Rotterdam Organizers Prepared For Possible World Record
by Win van Hemert
April 7, 2011
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
NOTE: You can watch the ABN AMRO Marathon Rotterdam marathon on
Sunday at UniversalSports.com. The race is supposedly on live for $3.99, and if that's true, the race starts at 5 am EST. Currently, universalsports.com says the race will be available starting at 9:55 am EST (which makes no sense). They will
also broadcast a tape-delayed version of the race on their television
channel in the USA at noon EDT --Ed.
ROTTERDAM (08-Apr) -- The organizers of the 31st edition of the ABN AMRO
Marathon Rotterdam, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, do not want to take
any chances with Sunday's event. As a precaution, for a new world
record they insured the amount of USD 350,000 the winner will get in
case of bettering Haile Gebrselassie's 2:03:59 from Berlin in 2008.
The expectations in this Dutch harbor town, which had the fastest
marathon times of the last two years, are very high. The weather
forecast for Sunday is excellent. A temperature of 12-14 degrees
Celsius at the start at 11:00 a.m., sunny with very light winds. There
will be starting four sub-2:06:00 athletes plus three who have a
personal best of sub 2:07:00. At the pre-race press conference
yesterday they were called the "Magnificent Seven." The fastest man in
the group is Kenyan Vincent Kipruto, who finished third last year in
Rotterdam with a time of 2:05:13. Also coming back to the very fast,
flat Rotterdam course is Ethiopian Feyisa Lelisa, last year's #4
finisher with a personal best of 2:05:23. The other two who have run
the 42.195 km race inside 2:06:00 are Eliud Kiptanui of Kenya (2:05:39
PB, winner last year in Prague) and Ethiopian Getu Feleke (2:05:44 PB,
winner last year in Amsterdam).
"Last year, when Patrick Makau won in 2:04:48, we lost the world record
between 20 and 30 kilometers," race director Mario Kadiks told reporters
yesterday. During the press conference, organizers could not yet
present all of then strong contenders as some of them were delayed in
arriving due visa problems. The expectation was, however, that they
will arrive in time for the race. The "Magnificent Seven" are counting
on strong pacemaking by Kenyans Peter Kirui, Eric Ndiema and Sammy
Kitwara.
"We will go out with a much smaller fast group than last year," Kadiks said. "Six pacemakers and the seven fastest men."
Eliud Kiptanui, who won the Prague marathon last year, said, "I am well
prepared. I hope to improve my Prague personal best of 2:05:39. I had
a test in Dubai earlier this year doing 30 kilometers. I was feeling
very well and felt there I will be able for a 2:04:00 time. Already
from the time I was a kid I am and great admirer of Haile Gebrselassie. I
want to run very close to his best time. Here I will run my own race."
The fastest man in the race, Vincent Kipruto, clocked his personal best
of 2:05:13 in Rotterdam last year. The 23-year old had a problem in
that race which cost him significant time: the inner sole in one of his
running shoes was curled up and he had to stop to remove it.
"I have great plans for Sunday," he said.
The fastest woman in the race is Kenyan Rita Jeptoo with a personal best
of 2:23:28. Dutchwoman Hilda Kibet is the third fastest on the women's
starting list with a personal best of 2:26:23. A very dangerous outsider
is Kenyan Philes Ongori who is running her first marathon. She recently
ran 1:08:32 at the Semi-Marathon de Paris.
The most prominent invited runners are:
MEN -
Vincent Kipruto (Kenya) D.o.B: 13-09-1987 PB: 2:05:13 (3) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
Feyisa Lelisa (Ethiopia) D.o.B: 01-02-1990 PB: 2:05:23 (4) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
Eliud Kiptanui (Kenya) D.o.B: 06-06-1989 PB: 2:05:39 (1) Prague 09-05-2010
Getu Feleke (Ethiopia) D.o.B: 28-11-1986 PB: 2:05:44 (1) Amsterdam 17-10-2010
Wilson Chebet (Kenya) D.o.B: 12-07-1985 PB: 2:06:12 (2) Amsterdam 17-10-2010
Gilbert Kirwa (Kenya) D.o.B: 20-12-1985 PB: 2:06:14 (1) Frankfurt 25-10-2009
Chala Dechase (Ethiopia) D.o.B: 13-06-1984 PB: 2:06:12 (2) Dubai 22-01-2010
Michael Kipyego (Kenya) D.o.B: 02-10-1983 PB: debut
Alemayehu Shumye (Ethiopia) D.o.B: 1988 PB: 2:08:46 (5) Frankfurt 25-10-2009
Hailu Mesfin (Ethiopia) D.o.B: 1984 PB: 2:09:50 (2) Xiamen 02-01-2011
James Kibocha Theuri (France) D.o.B: 30-11-1978 PB: 2:10:39 (14) Paris 05-04-2009
Koen Raymaekers (Netherlands) D.o.B: 31-17-1980 PB: 2:11:09 (9) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
WOMEN -
Rita Jeptoo (Kenya) D.o.B: 15-02-1981 PB: 2:23:38 (1) Boston 17-04-2006
Worknesh Tola (Ethiopia) D.o.B: 03-06-1977 PB: 2:25:37 (2) Paris 06-04-2008
Hilda Kibet (Netherlands) D.o.B: 27-03-1981 PB: 2:26:23 (6) Frankfurt 31-10-2010
Phyles Ongori (Kenya) D.o.B: 19-07-1986 PB: debut
Olga Glok (Russia) D.o.B: 16-12-1982 PB: 2:28:27 (1) Prague 10-05-2009
Irene Limika (Kenya) D.o.B: 28-08-1979 PB: 2:28:31 (4) Frankfurt 26-10-2008
Alessandra Aguilar (Spain) D.o.B: 01-07-1978 PB: 2:29:01 (1) Hamburg 26-04-2009
Beatriz Ros Blanco (Spain) D.o.B: 12-05-1974 PB: 2:29:25 (13) Saint Denis 31-08-2003
Shetaye Bedaso (Ethiopia) D.o.B: unkwon PB: 2:29:48 (5) Amsterdam 17-10-2010
Yevgenia Danilova (Russia) D.o.B: 10-08-1981 PB: 2:31:44 (4) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
ENDS
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