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News11 Sep 2006


Baldini beaten but happy in Rubiera

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Rubiera, ItalySometimes a great champion may lose a race, but be cheered as a winner. That is what happened yesterday afternoon (10 Sep) to reigning Olympic and European champion Stefano Baldini, who in his home city of Rubiera was beaten by a little-known Kenyan on the half marathon distance.

Rubiera hosted for the first time the Italian half marathon championships. Baldini was not in his top shape, a month after winning the European title in Gothenburg. He started training just a couple of weeks ago and many Kenyans who train and live in Italy and compete for Italian teams were in the race. Just one of them, 28-year-old Philemon Tarbei Kirwa, was able to beat him, with a strong finish (about 5:30 last 2km), after an average first half of the race. Tarbei closed with a time of 1:02:45, 10 seconds ahead of Baldini, who won his fifth half marathon national title (previous 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004). Solomon Rotich also got a place on the podium, 3 seconds behind the Italian.

"I expected not less and not more than I did," Baldini said after the race, not hiding to be a little disappointed about losing.

"I did not know this Kenyan guy, he ran very fast in the final stages and I was not able to follow him. However, running at home was fantastic." Baldini confirmed also his future schedule: next Saturday he will run in Rome in the night race (start at midnight) in honour of Abebe Bikila's Olympic win in 1960, then in Potenza on 23 September and in Newcastle on 1 October. After the Great North Run he will decide whether to take part to New York City Marathon or not.

After the race, in the main square of the little city near Bologna where he lives, Baldini was honoured through a video remembering his whole career from his gold medal from the 1996 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships to the Gothenburg European gold.

Bahrain's Nadia Ejjafini won the women's race with a time of 1:11:40. Gloria Marconi took the Italian title, 2nd with 1:12:56.

Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF

Selected Results (21.097km)
Men’s race
1. Philemon Tarbei Kirwa (Ken) 1:02:45
2. Stefano Baldini (Ita) 1:02:55
3. Solomon Rotich (Ken) 1:02:58
4. Antonello Petrei (Ita) 1:03:08
5. Jackson Kirwa Kiprono (Ken) 1:03:13
6. Philemon Metto Kipkering (Ken) 1:03:28
7. Daniele Caimmi (Ita) 1:03:46
8. Natashion Rugut (Ken) 1:04:51
9. Migidio Bourifa (Ita) 1:04:55
10. Matteo Palumbo (Ita) 1:05:01

Women’s race
1. Nadia Ejjafini (Brn) 1:11:40
2. Gloria Marconi (Ita) 1:12:56
3. Silvia Sommaggio (Ita) 1:14:29
4. Stefania Benedetti (Ita) 1:15:27
5. Soumiya Labani (Mar) 1:16:16

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