Rome, ItalyDespite the rain Stefano Baldini the 2004 Olympic marathon champion won last night’s 2nd edition of CorriRoma, a 11km race along the streets where the most famous ever bare-foot marathon runner like Abebe Bikila took the Olympic crown in 1960. The race starts and finishes near the Arco di Costantino, in the shadow of the Colosseo.
Baldini ran with Kenya's John Kipsiele Rotich and Nahashon Kipngetich, Great Britain's Peter Riley and fellow Italian Gianmarco Buttazzo until 7km. Then he made a strong move and was able easily to drop his rivals. He crossed the finish line with a time of 32:43. Rotich won the sprint for the second place ahead of Riley and Kipngetich.
"I came in Rome to win and I did so," Baldini said after the race. "It was not an easy race, the times seem slow ones, but consider both the rain and many stone stretches. We started at a good pace, with 4km to go I increased and nobody followed me." He was enthusiastic about the race. "Running by night in this beatiful city, that's really wonderful."
Last Sunday Baldini won half marathon national title in Rubiera, the little city where he lives, but was disappointed for losing the race, beaten by Philemon Tarbei Kirwa. His future race plan includes a 10km race in Potenza next Saturday, then the Great North Run half marathon on 1 October and the New York City marathon on 5 November. He confirmed his start in New York last week.
In the women's race, Italy's Vincenza Sicari repeated last year's win with a time of 38:29. Morocco's Khadija Laaroussi closed 40 seconds behind her. "I've never run so late in the night," Laaroussi noted. Italy's Barbara La Barbera, twin sister of former 5000m European junior champion Silvia, got the third place on the podium.
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Selected results (11km)
Men's race
1. Stefano Baldini (Ita) 32:43
2. John Kipsiele Rotich (Ken) 33:09
3. Peter Riley (Gbr) 33:09
4. Nahashon Kipngetich (Ken) 33:10
5. Gianmarco Buttazzo (Ita) 33:14
Women's race
1. Vincenza Sicari (Ita) 38:29
2. Khadija Laaroussi (Mar) 39:09
3. Barbara La Barbera (Ita) 39:22
