— WR Attempt Falls Short in Berlin — by Sean Hartnett Kimetto, Making His Marathon Debut
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Volume 11, No.60 October 01, 2012 — WR Attempt Falls Short In Berlin — by Sean Hartnett Kimetto, making his marathon debut. ping out amid the sweltering heat last April Geoffrey Mutai returned to his winning Mutai claimed his third World Marathon in Boston, a DNF that unexpectedly cost the ways as he ran 2:04:15 to win the Berlin Mar- Major victory after destroying course records top-ranked 26-miler a spot on the Kenyan athon a second ahead of his protégé Dennis in Boston and New York in ’11 before drop- Olympic team. Mutai also solidified his lead in the ’12 WMM title chase with three victories The rookie Kimmeto in three different cities. “For me it is special to win here in seemed content just to Berlin after finishing 2nd here in 2010, I have now won in different places with follow training-mate Mutai hilly courses and flat courses. To win in in the closing stages different places is not easy.” Race-day once again broke near per- fect in the German capital save some off- and-on swirling winds, and after a 14:57 opening 5K, the lead pack of four pacers and five actual racers upped the tempo with 14:44, 14:41 and 14:40 segments to cross halfway in 62:12. The pace continued to quicken with 14:36 and 14:33 splits as only Jonathon Maiyo and reigning world Junior XC champ Geoffrey Kipsang remained in the hunt with Mutai and Kimetto when the final pacer Wilfred Kirwa retired at 31K. Beyond his own spectacular achieve- ments, Mutai directs an ever expanding training group of runners that includes Kimetto (who set the 25K WR four months ago in this same city). In the 32nd kilometer, coach Mutai led a demonstration in radical surging as he blasted a 2:43 kilo that dispatched Maiyo and Kipsang, and a subsequent 2:48 put the duo at 2:03:29 pace, ahead of Patrick Makau’s course and WR 2:03:38 set last year in Berlin. Yet Mutai and Kimetto’s move that blew the race open may have also scuttled the record chase. Splitting 14:19 from 30–35K, Mutai recalls “I tried pushing it like fartlek and thought maybe it was possible to break the World Record, but after 37K I got some pain in my left hamstring from the JIRO MOCHIZUKI/PHOTO RUN JIRO MOCHIZUKI/PHOTO sprinting. I was having some problems and could not push the pace but I said, ‘Let me just maintain to the finish line.’ ” Reeling from exit wounds of the ear- lier 5:31 2K burst, the two athletes decel- erated sharply over the final kilos as just -534- October 01, 2012 getting home displaced any thoughts of rac- beRLin WoMen 72:12; 4. Mizuki Noguchi (Jpn) 72:20. ing to the finish. Kimetto was more than con- 1. Aberu Kebede (Eth) 2:20:30 PR; 2. Tirfe tent to follow Mutai across in 2:04:16 in a Tsegaye (Eth) 2:21:19 PR; 3. Olena Shurhno tight finish seemingly devoid of competition. (Ukr) 2:23:32 PR; 4. Filomena Chepchirchir Perhaps Kimetto was respecting his coach, (Ken) 2:24:56; 5. Fate Tola (Eth) 2:25:14 PR; — Track Results — or Mutai’s claim on the $500,000 WMM 6. Alevtina Biktimirova (Rus) 2:28:45; 7. prize. What can’t be faulted is the effort in Caroline Chepkwony (Ken) 2:30:34; 8. Anna CHineSe CHAMPionSHiPS total, as Mutai and Kimetto moved to Nos. Hahner (Ger) 2:30:37; 9. Sonia Samuels (GB) Kunshan, September 22–25— 4 and 5 on the all-time legal-course list, with 2:30:56; 10. Degefa Biruktayit (Eth) 2:33:27; (9/22—100, 10K, LJ, SP, HT; 9/23—400, Berlin now claiming four of the top five fast- 11. Favre Valerie (Swi) 2:34:57. 1500, 400H, HJ, DT, JT; 9/24—200, 800, PV) est clockings. 100(1.4): 1. Su 10.21. 200(1.1): 1. Xie Third-placer Kipsang also logged an im- 20.77. 400: 1. Chang 46.45. pressive debut bettering 3:00 kilometer pace 800: 1. Teng 1:47.91. 