Belfast
Marathon 2008
African runners again dominated Monday's Deep
RiverRock Belfast Marathon with both the top men’s and women’s
prizes going to athletes from the Dark Continent.
Kenyan John Mutai retained his men’s crown
running away from the opposition to win by over seven minutes
in a time of two hours, 16 minutes and 31 seconds.
John Mutai on
his way to victory
There was also a repeat victory too for last
year’s women's winner as Marashat Jumma from Ethiopia took over
two minutes off the record with a 2:39:22 clocking adding of
£1000 to add to her first prize of three times that amount.
It was fifth consecutive year the men’s race
had been won by an African and the third on the trot in the
women’s contest.
Mutai had gone into the race confident that
he could break the Belfast Marathon record after his impressive
pacesetting in the London Marathon a month ago when he hauled
the field to record times. However his plans came unstuck when
the man expected to be his main challenger, Tadesse of Ethiopia,
failed to get a permit to travel.
This meant that former Great North Run champion
was forced to set his own pace for the entire marathon distance.
This he did with conviction and already held a 90 seconds lead
at the seven mile mark over a truly international chasing group
comprising Bodhan Dziuba of Poland, Vyacheslav Prykhodko of
Ukraine and Finland’s Jaakko Kero.
Behind them two-time former champion Tommy
Hughes was setting an impressive pace to head the local challenge.
At the half way point on the testing climb
up the Antrim Road Mutai had increased his advantage to two
minutes, a lead which was to continue to stretch until the finish
in Ormeau Park.
His halfway time of of 69 minutes suggested
a finish in outside 2:18 but the 42-year-old upped the tempo
in the later stages to come home in a time which was only some
six seconds slower than last year and less than a minute outside
Marty Deane’s long-standing Belfast Marathon record.
After the race Bromsgrove and Redditch clubman
admitted that running on his own for the entire 26 miles had
been very difficult. Nonetheless he was pleased with his run
and had every intention of returning next year to seek a hat
trick of victories.
Bogdan Dziuba from Poland was the runner-up
in 2:23:44 with Ukraine's Vyacheslav Prykhodko finishing in
third another 37 seconds back.
Tommy Hughes at 48 years-of-age maintained
his momentum to take an outstanding 6th place finish in 2.28.38.
However, the Maghera man was angry with the standard of marshalling
after being misdirected on entering Ormeau Park and he considered
that he lost at least 30 seconds in the process.
Tommy Hughes
who finished 6th overall.
Despite her main rival, 2006 winner Joyce Kandie,
pulling out of the race with a calf injury before halfway Jumma
never relented in her pursuit of the record bonus.
From the gun the diminutive east African was
already mixing it with a large group of good male club runners
while Kandie toiled some distance back.
She continued to use that support and was rewarded
with a time that would be competitive in any marathon in the
World.
Second place went to Donegal woman Helena Crossan
who worked her way through the field and got stronger as the
race went on. However, her excellent 2:55:10 timing only saw
her home by 48 seconds over the surprise packet of the race,
Karen Alexander from the Sperrin club in mid-Ulster.
This was a satisfying day for organisers with
greater numbers than ever turning out to take part in the marathon
and its supporting events. Just less than 2000 signed up for
the full 26.2 mile trip while an astonishing 1741 teams (of
five) took part in the relay. Adding in the Walk and the Fun
Run meant that around 15000 people took to the streets on Monday.
See Results.
RESULTS
BELFAST MARATHON
1 J Mutai (KEN) (M40) 2:16:31, 2 B Dziuba (POL)
2:23:44, 3 V Prikhadko (UKR) 2:24:20, 4 J Kero (FIN) 2:24:24,
5 S Turea-Ciobanu 2:25:51, 6 T Hughes (N Belfast Hrs) (M45)
2:38:05, 7 D Pimentel (Sperrin) (M40) 2:38:05, 8 C Paton (M35)
2:38:34, 9 C Doherty (Letterkenny) 2:39:05, 10 M Fitzpatrick
(M35) 2:39:08, 11 M Rea (NBH) 2:39:21, 12 M Jumma (ETH) 2:39:22,
13 V Neumerzhitskiy (M40) 2:39:27, 14 S Crawford (East Antrim)
(M40) 2:40:35, 15 E McEntee (M40) 2:40:59, 16 S Grassi 2:41:12,
17 K Doherty (Inishowen) 2:41:39, 18 G Grew (NBH) (M35) 2:42:38,
19 A Duffield (M35) 2:43:34, 20 B Mathews 2:45:58;
Additional Ladies: 33 H Crossan (Inishowen)
(F40) 2:55:12, 36 K Alexander (Sperrin) 2:56:01, 43 A Paul (City
of Derry) (F45) 2:57:39, 48 M Kazimir 2:59:06, 61 G Connolly
3:05:37, 65 O Ryan 3:06:37, 115 L Tracey (NBH) 3:17:40, 127
V Mallett 3:20:10.
Malcolm McCausland
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