2nd
International Road Race of Berkane won by Richard Limo
Mohammed Bencherif for the IAAF
31 March 2002 – Berkane, Morocco – 5000m world
champion, Richard Limo of Kenya, won on Sunday the 2nd edition of the Berkane
International Road Race in the north-east of Morocco. The event was organised by the
association Beni Snassen, which is headed by triple 1500m world champion Hicham El
Guerrouj.
Despite strong competition, Limo, who came fourth in the recent IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland, had the better of his compatriots the world 10,000 metre champion Charles Kamathi (26:48) and Robert Cheruiyot (26:57), with a winning time for the 9460m course of 26:46.
The first Moroccan to cross the line was Abderrahim Goumri, who came fourth in 27:15.
This second running of the “International Run of Berkane – Running for Children”attracted a number of international athletes, including Belgium’ double World Cross Country champion (2000-2001)Mohammed Mourhit, who abandoned during the race, the Kenyans Luke Kipkosgei, silver medalist in the men’s short course race in Dublin and Ivan Ruttu and Portugal’s Paulo Guerra, in addition to a number of naturalized French athletes of Moroccan origins, with most notably Ismail Sghyr, 13 in the long cross in Dublin and 5th in the 10,000 metres in Edmonton.
The other international race, run over one mile, was won by the African champion, Morocco’s Youssef Baba, who repeated his win of last year with a time of 3 minutes 50 seconds, ahead of fellow Moroccans Rachid Ramzi (3:51) and Abdelkader Hachlaf, winner last week of the world military cross country championships short course race in Turkey, third in 3:54.
In addition to these mainstream events, a 1000 metres race for youngsters attracted over 3000 children from the surrounding areas.
The winner of the 10km race (actually 9,460 metres) won a prize of $10,000, with $8,000 and $7,000 going, respectively to the second and third places.
Leading results
10 km (9.460 m):
1. Richard Limo (Ken) 26:46
2. Charles Kamathi (Ken) 26:48
3. Robert Cheruiyot (Ken) 26:57
4. Abderrahim Goumri (Mar) 27:15
5. Ismail Sghyr (Fra) 27:18
6. Luke Kipkosgei (Ken) 27:28
7. Hassan Lahssini (Fra) 27:32
8. Said El Ouardi (Mar) 27:35
9. Said Berrioui (Mar) 27:43
10. Jouad Gharib (Mar) 27:46
Mile (1.609m)
1. Youssef Baba 3:50
2. Rachid Ramzi 3:51
3. Abdelkader Hachlaf 3:54
4. Hamid Mouaziz 3:55
5. Abdelhak Lasfar 3:58
