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| November 4, 2003 | Tuesday | Ramazan 8, 1424 |
Kenyans dominate NYC Marathon
NEW YORK, Nov 3: Kenyans again dominated the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Margaret Okayo breaking her own women’s course record by nearly two minutes while Martin Lel posted a more conservative win in the men’s race.
Okayo, 27 sizzled in 2hr 22min 31sec to shatter her 2001 time of 2:24:21.
Lel, 24 and this year’s world half marathon champion, defeated his close friend and defending champion Rodgers Rop in 2:10:30, almost three minutes slower than the course record also set in 2001 by Ethiopian Jifar Tesfaye.
The quietly spoken Okayo, who was overlooked as a pre-race contender, collected US$100,000 for winning and another US$60,000 for setting a course record.
By the halfway mark she had clocked 1:12:04 and was on target to set a new record.
American Deena Drossin described Okayo’s victory in the 26-mile, 385-yard (42km) race as “perfectly executed” against one of the best women’s marathon fields assembled in the United States.
Lel, who collected US$100,000 for the victory, described his win as “a surprise” after he sprinted away from Rop at the end.
Kenya’s dominance was reflected as Rop, 30, Christopher Cheboiboch, 26, and Elly Rono, 33, filled the top four places.
Among the women, Kenya’s marathon World Champion Catherine Ndereba, 31, finished second, and Lornah Kiplagat, 29, who was born in Kenya but is now a citizen of the Netherlands was third.
Ndereba (2:23:03) and Kiplagat (2:23:43) were both inside Okayo’s 2001 course record.
Kenyan women have now five New York City marathons since 1994 and the men have taken five since 1997.
Lel said that early in the race when he was part of a 20-25 leading group he became concerned.
Okayo, now a two-time New York City Marathon winner and last year’s Boston champion, went to the lead at the five-mile (8km) mark and stayed with the leading pack until 17 miles (27km) when she, Kiplagat and Russian Ludmila Petrova began to break away with Ndereba not far away.
As the field reached the borough of Manhattan, Okayo and Ndereba moved away from the rest. Okayo then went into a higher gear and sped away to a 150-yard lead and turned it into a one-woman race at the business end.
A group of about 20 runners led the men as they crossed the Queensborough Bridge into Manhattan, but as the field approached Central Park Rop and Lel kicked away. Lel closely watched the more experienced Rop and eased away to deny Rop’s second straight win here.
Results:
MEN: 1. Martin Lel (KEN) 2hr 10min 30sec; 2. Rodgers Rop (KEN) 2:11:11; 3. Christopher Cheboiboch (KEN) 2:11:23; 4. Elly Rono (KEN) 2:11:31; 5. Alberico Di Ceco (ITA) 2:11:40; 6. Ottavio Andriani (ITA) 2:13:10; 7. David Makori (KEN) 2:13:20; 8. Laban Kipkemboi (KEN) 2:14:08; 9. John Kagwe (KEN) 2:14:08; 10. El Arbi Khattabi (MOR) 2:15:10
WOMEN: 1. Margaret Okayo (KEN) 2:22:31 (course record); 2. Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 2:23:04; 3. Lornah Kiplagat (NED) 2:23:43; 4. Ludmila Petrova (RUS) 2:25:01; 5. Lubov Denisova (RUS) 2:25:59; 6. Joyce Chepchumba (KEN) 2:26:07; 7. Susan Chepkemei (KEN) 2:29:06; 8. Adriana Fernandez (MEX) 2:32:10; 9. Olivera Jevtic (SEM) 2:32:30; 10. Silvia Mosqueda (USA) 2:33:11.—AFP/Reuters
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