Enschede, The Netherlands - John Kelai of Kenya who ran the fastest 15kms of this year in Maastricht on 24 April with 43:16 was an outstanding winner of the 37th edition of a cold (10 degrees C) and windy ING Bank Enschede Marathon on Sunday 8 May. The 28 year-old overcame a fall on the slippery course at 40 kms to win in 2:11:44.

The Enschede Marathon established in 1947 is the oldest marathon in The Netherlands. The women’s edition was won in a personal best of 2:33:01 by Tigist Abidi of Ethiopia, who was second last year.

After the rain had poured down all the previous day the weather looked ideal on Sunday. As the field of around 500 marathon runners set out to Gronau in nearby Germany, the sun was shining and with a following wind a group of nineteen passed 5kms in 15:28 and 10kms in 30:15.

Yet on the way back to Enschede it started to rain and the field was fighting a head wind and consequently the paced slowed down (15kms in 46:16). The group was down now to 16 who passed 20kms in 1:02:05 and clocked halfway 1:05:26. On that part of the course it was dry again and the sun was warmed-up the runners a little.

Between 22 and 23 kms the hot favourite Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia the former New York Marathon winner (2001 – 2:07:43) who has a personal best of 2:06:47 (second Amsterdam in 1999) lost contact with the leading group which passed 25kms in 1.17.33.

However, Jifar who has World Half Marathon silver (2001) and bronze (1999) medals to his credit pout his race back together and came back to lead the group through 30 kms (1:33:44). Jifar was pressing the pace at 31kms and only John Kelai could follow at that point but the Ethiopian however could not keep the pace up, and South Africa’s Shadrack Hoff and 19-year-old Dereje Tesfaye of Ethiopia succeeded in keeping close.

At 35 kms (1:49:21) the race was really on. Hoff, Tesfaye and Kelai were leading with Hoff mostly dictating the pace, and suddenly Jifar and Bacha were some 100 metres back, while Tesfaye finally lost contact as they neared 40kms (2:05:07).

Then all of a sudden Kelai slipped on the road and fell down but Hoff did not use that moment to attack, and Kelai regained contact again and in the final two kilometres Kelai pressed again and went on to win in 2:11:44 with Hoff second in 2:11:51 (PB) and Tesfaye, third (2:12:03).

Both Kelai and Hoff said afterwards that they had feared Tesfaye Jifar the most.

Kelai – “I did not know what happed at 40 kms (the fall). I only realised I had to get-up up fast as Hoff could run away. Happily I was not hurt.”

Hoff who bettered his PB by over two minutes said: “Everybody was looking at Jifar. At 35 kms, when I was looking back I saw that he was no longer a danger. At that moment I thought I can finish in the top five. I was even happier with second. I have to thank Peter Langerhorst, the husband of Lornah Kiplagat, who advised me to run slower in my training. He has proved to be right with saying so.”

In the women’s race, the winner a softly spoken Tigsit Abidi confirmed she was happy with her personal best of 2:33:01 - “It was a pity of the rain and wind but I'm happy with my personal best.”

Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
 
RESULTS

37th edition of the ING Bank Enschede Marathon at Enschede (east of The Netherlands) Sunday 8 May

Cold 10 degrees CT, windy, rain between 10th and 17th kilometres.
 
Men
1. John Kelai (Ken) 2:11:44
2. Shadrack Hoff (Rsa) 2:11:51 (PB)
3. Dereje Tesfaye (Eth) 2:12:03 (PB)
4. Teferi Bacha (Eth) 2:12:43 (PB)
5. Tesfaye Jifar (Eth) 2:12:44
6.  Nelson Lebo (Ken) 2:13:36
7.  John Rono (Ken) 2:13:38
8. Francis Kipketer (Ken) 2:15:00
9. El Mostapha Ryad (Bhr) 2:15:13
10. Andrew Limo (Ken) 2:17:37 (debut)
11. Frederick Chumba (Ken) 2:19:35
12. Fransua Woldemariam (Ned) 2:33:01
 
Women
1. Tigist Abidi (Eth) 2:33:01 (PB)
2. Robe Tola(Eth) 2:37:.21 (debut)
3. Ingrid Progge (Ned) 2:45:28 (debut)
4. Jacqueline Rustidge (Ned) 2:49:26 (PB)
 
no others under 2:50:00