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Nov 14, 2008, 3:46:07 AM11/14/08
to ANCIENT NEMEA GAMES REVIVAL
The ultimate race, or as world record holder, Haile Gebrselassie would
have it, the ‘King of Distances’ returns to its source this weekend.
The Athens Classic Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, takes
place on the original course from Marathon to Athens, on Sunday
morning (Nov. 9).
Athens Classic Marathon is one of the toughest courses in the world,
but Paul Lekuraa, a Kenyan from the Masai Mara shrugged of fatigue, a
splitting headache, a late arrival prior to the race, and the close
attentions of colleague Julius Kiprotich, to break the race record by
nearly two minutes.
Mai Tagami of Japan won the women’s race.
MEN - I will struggle like a man, I will fight like a man
In an enthralling finish in the Panathenaiko, the marble stadium built
for the 1896 Olympics, Lekuraa, a 35-year-old in only his second
marathon, out-sprinted his rival, to win in 2:12:42, with Kiprotich
given the same time. They beat last year’s race record time, by
another Kenyan Kiprotich, Benjamin, by one minute, 58sec. Paul Kogo,
another compatriot entered the stadium at the climax of their mano-a-
mano, and finished third in 2:12:49.
“I only arrived yesterday (Saturday 8),” said Lekuraa, “because of a
mix-up with my visa date, and I wasn’t feeling well, I had a bad
headache most of the race. I thought of dropping out at one point, but
I just waited ‘til I felt comfortable. In the end, I felt relaxed, and
thought I could win with a sprint.”
His discomfort wasn’t evident during the early stages of the race,
which includes the toughest mid-race climb – it’s uphill from 10k to
past 31k - in any major marathon. But given the history of the race,
from Marathon to Athens, ie the original marathon course, and the
provenance of the race’s name, the runners just have to get on with
it.
And Lekuraa did just that, loping easily along in the lee of the
pacemaker, Megidio Bourifa, and Kiprotich who took over when the
Italian, who is planning a marathon of his own in three weeks’ time,
dropped out at 24k. There were still a half dozen men in the lead
group at that stage, but that whittled down to the eventual three top
finishers by 35k.
Lekuraa owes his participation in Athens, if not a large part of his
victory to former World record holder, Paul Tergat. Lekuraa moved to
the Ngong Hills, near Nairobi, just four months ago to join Tergat’s
training group. At that stage, Lekuraa hadn’t raced abroad for two
years, since his debut, a 2:11:00 marathon in Venice.
Tergat called agent, Zane Branson in Europe two weeks ago, and asked
for his help. Branson got Lekuraa into the race ten days ago, but the
Greek consulate in Nairobi only dated the visa from Saturday. But it
was worth the trouble, said Lekuraa, with the gap-toothed smile
characteristic of the Masai. Now he is looking to greater things.
“I want to congratulate my ‘brother’ Tergat,” said Lekuraa, “he
trained me well. Now, I want to find a race where I can improve my
time. And if I can get an Olympic chance, I will struggle like a man,
I will fight like a man”. And nobody who saw the finish could argue
with that.
WOMEN – Tagami triumphs
The women’s race was won by favourite, Mai Tagami, whose parents
travelled from Japan just the day before, to watch her victory in her
20th marathon. Tagami, 28, ran with Russian Elena Tikhonova until
halfway in just over 79 minutes, but like Lekuraa, she ran the second
half faster, to win in 2:36:58. She is now targeting the Osaka
Marathon in mid-January, one of the Japanese selection races for the
World Championships in Berlin next summer.
“The pace was slow on the hills,” said Tagami, “so I felt comfortable.
But it got harder when I was by myself. But I’m happy to have won a
race like this. Now I’d like to beat my personal best (2:29:43) in
Osaka”.
The Greek titles were won by Georgios Karavidas, in 2:22:18, and again
by Georgia Ampatzidou, who finished third overall, in 2.40.53.
