the current 2008--2009 World Marathon Majors season. Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya and Irina Mikitenko of Germany have built up large leads at the top of the rankings.Haile Gebrselassie's win at the 2009 real,-Berlin Marathon moves him up to second place in the WMM 2008--2009 men's rankings. Here are the WMM points for the top finishers in the 2009 real,-Berlin Marathon:
|
Men |
Points |
|
|
1. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) |
25 |
2:06:08 |
|
2. Francis Kiprop (KEN) |
15 |
2:07:04 |
|
3. Negari Terfa (ETH) |
10 |
2:07:41 |
|
4. Dereje Debele Tulu (ETH) |
5 |
2:09:41 |
|
5. Alfred Kering (KEN) |
1 |
2:09:52 |
|
|
|
|
|
Women |
Points |
|
|
1. Atsede Habtamu Besuye (ETH) |
25 |
2:24:47 |
|
2. Silvia Skvortsova (RUS) |
15 |
2:26:24 |
|
3. Mamitu Daska (ETH) |
10 |
2:26:38 |
|
4. Rosaria Console (ITA) |
5 |
2:26:45 |
|
5. Genet Getaneh (ETH) |
1 |
2:27:09 |
Two races remain in the WMM Series for 2008--2009: the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 11, and the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1.
The Boston Marathon and the Virgin London Marathon, both held annually in April, complete the World Marathon Majors schedule.
The Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya leads the men's rankings for the 2008--2009 WMM Series with 65 points with Haile Gebrselassie (50) ranked second. Irina Mikitenko of Germany has achieved the maximum total of 75 points from three races and has a clear lead over Dire Tune of Ethiopia (40) in the women's competition. Mikitenko can become the first female athlete to win a WMM Series twice in succession, having already won the 2007--2008 edition.
WMM Standings for 2009 - 2010 to date:
|
Men |
Points |
|
1. Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) |
60 |
|
2. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) |
50 |
|
3. Tsegaye Kebede (ETH) |
35 |
|
4. Deribe Merga (ETH) |
30 |
|
5. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN) |
26 |
|
5. Martin Lel (KEN) |
26 |
|
5. Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) |
26 |
|
|
|
|
Women |
Points |
|
1. Irina Mikitenko (GER) |
75 |
|
2. Dire Tune (ETH) |
40 |
|
3. Salina Kosgei (KEN) |
30 |
|
3. Alvetina Biktimirova (RUS) |
30 |
|
3. Constantina Dita (ROM) |
30 |
|
6. Xue Bai (CHI) |
25 |
|
6. Liliya Shobukova (RUS) |
25 |
|
6. Paula Radcliffe (GBR) |
25 |
|
6. Atsede Habtamu Besuye (ETH) |
25 |
The complete standings for the 2008--2009 and 2009--2010 series, information about the World Marathon Majors, and lists of participating athletes are available at www.worldmarathonmajors.com
About the World Marathon Majors
On January 23, 2006, the Boston, Flora London, real,-Berlin, Bank of America Chicago and ING New York City marathons collectively launched the World Marathon Majors--a series offering a $1 million prize purse to be split equally between the top male and female marathoners in the world.
The five races in the World Marathon Majors attract international elite fields for both men and women, have a mass participatory field completing the same course as the elites, take place in major international cities, have a history of 25 years or more, and are regarded as among the very best marathons. Collectively, the events annually attract more than 5 million on-course spectators, more than 250 million television viewers, 300,000 applicants, and 150,000 participants. They raise more than $80 million for charity world-wide, and generate an economic impact of more than $400 million.
In addition to the five races, two other Qualifying Races were included in the series: the IAAF World Championships Marathon, and the Olympic Marathon.