33rd New York City Marathon ROP, CHEPCHUMBA CLAIM MARATHON WINS Note: For Race Results Weekly (RRW) - NEW YORK (03-Nov) -- Running in nearly ideal conditions, Rodgers Rop and Joyce Chepchumba led the first-ever Kenyan sweep at Sunday's 33rd New York City Marathon. Running for the fourth time in New York, Chepchumba took best advantage of an ominously slow early pace to win in 2:25:56, while Rop, third here last year in his marathon debut, broke the tape in 2:08:07, posting a 55-second improvement from his PB set during his win at the Boston Marathon last April. Rop's was the third fastest time ever in New York, just 24 seconds off of Tesfaye Jifar's course record set last year. He led three other men under the 2:09 barrier, the first time that was accomplished on the challenging five borough course. Moderate winds and temperatures in the mid-forties were conducive for the pre-race course record hype, and a midway split of 1:03:48 put the large lead pack marginally within striking distance. But when the pacers called it a day after 25 kilometers at the top of the 59th Street Bridge, the 26-year-old Rop took near complete control of the race, choosing to run for the win. Just a few strides from the leaders throughout, he employed a strategy similar to that of his Boston victory, throwing in surges for the lead in the 17th, 19th and 21st miles to slowly wear down the competition. "I wanted to break the group," Rop said. "That is my style of running." Rop and the unexpectedly strong Laban Kipkemboi ran stride-for-stride in the 23rd mile, with a third Kenyan, Christoper Cheboiboch, about three steps back. Kipkemboi, another New York debutante, faded as Rop entered the 24th mile, making the penultimate mile an instant replay, albeit a brief one, of the Boston conclusion. Cheboiboch never threatened, and finished second in 2:08:17, also a personal best. "I didn't know that the race was over until the last 200 meters," Rop said. "I knew he was a good finisher so I made sure that I had enough to kick him in the end." Rop became the fourth male to win in Boston and New York in the same year, joining Joseph Chebet, Alberto Salazar and Bill Rodgers. Cheboiboch was congratulatory in defeat. "He ran wonderfully," the 25-year-old said. "I thought I could catch him, but he was too strong." The 24-year-old Kipkemboi was third in 2:08:39, completing the race's first 1-2-3 Kenyan sweep. Quick closing Mohamed Ouaadi of France (2:08:53) was fourth, 19 seconds ahead of Italian Stefano Baldini (2:09:12). In another highly touted marathon debut, American Mebrahtom Keflezighi ran as a legitimate contender the first 20 miles, even assuming the leader's role on a few occasions. But his early aggressive strategy cost him in the last 10-K, and he eventually faded to ninth in 2:12:35. Mark Carroll finished sixth in his debut, clocking 2:10:54. Stomach problems and the cold forced defending champion Tesfaye Jifar out of the race just before the half, while last year's top American finisher, Scott Larson, quit after three miles with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Jon Brown injured his calf dodging another competitor at a fluid station. WOMEN FIRST An elite women's field of 25 enjoyed a 35-minute head start, but a slow pair of opening miles --the second hovering near six minutes-- and a 5-K split of 17:50 quickly silenced any serious discussion of an assault on Margaret Okayo's one year-old course record. At a 2:30 pace, the race was shaping up to be the slowest since 1990, and well off the pre-determined 72 minute half pace the runners had asked for. Pacesetter Silvia Skvortsova of Russia upped the tempo in the next three miles to bring the field through 10-K in a still-modest 35:20, and when she reached the half in 1:14:12 with a 5:34 13th mile, nearly a dozen women were still in contention. Conspicuously missing from the lead pack was defending champion Margaret Okayo, who crossed the 13.1 mile marker nearly 150 meters behind the leaders. Struggling from the outset with back pains, the petite Kenyan was already off the pace by mile four. When Skvortsova called it quits on the Queensboro bridge in the 26th kilometer, Milena Glusac briefly took over the leading duties, with 2000 winner Ludmila Petrova, Lornah Kiplagat, Kerryn McCann, Esther Kiplagat, Yugoslav debutante Oliver Jevtic and Chepchumba a few steps behind. Sonia O'Sullivan, who ran near the lead from the outset, had begun to struggle on the climb of the bridge, eventually finding herself some 30 meters back as she crossed into Manhattan. By the 18th mile, O'Sullivan had fallen out of sight, and the real race --between Chepchumba, the Kiplagats, Russian Lyubov Denisova, Jevtic, McCann and Petrova-- would begin. A dramatic collision off a turn in the 22nd mile sent the comfortably-running Jevtic and McCann to the ground when the Australian clipped the heel of the slightly leading Yugoslavian giving Chepchumba and Denisova an unanticipated edge. The fall knocked the Australian out of the race for the top spot (her chest and stomach hit the pavement knocking the wind out of her lungs), but the 25-year-old Yugoslav --elbow and knee bleeding-- regrouped and fought on valiantly. Running just a few strides ahead of Denisova, Chepchumba made her decisive break in the 23rd mile. Ripping off her gloves after a 5:18 mile, the Kenyan forged ahead unchallenged, leading by 15 seconds as she entered Central Park en route to her ninth career sub-2:26 run. It was the fourth New York appearance for the 31-year-old Chepchumba, who finished fourth in 2001 and 1995, and third in 1996. The bronze medallist from Sydney, Chepchumba had perhaps the finest big race credentials in the strong field, boasting wins in Chicago (1999) and two in London (1997, 1999), but was still largely overlooked in the pre-race hype. The soft-spoken Kenyan didn't seem to mind. "I prepared very well," she said. "That (lack of attention) doesn't bother me. Athletes are athletes." Denisova, this year's Los Angeles Marathon winner, was weakened by slight side pains in latter stages, and finished second in 2:26:17, a personal best. Jevtic was third in 2:26:17, a Yugoslav national record. "I don't know how much time I lost, but I did lose my rhythm," the Belgrade native said, speaking through an interpreter. "I knew I would be able to finish, but the fall was in a crucial moment in the race, when the pace was to be picked up." Bearing no resentment towards McCann for the collision, Jevtic was pleased. "This is my first marathon, and I was happy to be able to stay in the race." Fellow Russian Petrova, who won here in 2000, said she was not surprised with Denisova's runner-up performance. "I know her well and train with her when I'm in Moscow. I knew she could run fast today." Petrova said her own performance, a disappointing ninth in 2:29:00, was due mainly to her "experiment" with altitude training. "It didn't go well," she said, adding with a smile, "and I probably won't do it again." In their highly anticipated New York debuts, Marla Runyan was the first American, finishing in 2:27:10, while Sonia O'Sullivan, never recovering in the second half, finishing a distant 12th in 2:32:06. "Actually, I had a lot of fun out there," said Runyan, adding with a laugh, "until the 24th mile." The slow pace of the first half worked to her advantage. "I liked the initial pace. Maybe it was a little slow for the other girls, but not for me. Surprisingly, it didn't feel as long as I thought it would." Her debut was the second fastest ever by an American, and having run 4:02.95 for 1500 meters this year, showed the impressive range she is capable of. Runyan is now the #5 American of all time in the marathon and has the #2 U.S. time of the year. O'Sullivan said she spent the latter half of the race wondering what was going wrong. "My legs got really tight," she said. Wondering aloud, she added, "Maybe the race was too slow. I'm not used to that slow a race rhythm. Maybe my legs got tight because I had to hold back." Not hiding her frustration, O'Sullivan concluded, "Right now, the marathon is not the next race I want to run." A record 31,824 runners finished the race, topping the previous record of 31,786 from 1999. |
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