Birhanu, Dubovik Win Under Armour Baltimore Marathon
By By Steve Nearman, Running USA wire
Posted Monday, 16 October, 2006
BALTIMORE - (October 14, 2006) - Most elite athletes would be ecstatic to win their debut marathon, especially at the tender young age of 20 and on a first trip to the United States. And they certainly would be excited to pocket $15,000 for the victory.
But not Ethiopia's Yirefu Birhanu. Moments after quickly breaking away from his last competitors with a bit more than three miles to go, Birhanu said he was disappointed with his first marathon experience at the 6th Under Armour Baltimore Marathon.
"I am not happy about the time," Birhanu said through interpreter Rashid Tbahi. "I just wanted to get the marathon experience. I like the fast pace. I was prepared for a 2:09. I tried to get into Chicago 10 days ago, but I couldn't get in." He said he will have another chance next spring at Boston or London.
His time on the hilly 26.2-mile course through the city of Baltimore was 2 hours, 16 minutes, 27 seconds.
The women's champion, Rima Dubovik of the Ukraine, was more than pleased with her time of 2:35:45. She sliced more than four minutes off the event record of 2:40:21 set by Russian Ramilia Burangulova in 2004 and also took home $15,000.
In fact, the first four women surpassed the record, aided by perfect marathon temperatures which began at race time in the 40s and warmed into the 50s by the finish.
The Kenyan men have fared well here since race inception in 2001, but this year, they were most dominating, taking eight of the top 12 spots. Just Birhanu and defending champion Mykola Antonenko of Ukraine prevented a Kenyan sweep, emerging from a pack that still was 11-strong at 17 miles, eight-strong at 20 miles and six-strong at 22 miles.
The slower first-half of 1:10:27 was a perfect setup for Birhanu and a killer for the pure marathoner Antonenko. Birhanu quickly gapped the pack with successive downhill miles of 4:51 and 4:36 on miles 23 and 24, respectively, and crossed the finish line 29 seconds ahead of Antonenko. Wilson Komen, a 28-year-old Kenyan residing in nearby Washington, was third in a personal best 2:17:07.
Dubovik, a 42-year-old teacher who heard about Baltimore last year from Antonenko, took over the women's race after 21 miles, reeling in a fading Maria Portilla of Peru who led from the early stages of the race. Dubovik's time was two minutes off her personal best from 1998 but one of her fastest of 20 marathons.
In the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon, Valentine Orare of Kenya finally shook off Worku Beyi of Ethiopia after 10 miles for his first victory at the distance, in 1:03:45. Beyi ended six seconds back. "I was trying to pull ahead of [Beyi] from the time we started the race," said Orare, 23, who earned $2000 for his efforts.
Lyubov Denisova of Russia had no such issue. She left her competition from the first steps and triumphed by more than two minutes in 1:15:14. Kathleen Jobes, Bethlehem, Pa., was second in 1:17:38. "1:15 is good because of the hills, not a fast course," said Denisova, who hopes to run 2:26-2:27 at Honolulu in December. "I thought I'd run a faster time."
6th Under Armour Baltimore Marathon
Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 14, 2006
MEN
1) Yirefu Birhanu, Ethiopia, 2:16:27, $15,000
2) Mykola Antonenko, Ukraine, 2:16:56, $5000
3) Wilson Komen, Kenya/Washington, 2:17:07, $3000
4) Jynocel Basweti, Kenya, 2:17:27, $1500
5) Joseph Mutinda, Kenya, 2:18:01, $1000
6) David Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:18:27, $750
7) Joseph Kahugu, Kenya, 2:19:079, $600
8) John Chepochok, Kenya, 2:20:04, $450
9) Demese Tefera, Ethiopia, 2:20:09, $300
10) Christopher Raabe, Washington, 2:20:58, $200
13) John Sillery, Baltimore, 2:28:38, $1000 (first Maryland resident)
14) Chris Nowakowski, Baltimore, 2:33:03, $1000 (first Baltimore resident)
16) John Piggott, 41, Williamsburg, Va., 2:34:19, $1000 (first master)
18) Ryan Althaus, Arnold, Md., 2:36:03, $750(second MD resident)
19) Carlos Renjifo, Columbia, Md., 2:36:28, $500 (third MD resident)
WOMEN
1) Rima Dubovik, 42, Ukraine, 2:35:45*, $15,000
2) Maria Portilla, Peru, 2:36:24, $5000
3) Ilona Barvanova, Ukraine, 2:36:25, $3000
4) Jennifer Chesinon, Kenya, 2:38:55, $1000
5) Margaret Karie, Kenya, 2:41:102, $750
6) Tatiana Titova, 41, Russia, 2:42:22, $1000 (first eligible master)
7) Marina Bychkova, Russia, 2:44:42, $600
8) Phebe Ko, Baltimore, 2:49:23, $1000 (first Baltimore resident)
9) Christine Ramsey, Baltimore, 3:00:32, $1000 (first Maryland resident)
10) Tatiana Maslova, 40, Russia, 3:04:10, $750 (second eligible master)
11) Colleen Wahl, Conshohocken, Pa., 3:08:33, $450
12) Sharon Webb, Germantown, Md., 3:10:33, $750 (second Maryland resident)
13) Randi Simon, Prescott Valley, Ariz., 3:14:39, $300
14) Sarah Colwell, Frederick, Md., 3:15:41, $500 (third Maryland resident)
15) Laura Nelson, 40, Woodstock, Va., 3:16:49, $500 (third eligible master)
*event record (previous ER, 2:40:21 set by Ramilia Burangulova of Russia in 2004)
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon
MEN
1) Valentine Orare, Kenya, 1:03:45, $2000
2) Worku Beyi, Ethiopia, 1:03:51, $1000
3) Nelson Kiplagat, Kenya, 1:04:08, $500
4) John Kiprotich, Kenya, 1:06:14; $300
5) MacDonald Ondara, Santa Fe, N.M., 1:06:16, $100
WOMEN
1) Lyubov Denisova, Russia, 1:15:14, $2000
2) Kathleen Jobes, Bethlehem, Pa., 1:17:38, $1000
3) Shannon Saunders, Forest, Va., 1:19:49, $500
4) Hannah Mitei, Santa Fe, N.M., 1:22:08, $300
5) Melinda Carlson, Washington, 1:24:15, $100
More results at: TheBaltimoreMarathon.com
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