25th Cleveland Marathon and 10K Battling the Elements, Krzycsin, Koech, Zousko and Torori Prevail in Silver Anniversary Edition Note: Filed for The News Herald and Race Results Weekly (TPNS) - 28. April 2002 - Cleveland, OH -- MEN - Andrzej Krzyscin was dumbfounded when trying to explain the peculiar weather he endured en route to winning Sunday's CVS/pharmacy Cleveland Marathon. "It's difficult to explain," said the smiling 34-year old from Poland, after his 2:19:06 clocking. "In the first half the wind was in our face. In the second half the wind was again in our face. I just can't understand it." Race organizers returned the original out-and-back course format this year, hoping the flatter course would be conducive to faster times. But the typically unpredictable Cleveland spring weather didn't cooperate with the plan. With swirling winds sometimes reaching forty miles per hour, coupled with rapidly rising temperatures and high humidity, the 25th anniversary running of the Cleveland Marathon and 10K became as much a battle against the elements as it was against the physical and mental limits of endurance. And Krzyscin, the heavy pre-race favorite, adjusted best, building what would become an insurmountable lead after the twenty mile point. "I was in condition to run under 2:12," said Krzyscin, who won February's Motorola Austin Marathon in 2:12:11, just a few weeks after finishing third in the San Diego Half Marathon. "In these conditions, I was surprised to finish as well as I did." His winning time was the slowest since 1988. Runner-up Oleg Bolhovets, who finished in 2:20:27, was equally as baffled by the swirling winds. After fighting fierce headwinds for the first half of the race, the 25-year old Russian said, "I had hoped that there would be a backwind in the second half." Brazilian Genilson DaSilva, a 2:13 marathoner, improved on his fifth place finish from last year to round out the top three, clocking 2:25:36. The brutal winds were just as strong a factor in the traditionally fast 10K. 21-year old Kenyan Gilbert Koech had the strongest day, winning in 29:06, leading a top three Kenyan sweep. "It was very windy," said Koech, who is based part of the year in Philadelphia. "I really had no race plan since I've never run this course, but it was extremely hard to push." His time equalled the slowest ever in the Cleveland event. Koech topped 2000 winner and pre-race favorite Reuben Cheruiyot by 11 seconds. "Today I was not feeling strong," said Cheruiyot, the international Road Racer of the Year in 2000. "I'm not sure if it was the wind or the course." Moses Macharia, who has a sub-28 minute 10K to his credit, could only manage a 29:53, for a distant third. "I knew at the half that those two guys were too strong for me today." Koech said the turning point came as they approached the final mile. "We are all strong, so it is difficult to predict a finish in this sort of weather. I felt that when I broke away with one mile remaining, that the race would be mine." All three will meet again in next weekend's Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, Washington. WOMEN - In what has become tradition in the CVS/pharmacy Cleveland Marathon, a Russian or Ukrainian woman has now won the race for 13 of the last 14 years. This year it was Larissa Zousko's turn, as she fought off swirling winds to lead a top four sweep for the Russians during the Silver Anniversary running of Cleveland's annual downtown footrace. It was a late birthday present for the 34-year old from Siberia, who celebrated her birthday on Saturday. "This is the best present I can get," she said, clutching her winner's medal. Zousko reached the halfway point in one hour and eighteen minutes, when she was given the opportunity to take the lead. "The leader's tempo slowed, but I just kept my pace." It was a lead she never relinquished, crossing the line in 2:37:43, nearly nine minutes ahead of 1995 winner Tatiana Titova. "The weather was difficult -the heat, and the wind made it very hard." Zousko, who finished third here in 1997 and tenth in 1999, resumed training and competitive racing this year after giving birth to a son early last year. Titova, who was also the runner-up last year, said the prepped herself for colder conditions by applying a heat retaining lotion to her body before the race. By the midway point, the heat, coupled with the rising humidity, was already taking it's toll. "It was becoming nearly unbearable." Alevtina Naumova, the 1991 and 1996 Cleveland winner, finished third in 2:46:40. "I'm not particulary happy with the result," said the 41 year-old. "But it was a hard fight with the weather conditions." In the 10K, Kenyan Jackline Torori and Abeba Tola of Ethiopia ran nearly stride-for-stride for the first four miles, before the 23 year-old Kenyan made her break, winning by a comfortable 39 second margin in 33:58. "The wind was a terrible problem," said Torori, who is based part of the year in Philadelphia. "It was a big fight. My time was not so good, but I'm happy to be the winner." The winning time was the slowest since 1980. Tola, fatigued by the 29 hour journey which brought her to Cleveland from her home in Addis Ababa on Saturday, was pleased with her runner-up Cleveland debut. "I enjoyed the course," she said. "It was the best I could do for being a little bit tired." Tola finished eighth in the Paris Marathon just three weeks ago. Kayoko Obata of Japan finished third in 34:50. "It was warmer than I expected, and my body felt very heavy," said Obata, who trains near Boulder, Colorado. " I did not expect to finish third." More of a marathon specialist with a 2:25:14 best to her credit, Obata said she is using a number of shorter events to help prepare her for October's Chicago Marathon. While $50,000 in total prize money was awarded, individual amounts were down for the second consecutive year.

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