News16 Mar 2008


2:07:32 victory for Korir in Seoul

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2:07:32 victory for Sammy Korir in Seoul (© AFP)

A Seoul International Marathon had a very strong field for the men's race and the runners did not disappoint. 36-year-old Kenyan Sammy Korir won in a fast 2:07:32, the fourth fastest time of his career and the best since April 2006. Zhang Shujing of China won the women's contest in 2:26:11.

The race, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, was run with an even pace and the leading group reached the 20km mark in exactly one hour already promising a fast time. The surprise winner of the 2007 race, Korean national record holder (2:07:20 in 2000) Li Bong-Ju, however had been dropped back already at this stage by a 43 second gap behind the leaders and could not defend his title this time. Last year Li grabbed his first win in Seoul for 12 years, his first victory came back in 1995.

At halfway finishers 3-5 from last year's race, Kenyans Laban Kipkemboi, Edwin Komen and Jason Mbote were all still in the leading group looking to better their 2007 positions and it wasn't until very late in the race when the decisions were made.

The top five runners, all Kenyans - Sammy Korir, Mbote, Komen, Francis Kiprop and Charles Kibiwott - stayed together until 30km which they reached in 1:30:24. By 35km mark where they were timed at 1:45:27, Kibiwott had been dropped and 5km later at 40km point there were only three runners left at 2:00:48.

It was a sprint finish where Korir, competing here for the first time, was strongest winning in 2:07:32, a season's best, before Mbote, fifth here last year, who set a personal best 2:07:37 for the second place. Komen, who finished fourth in 2007, was also able to better his earlier performance taking third place in a 2:07:45 PB. Kiprop was fourth in a 2:08.30 PB and Kibiwott fifth in a season's best 2:08:33.

Winner Korir already ran his second Marathon of the year; earlier he had finished third in Dubai in January clocking 2:08:01 then. Lee Bong-Ju was 8th this time in 2:12:27. 11 of the top 20 athletes in the men's race set a personal best in a race which was contested in cold conditions with temperature at 4 degrees Celsius.

Zhang takes women's race

In the women's race the winner of the 2007 race, Wei Yanan of China, was not competing here this time, but it was another Chinese athlete taking the win this year. 26-year-old Zhang Shujing ran the Dong-A marathon for the fourth time grabbing her second win in 2:26:11, her fastest time for exactly five years. She had run 2:23:18 to win in Seoul on 16 March 2003 and her personal best is just one second faster, 2:23:17 in Beijing 2002.

Women's race was decided relatively early. After 15km of running there were only three runners in the leading group, Zhang, Hellen Kimutai (KEN) and another Chinese Wang Xueqin, who was the real surprise name of the race. Wang only had a personal best of 2:45:45 from her only career marathon in 2007, but when the top three reached the 20km together in 1:09:14 it was clear she would either not finish the race or lower her personal best considerably.

Surprisingly it was the Kenyan Kimutai who was left behind before 25km which the Chinese reached in 1:26:21, Kimutai already 23 seconds back. Zhang finally made her move before the 35km mark and easily won the race in 2:26:11 before Wang Xueqin's huge personal best 2:28:39 for the second place bettering her old PB by 17 minutes and 6 seconds.

Kimutai was third in the race finishing in 2:29:11, just keeping Tabitha Tsatsa (ZIM) behind with the latter setting a national record 2:29:20 to better the 2:30:12 NR she set in this same race last year also finishing fourth then. Lee Eun-Jung was the top Korean in fifth place with a 2:29:32 season's best and Helaria Johannes set a national record 2:33:06 for Namibia in 7th.

Mirko Jalava for the IAAF

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