Kigen wins Frankfort Marathon
Posted Monday, 30 October, 2006
Wilfred Kigen of Kenya successfully defended his Messe Frankfurt Marathon title in the German banking capital today (Sunday). A warmer than expected day, 20C (68F) with strong winds meant that he was over half a minute outside his course record of 2.08.29 from last year. But after a narrow win, by just one second in 2005, the 31year old Kigen won today in 2.09.06, almost a minute and half ahead of his colleagues, Moses Arusei (2.10.30), and Francis Bowen (2.10.49).
All three come from Eldoret in the western highlands of Kenya, up in the Rift Valley. The town first became famous when resident Kipchoge Keino broke through to win the Olympic 1500 metres title in Mexico in 1968. Keino probably had no idea of what he was unleashing. But close to 40 years later, not only do three of his townsmen take all the medals (and nine of the top ten places) in the 25th anniversary of a race 2000 kilometres away, but his Kenyan compatriots win most major marathons around the world. Little wonder Keino is revered as the godfather of Kenyan distance running.
Kigen did the old man proud. He was always in the leading group, right behind the pacemakers, signalling his intent to repeat last year’s win. He covered all the potential breaks, including one at 34 kilometres by the debutant Bowen. That was the signal for Kigen himself to take off, which he did little more than a kilometre later.
The issue was never in doubt, although Kigen delayed his celebrations for another couple of kilometres. “I still wasn’t sure of winning until about five kilometres to go,” said Kigen afterwards. “It was very windy and warm today, but when I accelerated at 35k, I just wanted to run away from them, and it worked”.
Svetlana Ponomarenko was a surprise winner of the women’s race, becoming the third Russian in succession, after Olesya Nurgalieva and Alektina Biktimorova, to win the title. Ponomarenko was over a minute behind the leaders, Robe Tola and Kutre Dulecha of Ethiopia at halfway, but the Russian ultimately ran out just as decisive a winner a Kigen.
“I started to catch the leaders at 26 kilometres, and at 34 kilomoetres, I still felt very good, so I went ahead”. Despite a pit-stop at 38 kilmoetres, which cost her around 40 seconds, Ponomarenko, 36, from the south Urals was so far ahead at that stage that she went on to win easily, in 2.30.05, from Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu of Norway (2.31.20), and Hafida Izem of Morocco (2.31.30).
The much vaunted Ethiopians, Dulecha and Tola could only finish sixth and seventh. Claudia Dreher of Germany was fourth in 2.32.22, just failing to get a qualifying time for next year’s IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
RESULTS
PLACE/NAME BIB No/COUNTRY TIME PRIZE MONEY
MEN
1 Wilfred KIGEN 1/KENYA 2.09.06 €10,000
2 Moses ARUSI 10/KENYA 2.10.30 €7,500
3 Francis BOWEN 27/KENYA 2.10.49 €5,000
4 Peter KIPROTICH 14/KENYA 2.10.57 €3,000
5 Peter CHEBET 8/KENYA 2.11.45 €2,500
6 Peter KORIR 86/KENYA 2.12.08 €2,000
7 Kasime ADILO 15/ETHIOPIA 2.12.26 €1,500
8 Thomas CHEMITEI 9/KENYA 2.13.13 €1,000
9 Andrew LIMO 12/KENYA 2.13.25
10 Boaz KIMAIYO 2/KENYA 2.13.31
WOMEN
1 S PONOMARENKO F5/RUSSIA 2.30.05 €10,000
2 K MELKEVIK OTTERBU F11/NORWAY 2.31.30 €7,500
3 Hafida IZEM F26/MOROCCO 2.31.30 €5,000
4 Claudia DREHER F10/GERMANY 2.32.22 €2,500
5 Gulnara VIGOVSKAYA F18/RUSSIA 2.32.51 €2,000
6 Kutre DULECHA F9/ETHIOPIA 2.33.54 €1,500
7 Robe TOLA F3/ETHIOPIA 2.39.18
8 Viola BOR F17/KENYA 2.42.25
9 Almaz MEGERSSA F24/ETHIOPIA 2.43.21
10 Prisca KIPRONO F22/KENYA 2.43.22
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