RESULTS
MEN
1 Paul Lekuraa KEN 2:12:42
2 Julius Kiprotich KEN 2:12:42
3 Paul Kogo KEN 2:12:49
4 Samwel Kalya KEN 2:16:10
5 Gemechu Lemma ETH 2:16.38
6 Michael Chemchir KEN 2:16:47
7 Yoshiyuki Suetsugu JPN 2:17:10
8 Elias KIPKOSGEI KEN 2:19:40
WOMEN
1 Mai Tagami JPN 2:36:58
2 Elena Tokhonova RUS 2:40:45
3 Georgia Ampatzidou GRE 2:40:53
4 Magdalini Gazea GRE 2:41:05
5 Valentyna Poltavska UKR 2:41:07
Prior to that, on Saturday Nov. 8, the Association of International
Marathons (AIMS), in tandem with the IAAF, the Municipality of
Marathon, the Hellenic Athletic Federation (SEGAS), under the auspices
of the Hellenic Ministry of the Interior and the General Secretariat
for Youth, holds its second annual symposium, in Marathon.
Over a hundred delegates from 50 marathons worldwide, with
representatives from ancillary business and media will assemble for
the one-day symposium, which concentrates this year on, ‘Adding Value
To Your Marathon’.
One of the highlights of the morning session will be a visit to the
Tomb of the soldiers who died in the famous Battle of Marathon in
490BC, when a few thousand Athenians repulsed a force of Persians
twice their number. Some historians argue that this was the most
important military victory ever achieved in Europe, guaranteeing, as
it did, the survival of the infant democracy in Athens.
There is no doubting the importance of the site in the history of the
marathon race. The legend of a messenger running back to Athens with
news of victory was the inspiration for the addition of a long-
distance race to the inaugural modern Olympic Games, in Athens 1896.
A recent inspiration has been the delivery of a Marathon Flame,
similar to the Olympic Torch. It is lit at the Tomb, and has been
delivered to marathons around the world in the last year, since its
inception. On Saturday, the Flame will be lit by Spyros Louis, a
descendant of the Greek of the same name who won the 1896 Olympic
marathon. The Flame will be relayed from the Tomb to the cauldron
beside the new stadium in Marathon, where it will burn throughout the
weekend. The race begins there on Sunday morning, and finishes in the
equally inspirational Panathenaiko, the marble stadium, built for the
1896 Games.
have it, the ‘King of Distances’ returns to its source this weekend.
The Athens Classic Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, takes
place on the original course from Marathon to Athens, on Sunday
morning (Nov. 9).
Athens Classic Marathon is one of the toughest courses in the world,
but Paul Lekuraa, a Kenyan from the Masai Mara shrugged of fatigue, a
splitting headache, a late arrival prior to the race, and the close
attentions of colleague Julius Kiprotich, to break the race record by
nearly two minutes.
Mai Tagami of Japan won the women’s race.
MEN - I will struggle like a man, I will fight like a man
In an enthralling finish in the Panathenaiko, the marble stadium built
for the 1896 Olympics, Lekuraa, a 35-year-old in only his second
marathon, out-sprinted his rival, to win in 2:12:42, with Kiprotich
given the same time. They beat last year’s race record time, by
another Kenyan Kiprotich, Benjamin, by one minute, 58sec. Paul Kogo,
another compatriot entered the stadium at the climax of their mano-a-
mano, and finished third in 2:12:49.
“I only arrived yesterday (Saturday 8),” said Lekuraa, “because of a
mix-up with my visa date, and I wasn’t feeling well, I had a bad
headache most of the race. I thought of dropping out at one point, but
I just waited ‘til I felt comfortable. In the end, I felt relaxed, and
thought I could win with a sprint.”
His discomfort wasn’t evident during the early stages of the race,
which includes the toughest mid-race climb – it’s uphill from 10k to
past 31k - in any major marathon. But given the history of the race,
from Marathon to Athens, ie the original marathon course, and the
provenance of the race’s name, the runners just have to get on with
it.
And Lekuraa did just that, loping easily along in the lee of the
pacemaker, Megidio Bourifa, and Kiprotich who took over when the
Italian, who is planning a marathon of his own in three weeks’ time,
dropped out at 24k. There were still a half dozen men in the lead
group at that stage, but that whittled down to the eventual three top
finishers by 35k.