1500: 1. Teng to finish in 2:06:12. — More Road Races — 3:42.88. St: 1. Wang 8:39.22 PR. 5000: 1. For Mutai his win after being beaten at Tai 13:59.92 PR. 10,000: 1. Ren 28:44.76. the finish by Makau in ’10 was doubly sat- 5TH AVenUe MiLe 110H(2.0): 1. Xie 13.36; 2. Jiang 13.55; isfying. “It means a lot for me to win races New York City, September 22 (point- 3. Ji 13.57; 4. Shi 13.58. 400H: 1. Li 50.25. while I am coaching,” he asserted. to-point; aided)— 4 x 100: 1. Fujian 39.16. 4 x 400: 1. “I have almost 60 athletes in my camp 1. Matthew Centrowitz (Or) 3:52.4 ($5000); Liaoning 3:06.16. and all of them are depending on me. The 2. Bernard Lagat (Az) 3:52.9; 3. Leo Manzano work of coaching athletes is not an easy task, (Tx) 3:53.1; 4. Caig Huffer (Aus) 3:53.5; 5. Field events because I am thinking about both training Ryan Gregson (Aus) 3:53.7; HJ: 1. Zhang 7-7 (2.31) PR; 2. Wang 7-5¾ and coaching.” 6. David Torrence (Ca) 3:53.8; 7. Craig (2.28) PR. He added, “I was also very happy for Den- Miller (Wi) 3:54.2; 8. Elliott Heath (Ca) 3:54.3; PV: 1. Yang 18-8¼ (5.70); 2. Xue 18-4½ nis because he has run a good time in his first 9. Garrett Heath (Ca) 3:54.4; 10. Jordan (5.60) PR; 3. Zhang 18-½ (5.50). LJ: 1. Wang 26-4½ (8.04) PR; 2. Zhao race. He also had some problems with his leg McNamara (Or) 3:56.5. and was just hoping to make the finish.” 26-0 (7.92). For his part, the lanky, smooth-striding 5TH AVenUe WoMen TJ: 1. Cao 55-11 (17.04); 2. Li 54-4½ Kimetto credits Mutai for the world’s fastest 1. Brenda Martinez (Ca) 4:24.2 ($5000); (16.57); 3. Dong 54-2 (16.51). debut on a record-eligible course. 2. Anna Pierce (Ca) 4:24.9; 3. Hannah Eng- SP: 1. Wang 66-3¼ (20.20) PR. “I had confidence in Geoffrey’s program land (GB) 4:26.0; 4. Gabriele Anderson (Mn) DT: 1. Wu 197-5 (60.19). because it has brought him many titles,” he 4:26.5; 5. Shannon Rowbury (Ca) 4:27.0; HT: 1. Qi 231-7 (70.59). said. “I was not expecting to finish close to 6. Heather Kampf (Mn) 4:27.8; 7. Julia JT: 1. Zhao 268-2 (81.74) PR. him, but I am very happy with my run and Bleasdale (GB) 4:28.8 (halfway leader, Dec(9/24–25): 1. Qi 7573. $1000); 8. Chelsea Reilly (Ca) 4:29.0; 9. in future, I will try for the World Record.” CHineSe CHAMPS WoMen A pair of Ethiopian training partners also Eilish McColgan (GB) 4:29.7; 10. Jenny Simpson (Co) 4:29.9. (9/22—100, 10K, LJ; 9/23—400, 1500, 400H, ruled the women’s competition as Aberu LJ; 9/24—200, 800, 100H, TJ, HT, JT) Kebede bettered Tirfi Tsegaye for her second 100(0.1): 1. Wei 11.51. 200(1.1): 1. Wei Berlin title in a PR 2:20:30. 23.37. 400: 1. Chen 52.80. Kebede was content to run in a pack of 4 DeLHi HALF-MARATHon IAAF Gold Label; New Delhi, India, 800: 1. Zhao 2:01.46 PR; 2. Wang 2:01.48. through a 70:32 opening half before leaving September 30— 1500: 1. Sun 4:12.16 PR. St: 1. Jin 10:03.85. the challengers behind as she upped the tem- 1. Edwin Kipyego (Ken) 60:55; 2. Leonard 5000: 1. Fu 15:47.82 PR. 10,000: 1. Xiao po to close in 69:58. Tirfi Tsegaye finishednd 2 Langat (Ken) 61:07; 3. Silas Kipruto (Ken) 33:00.32. (2:21:19), while Olena Shurhno rounded out 61:57; 4. Milton Rotich (Ken) 62:01; 100H(1.0): 1. Wu 12.98 PR; 2. Zhang 13.07. the podium with a Ukraine Record 2:23:32. 5. Titus Mbieshi (Ken) 62:44; 6. Yemane 400H: 1. Yang 56.66; 2. Deng 56.82 PR. Tsegaye (Eth) 62:47; 7. Lelisa Desisa (Eth) 4 x 100: 1. Guangxi 44.34. 4 x 400: 1. 62:50; 8. Gideon Kipketer (Ken) 63:33; Guangdong 3:33.28. — Berlin Marathon — Women: Field events World Marathon Major; Berlin, Sep- 1. Yimer Wude (Eth) 71:10; 2. Waganesh HJ: 1. Zheng 6-3½ (1.92); 2. Wang 6-3½ tember 30— Amare (Eth) 71:12; 3. Helah Kiprop (Ken) PR. 1. Geoffrey Mutai (Ken) 2:04:15 PR (WL) 71:18; 4. Yebrugul Melese (Eth) 71:30; PV: 1. Li 14-5¼ (4.40); 2. Wu 14-1¼ (4.30). (4, 4 W) (a-c: x, 6 W) (wins WMM title); 2. 5. Hilalia Johannes (Nam) 71:43; 6. Belay- LJ: 1. Xu 21-7¼ (6.58). Dennis Kimetto (Ken) 2:04:16 PR (5, 5 W) anesh Oljira (Eth) 72:16; 7. Aberek Afework TJ: 1. Wang 46-0 (14.02); 2. Chen 45-10 (a-c: 6, 7 W) (debut record); (Eth) 73:00; 8.