Chicago Marathon 2010

An incredibly competitive men's field has been announced for this year's Chicago Marathon. The list includes four runners with PR's in the 2:05's and Ryan Hall with a personal best of 2:06:17. The race promises to be fast and furious. While there are many expecting Wanjiru to shine again, keep your eyes on Kebede and the "other" Robert K. Cheruiyot.
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Sammy Wanjiru, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot and Tsegaye Kebede (and Ryan Hall) Racing at 2010 BofA Chicago Marathon

Most Competitive Field in Race History Creates Opportunity to Decide the World Marathon Major Series Title in Chicago

By: Chicago Marathon
August 24, 2010

Chicago, IL - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon today announced that three of the world's top marathon champions will compete head-to-head in the most competitive field ever assembled in the 33-year history of the race. Defending Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya, 2010 Virgin London Marathon champion Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, and 2010 Boston Marathon champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot of Kenya will put their winning records on the line in Chicago on Sunday, October 10.

The participation of these runners in the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be pivotal in deciding the winner of the 2009-2010 World Marathon Majors (WMM) series. Wanjiru and Kebede are tied atop the current series standings with 50 points apiece. A victory by one or the other in Chicago would likely determine the champion of the series, which concludes with the ING New York City Marathon on November 7.

"Bringing together these three great champions in the prime of their careers will make the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon one of the most exciting races in the event's history," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "Wanjiru, Kebede and Cheruiyot are young, accomplished and fearless, and they'll bring out the best in one another. With Bank of America's support, I'm proud to say that the current World Marathon Majors series could be decided right here in Chicago between these great rivals."

Also toeing the start line in Chicago will be Vincent Kipruto from Kenya, who placed third in last year's race.

Sammy Wanjiru, 23, arrived in Chicago last fall fresh off a victory and course record (2:05:10) at the 2009 Virgin London Marathon. In his first race on U.S. soil, the 2008 Olympic Marathon gold medalist thrilled the Chicago crowds by breaking the finish tape in 2:05:41, one second below the previous course record, marking the fastest marathon ever run in North America.

Wanjiru's Chicago victory gave him an insurmountable lead in the 2008-2009 WMM series, for which he was crowned champion last November.

"The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a fantastic course and I am looking forward to returning there to defend my title," said Wanjiru. "I know there will be good competition and I will be ready for a fast and competitive race."

After a runner-up finish to Wanjiru at the 2009 Virgin London Marathon, Tsegaye Kebede, 23, earned his first World Marathon Major victory at the same event this past April. Kebede, a proven champion, has notched victories at the 2008 Paris International Marathon and the 2008 and 2009 Fukuoka International Marathons, where he set a course record and personal best of 2:05:18 in 2009. He won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing, and duplicated that feat at the 2009 IAAF World Championship Marathon in Berlin. The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will mark Kebede's first competition in the U.S.

"After competing in Europe, Asia and my home continent of Africa, I'm looking forward to competing in America for the first time in my life," said Kebede. "Chicago is one of the most prestigious races in the world, and after winning London this spring, I feel privileged to compete here in Chicago against some of the best marathoners in the world."

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, 22, (not to be confused with Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, the 2006 Chicago Marathon champion) stunned the running world at the 2010 Boston Marathon when he slashed 82 seconds off the existing course record. His time of 2:05:52 is the fourth-fastest ever run on U.S. soil. The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be Cheruiyot's first marathon since his breakthrough performance in the spring.

"Winning Boston in 2:05:52 gave me confidence that I can run very fast in the marathon," said Cheruiyot. "I am excited to test myself on a flat and fast course in Chicago. I am extremely motivated to race well and I hope to improve my time."

Vincent Kipruto, 23, is another young talent who reached the podium at last year's Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a third place finish. He is the 2009 Paris International Marathon champion and course record holder (2:05:47), and placed third at the 2010 Fortis Rotterdam Marathon in a personal best 2:05:13, the 12^th fastest time in history.