Lekuraa owes his participation in Athens, if not a large part of his
victory to former World record holder, Paul Tergat. Lekuraa moved to
the Ngong Hills, near Nairobi, just four months ago to join Tergat’s
training group. At that stage, Lekuraa hadn’t raced abroad for two
years, since his debut, a 2:11:00 marathon in Venice.
Tergat called agent, Zane Branson in Europe two weeks ago, and asked
for his help. Branson got Lekuraa into the race ten days ago, but the
Greek consulate in Nairobi only dated the visa from Saturday. But it
was worth the trouble, said Lekuraa, with the gap-toothed smile
characteristic of the Masai. Now he is looking to greater things.
“I want to congratulate my ‘brother’ Tergat,” said Lekuraa, “he
trained me well. Now, I want to find a race where I can improve my
time. And if I can get an Olympic chance, I will struggle like a man,
I will fight like a man”. And nobody who saw the finish could argue
with that.
WOMEN – Tagami triumphs
The women’s race was won by favourite, Mai Tagami, whose parents
travelled from Japan just the day before, to watch her victory in her
20th marathon. Tagami, 28, ran with Russian Elena Tikhonova until
halfway in just over 79 minutes, but like Lekuraa, she ran the second
half faster, to win in 2:36:58. She is now targeting the Osaka
Marathon in mid-January, one of the Japanese selection races for the
World Championships in Berlin next summer.
“The pace was slow on the hills,” said Tagami, “so I felt comfortable.
But it got harder when I was by myself. But I’m happy to have won a
race like this. Now I’d like to beat my personal best (2:29:43) in
Osaka”.
The Greek titles were won by Georgios Karavidas, in 2:22:18, and again
by Georgia Ampatzidou, who finished third overall, in 2.40.53.
RESULTS
MEN
1 Paul Lekuraa KEN 2:12:42
2 Julius Kiprotich KEN 2:12:42
3 Paul Kogo KEN 2:12:49
4 Samwel Kalya KEN 2:16:10
5 Gemechu Lemma ETH 2:16.38
6 Michael Chemchir KEN 2:16:47
7 Yoshiyuki Suetsugu JPN 2:17:10
8 Elias KIPKOSGEI KEN 2:19:40
WOMEN
1 Mai Tagami JPN 2:36:58
2 Elena Tokhonova RUS 2:40:45
3 Georgia Ampatzidou GRE 2:40:53
4 Magdalini Gazea GRE 2:41:05
5 Valentyna Poltavska UKR 2:41:07
Prior to that, on Saturday Nov. 8, the Association of International
Marathons (AIMS), in tandem with the IAAF, the Municipality of
Marathon, the Hellenic Athletic Federation (SEGAS), under the auspices
of the Hellenic Ministry of the Interior and the General Secretariat
for Youth, holds its second annual symposium, in Marathon.
Over a hundred delegates from 50 marathons worldwide, with
representatives from ancillary business and media will assemble for
the one-day symposium, which concentrates this year on, ‘Adding Value
To Your Marathon’.
One of the highlights of the morning session will be a visit to the
Tomb of the soldiers who died in the famous Battle of Marathon in
490BC, when a few thousand Athenians repulsed a force of Persians
twice their number. Some historians argue that this was the most
important military victory ever achieved in Europe, guaranteeing, as
it did, the survival of the infant democracy in Athens.
There is no doubting the importance of the site in the history of the
marathon race. The legend of a messenger running back to Athens with
news of victory was the inspiration for the addition of a long-
distance race to the inaugural modern Olympic Games, in Athens 1896.
A recent inspiration has been the delivery of a Marathon Flame,
similar to the Olympic Torch. It is lit at the Tomb, and has been
delivered to marathons around the world in the last year, since its
inception. On Saturday, the Flame will be lit by Spyros Louis, a
descendant of the Greek of the same name who won the 1896 Olympic
marathon. The Flame will be relayed from the Tomb to the cauldron
beside the new stadium in Marathon, where it will burn throughout the
weekend. The race begins there on Sunday morning, and finishes in the
equally inspirational Panathenaiko, the marble stadium, built for the
1896 Games.
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