Despite Controversy, Gebre Is 2010 Honolulu Marathon Champion
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
December 12, 2010
HONOLULU (12-Dec) -- When Belainesh Gebre, an Ethiopian athlete based in
Flagstaff, Ariz., was unable to gain invited status for the 38th
Honolulu Marathon here this morning, she and her boyfriend, Ezkyas
Sisay, decided to sign-up for the race on their own. Race organizers
were tipped off that she planned to compete by another competitor, and
Honolulu Marathon Association president Dr. Jim Barahal allowed her and
Sisay into the invited athletes staging area in the predawn darkness
this morning.
"Because, you know, she tried to enter (as an) elite athlete, they
didn't accept her," Sisay explained to reporters after the race.
Wearing bib number 9670, Gebre tucked in behind Sisay right from the
gun, hitting the first kilometer in 3:25, and the first mile in 5:33,
several seconds faster than course record pace. With the exception of
designated pacemaker Kaori Yoshida of Japan, who ran close behind the
Ethiopian couple through 15 km, no other women were in sight.
Because Gebre, a 1:09:43 half-marathon runner who has won her last five
road races, was not part of the invited field, she did not have her own
energy drinks at the eight official aid stations like the other top
women. To compensate for that, she drank PowerBar energy drink from
bottles which ringed Sisay's waist on a belt.
That's where all of the trouble started.
USA Track & Field rules 144 and 241 address unfair assistance to
athletes, and Sisay's pacing Gebre, supplying her with drinks several
times from his belt, bringing her sponges and drinks from the aid
stations, and providing information to her about her pace and the
whereabouts of her rivals was over the line as far as three-time
champion Svetlana Zakharova of Russia was concerned. After closing the
gap on the slowing Gebre late in the race to about 40 seconds, Zakharova
was unable to catch the Ethiopian who ran the last kilometer of the
race alone after Sisay ducked off of the course. The 40 year-old
Russian, who has won both the Boston and Chicago Marathons, filed a
protest after Gebre clocked 2:32:13 to win in her marathon debut.
Zakharova finished 48 seconds back.
Minutes later in a rambling interview, Sisay said he didn't understand what all the fuss was about.
"We need to drink PowerBar," he said referring to the energy drinks he carried. "Then, we shared our drink."
He then insisted that he was not in the race to pace Gebre, but was trying to compete in the men's division, instead.
"I came here, I wanted to finish top-3," he said. "This is my liquid. She asked me then, I gave her."
After investigating the matter with a local USA Track & Field
official, Barahal told reporters that he was unhappy about what Sisay
had done, but that his offense didn't rise to the level where Gebre
should be disqualified.
"After careful review of photographic evidence, eyewitness accounts, and
some discussions with the runner and her running companion and coach,
we have made the decision to affirm the results and declare (her) the
winner of the race. The results stand as determined on the course."
Barahal reasoned that since Gebre did not have access to the special
fluid service provided to the invited athletes, her taking the drinks
from Sisay essentially leveled the playing field.
"Because she entered on her own and was not an elite athlete, she was
not able to access our elite aid stations, which there are eight on the
course," Barahal, a cardiologist, said. "Since she wasn't an elite
athlete, she didn't have that. By eyewitness accounts, we have reliable
reports that she received assistance six times. Even if that's true,
that's still less than the eight (stations) the other athletes had."
Barahal said that he spoke to the Ethiopian couple sternly and expressed
his displeasure, and that if she decided to return next year to defend
her title such conduct would not be tolerated.
"We don't think there was any question that the coach acted
inappropriately," Barahal intoned. "Whether that reached the standard
for disqualification is something reasonable people could probably
disagree on." He added: "Let's face it, at the end of the day she did
run 26.2 miles."
Gebre earned $40,000 in prize money, compared to $16,000 for Zakharova.
Third place went to Japan's Yoshida, who decided to finish, in 2:39:02.
Men's Race: Last Year's Runner-Up Nicholas Chelimo Pockets $40,000
In the men's race, there was no such controversy. Despite having
Patrick Makau, the fastest marathoner of 2010 in the lead pack as a
casual pacer, the tempo in the men's race was slow. Makau didn't push
the pace, and retired near the 11 mile mark (18 km). A pack of five
Kenyan contenders --Gilbert Kirwa, Nicholas Chelimo, Jimmy Muindi,
Richard Limo and Solomon Bushendich-- then waltzed through the halfway
mark in 1:07:40. Chelimo, who was second her last year, didn't mind the
slow pace.
"You know, I was not worried because, you know, the weather," Chelimo
said after the race. "The weather was a little bit humid from last
year."
Indeed the 79% humidity was clearly a factor in the sluggish tempo, but
so was a lack of leadership in the lead pack. Without a designated
pacemaker, the athletes were all looking at each other like gamblers at a
poker table.
"I was watching all of the guys, because everybody was very strong,"
Chelimo commented. "Today, I think everybody was very strong."
Muindi, a 6-time winner here, was the first to fall off of the pace in
the second half. The pack stretched and contracted several times, but
after the 21 mile mark (34 km) Limo, a world 5000m champion, surged
dropping Kirwa. Chelimo stayed with Limo, and Bushendish fell back a
few steps. Then Chelimo saw his chance to win the race.
"About 35-K," he replied when he asked when he knew he would win the
race. "Because I surged. I surged again and I got about 50 meters and I
say, I think nobody will follow me again."
As the sun rose over the Pacific behind Chelimo, his lead went
unchallenged over the final climb up Diamond Head Avenue, then down to
the finish in Kapiolani Park. His winning time was modest --2:15:18--
but like Gebre his payday was big: $40,000.
"I feel very happy, very happy, wonderful," said Chelimo who has a
2:07:38 personal best. "This is the best marathon of my life, this one.
I am very happy."
Limo finished a distant second, exactly two minutes back, and Busendich
finished third in 2:19:54. The top American was 45 year-old Mbarak
Hussein of Albuquerque, N.M., who finished sixth in 2:22:37; 29 year-old
Nick Stanko of Haslett, Mich., was seventh in 2:27:25.
This morning's race had 22,806 entrants, and runners will be coming in
to the finish line until dark. Unlike most big marathons, Honolulu does
not enforce a time limit for finishing.
Name | Bib | City | Country | Official Time |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chelimo, Nicholas | 4 | NGONG HILLS | KEN | 2:15:18 |
2 | Limo, Richard | 3 | ELDORET | KEN | 2:17:18 |
3 | Bushendich, Solomon | 5 | ELDORET | KEN | 2:19:54 |
4 | Kirwa, Gibert | 8 | ITEN | KEN | 2:20:58 |
5 | Muindi, Jimmy | 1 | KANGUNDO | KEN | 2:22:34 |
Women's Top Results
Name | Bib | City | Country | Official Time |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gebre, Belainesh | 9670 | FLAGSTAFF | USA | 2:32:13 |
2 | Zakharova, Svetlana | F1 | CHEBOKSARY | RUS | 2:33:00 |
3 | Yoshida, Kaori | F3 | TOKYO | JPN | 2:39:02 |
4 | Naser, Teyba | F5 | ETH | 2:41:08 | |
5 | Hayakawa, Eri | F2 | TOKYO | JPN | 2:42:12 |
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