These men, along with American Ryan Hall, whose participation was announced prior to his fourth place finish at the Boston Marathon in April, will vie for the prestigious Bank of America Chicago Marathon crown on Sunday, October 10, 2010:

Name                                   Country                Personal Best              

Sammy Wanjiru                     Kenya                   2:05:10 (London, 2009)

Vincent Kipruto                      Kenya                   2:05:13 (Rotterdam, 2010)

Tsegaye Kebede                    Ethiopia                 2:05:18 (Fukuoka, 2009

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot        Kenya                   2:05:52 (Boston, 2010)

Ryan Hall                              United States         2:06:17 (London, 2008)

Rudisha's 800M world record is truly remarkable. 1:41:09, truly flying on the track!!! If you haven't watched this incredible performance, please take the (brief) time to watch "poetry in motion".
By the way, stay tuned as I believe he'll run sub 1:41 really soon.

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Rudisha brings 800m race record to Kenya

Photo | AFP Kenya’s David Rudisha celebrates after winning the men’s 800m on Sunday. He set a new world record. 

By CHRIS MUSUMBA cmusumba@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, August 23 2010 at 22:00

IN SUMMARY

• Kipketer’s record broken by two-hundredths of a second by Kenyan

Africa 800-metre champion David Rudisha has hinted the world record could go below the one minute 41 seconds mark soon.

He has now set sights on the Rieti Athletics meeting, which is part of the IAAF World Challenge this Sunday, as a possible course where he intends to improve it.Rudisha, who broke Denmark’s Kenyan-born Wilson Kipketer’s 13-year-old record in the two-lap race at the Berlin Olympic Stadium on Sunday, set a new mark of 1:41.09.

“I knew I could break the world record. I was overjoyed when I crossed the line and heard the crowd cheer. I knew I had set the record. But I never knew by what margin,” he said from his base in Berlin.

Diamond league

In the meantime, Rudisha will be competing in Brussels on Friday in the final leg of the IAAF Diamond league. He leads the 800m race with 12 points, four more than Sudan’s Abubakar Kaki.

“I will just seek to run and win. I do not seek to improve my record in Brussels. There are top athletes who will be keen to close me down, but we will see,” said Rudisha.

It is after securing the Diamond trophy that Rudisha, together with pace maker Sammy Tangui, will head to Rieti where he will seek to lower the record further to a point where it will be most difficult for his rivals to improve on.

Kipketer had held the record since August 1997 before Rudisha shaved off two hundredths of a second from the mark by running 1 minute 41.09 seconds in Berlin.

“That was a long time since anyone made an attempt on the record. I want to improve on this new record and take it to a point that a normal human body will be stretched to the maximum to break it,” said Rudisha.

Those keen to confront Rudisha’s record include Sudan’s Abubaker Kaki, the world indoor champion, and world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa.

“I dedicate the win to my six-month-old daughter Charin and wife Lizzy Naanyu in Kilgoris, who have endured my absence as I worked hard to get the right form away in Iten. Also my coach Colm O’Connell and above all, it has pleased my father, who has communicated to me.”

Kipketer yesterday said Rudisha’s feat didn’t surprise him. “I knew it. But the question was always when and not if. I am happy for him. He takes the record now to Africa. It has been to Europe and America before,” said Kipketer. “I didn’t watch the race but I know Rudisha has been running well this year.”

The year 2009 saw the flowering of Kaki, the second season saw the blossoming of world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, while the third brought a late blooming of David Rudisha.

Of the three world beaters in 800m race, it has been Rudisha who has exhibited consistency, maintaining his game high in the 2010 track season. His reward, which was presented on Sunday, when on his very first serious attempt, he broke the world record.

The 21-year-old showed no signs of nerves or tiredness in the race, as he bettered the previous mark of 1:41.11 which Kipketer, who went on to represent Denmark, set 13 years ago also on German soil in Cologne.

Until Sunday, Rudisha had no international title or record as a senior athlete to his credit. Only a world junior gold medal in Beijing in 2006 and two African titles over the 800m distance have been his collection ever since he started running five years ago.

He missed the World championship in Osaka, Japan, in 2007 because he was focused on his academics at St Patrick’s High School, Iten, and a tendon injury in 2008 denied him the chance to compete at the Olympics in Beijing.

His first international stage was in 2009 at the Berlin’s Olympic Stadium during the world championship. With all attention on him, Rudisha cracked under pressure and wound up third and was bundled out of the semi-finals, clocking 1:45.40.

While I feel very sorry for Caster Semenya, I can't help feeling much worse for her female competitors. It's a difficult uphill battle for these ladies. If you don't believe there a huge difference, then take a long look at the video from Semenya's last 800M race.

