Milan, Italy - The 29 year-old Kenyan John Birgen produced a big surprise by winning the fourth edition of the Milan City Marathon in 2:09:08, only the third race over the distance of his career. In the women’s race Anne Jelagat won her third marathon in 2003 after Prague in May (2:31:10) and Venice in October (2:30:17) with a new PB of 2:29:23.

The men’s race was run at a very fast pace in the first half thanks to good work by the South African Gert Thys (PB 2:06:33 set in Tokyo 1999) who was the pacemaker. The leading group included Birgen, his compatriot Robert Cherouyot, the winner in Milan 2002 and in Boston last April, and the Ethiopian Ambesse Tolossa (PB 2:10:09). There was also Simon Mutai and Wilson Kenei, two Kenyans who were running their first marathons. This lead pack went through 10km in 30:00 and 15km in 45:03.

The pace indicated that the race was running well inside the course record pace (2:08:57 set by the Tanzanian John Sada Naya in 2001), and even the Italian all-comers record of 2:07:45 clocked by the Ethiopian Simeretu Alemayehu in Turin 2001, looked under threat.

After a 19km split run in 2:56, a group of nine athletes recorded 1:03:17 for the Half Marathon. Thys pushed this group along at a 2:07 pace but gradually despite his efforts the race slowed. The 24km split was run in 3:08.

Five athletes remained in contention for the win by the 30 km point (1:30:54), the Africans Birgen, Tolossa, Philip Tarus, Cherouyot and Mutai, behind them came the Italian Danilo Goffi, the 1998 European silver medallist in Budapest, who gradually closed a gap of 28 seconds and caught up with a struggling Simion Mutai, after running a more conservative first half. 

Cherouyot and Birgen were just a one second ahead of Tarus by 35 km (1:46:36), but Cherouyot lost ground quickly in the last kilometre of the race and eventually had to content with a third place in 2:11:07. “I suffered from neck pains from the start and really struggled to complete the race”, said this year’s Boston marathon winner.

At the same stage of the race Birgen increased his lead over Tarus and secured the win when he entered the worldwide famous Piazza del Duomo with the finish line on the horizon. The finishing times of the first teo were 2:09:08 for Birgen, and 2:09:24 for Tarus.
 
Birgen, who ran his first marathon in Mombasa, Kenya and finished fifth in his second appearance over this distance last June in Cracovia with 2:20:03, is relatively unknown even to athletics pundits.

“I began running when I was at school which is 3 miles away from home. I come from Jepkerid, a small village 50 km from Eldoret." said Birgen.

Tarus is an experienced runner who won the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon twice in 1998 and 1999, and has a PB of 2:08:33.

Danilo Goffi (PB 2:08:33 set in Rotterdam 1998) was a good fifth with 2:11:23, behind Robert Cherouyot and Ambesse Tolossa (4th, 2:11:12) but he was disappointed, although this result is encouraging because it comes after three years of injuries and disappointments.

“I really struggled in the final 7 km. I hoped to run a faster time. My last marathon was at the 2002 European Championships in Munich, and the long gap since my last race probably affected my performance today”, said Goffi.

Jelagat – second Marathyon win inside one month!

The 34-year-old Anne Jelagat of Kenya, who is coached by the Italian Renato Canova, won her second marathon in just one month after her win in Venice, with 2:29:23 performance today ahead of the Italian Rosalba Console, who completed her third marathon in 2003 with a good second place in 2:30:56.

Console came to the fore as one of the best Italian runners after her fifth place at the European Championships in Munich and her PB of 2:27:48 in Paris last April where she was third. Unfortunately, she had to drop out at the World Championships last August in Paris because of physical problems. Her second place here puts her in a good position for one of the three Italian berths for the Athens Olympic Games.

“I suffered from a minor injury few weeks ago but I was not worried. This result helps me to make up for the disappointment I had at the Worlds”, said Console.

Third was the surprising Angelica Sanchez from Mexico who lowered her PB to 2:31:12.

Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF

Selected results of the Milan Marathon:

Men:
1 John Birgen (Kenya) 2:09:08
2 Philip Tarus (Kenya) 2:09:24
3 Robert Cheruyot (Kenya) 2:11:07
4 Ambesse Tolosa (Ethiopia) 2:11:12
5 Danilo Goffi (Italy)  2:11:23
6 Simion Mutai (Kenya) 2:13:27

 Women:
1 Anne Jelagat (Kenya) 2:29:23
2 Rosaria Console (Italy) 2:30:56
3 Angelica Sanchez (Mexico) 2:31:12
4 Alice Chelangat (Kenya) 2:32:24