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Caster Semenya's dominant 800 metres victory in Berlin unleashes gender storm

Caster Semenya continued her comeback with an extraordinary 800 metres victory over a top-class field at the World Challenge meet on Sunday, but a backlash is taking root among her beaten opponents. One complained that they were "literally running against a man".

 

By Simon Hart in Berlin
Published: 10:17PM BST 22 Aug 2010

Triumphant: Caster Semenya was barely out of breath as she romped to victory in the 800 metres Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The South African teenager, who won the world 800m title in the same Berlin stadium a year ago before being ordered to undergo gender verification tests, was competing in only her third race since she was cleared to resume her running career in women's competition following an 11-month absence.

But there is no sign that her long lay-off, nor the reported hormone treatment that she has been receiving as a condition of her return, have diminished her powers in any way.

Trailing American Christin Wurth-Thomas by some 20 metres with just 100 metres remaining, Semenya breezed past effortlessly to win with several strides to spare in a world-class time of 1min 59.90sec.

Given that she has only been training seriously for a month and has, by her own admission, done no speed work whatsoever, it is highly possible that by the time she competes in the Commonwealth Games in October, she could be back to the form of a year ago when she ran away from the field in Berlin to win in a world-leading 1-55.45sec.

Her return to the scene of her triumph was greeted by the loudest cheer of the day at Sunday's ISTAF meeting when she was introduced to the crowd before her race, but not everyone is happy about her return.

Despite their sympathy for her on a human level, several athletes spoke of their frustration that their own rights had been brushed aside by the decision of the International Association of Athletics Federations to allow the 19 year-old to return so early.

"It's obviously a human rights issue but human rights affect everyone in the race, not just one person," said Britain's Jemma Simpson, who finished fourth in 2min 0.57sec. "The rest of the field just gets ignored."

She added: "No way is it a personal issue but it's a debate about what is right and fair for everyone. It's a really tough subject and a lot of people are very careful about what they say. You have to be.

"You have to be diplomatic and keep your opinions to yourself but sometimes it is so frustrating."

Canada's Diane Cummins, who was eighth in Sunday's race, was not so diplomatic, suggesting the authorities needed to think again about where they set the level of testosterone that qualifies athletes to compete in female races.

"As athletes we feel frustrated because everyone is allowed to give their opinion except us," said Cummins. "If we give an honest opinion, we're either seen as bad sports or we're not happy because we're being beaten.

"But that's not the case. Jemma and I have been beaten tons of times by athletes who we feel are doing it in the realm of what is considered female.

"Unfortunately for Caster, she's grown up in an environment that is complicated not just for her but for human science. Basically, is she man, is she lady? What constitutes male, what constitutes female?"

She added: "Even if she is a female, she's on the very fringe of the normal athlete female biological composition from what I understand of hormone testing. So, from that perspective, most of us just feel that we are literally running against a man."

Neither Cummins nor Simpson are in any doubt that once Semenya returns to full fitness the rest of the world will be running for second place.

"It is certainly frustrating to be running against someone who seems to be doing it effortlessly," said Cummins. "We all believe that Caster Semenya, pushed to her full potential, could break the world record.

"That's 1-53, and that's what college guys are running. From that perspective, she's far superior to any female 800 metres runner we've ever had."

She added: "It's complicated, but we're the ones who are working hard to make a living at what we're doing and when anybody else makes it look easy, its not as if you resent her but its frustrating for the athletes."

Simpson said many of the other runners were similarly frustrated by the situation but the subject was too sensitive to air their views in the media.

Italy's Elisa Cusma Piccione, who finished third on Sunday, refused to elaborate on the remarks she made after last year's final when she said: "For me, she is a man."

Simpson said: "Publicly, everyone's happy. Non-publicly, people have their own personal issues with it. You're not going to say in the media what you feel deep down."

But Cummins, emboldened perhaps by the fact the she is coming to the end of her career at the age of 36, predicted Semenya would be more dominant in her event that Usain Bolt in the sprints.

"There are guys who can challenge Usain Bolt but nobody can challenge Caster Semenya," she said. "She is four or five seconds better than any of us and that's incredible.
"

No, please not another blog about running.

OK, I know we don't really need or perhaps want another running blog. Nevertheless, here we go.
I will post articles, stories, personal comments and anything else.
The blog will be about running primarily, but will also feature other topics of interests.

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Thank you,
Octavio