Philip Singoei celebrates winning the Eindhoven Marathon (© Eindhoven)
Under nearly ideal weather conditions (16 degrees CT, Sunny, nearly no wind) Philip Singoei won the 24th Eindhoven Marathon in the south of the Netherland for the second consecutive time.
The 31-year-old Kenyan from Moi Bridge won in 2:07:57 bettering the old course record he set last year with 2:08:18 by 21 seconds. The women’s race saw also a Kenyan victory as Lydia Kurgat won in 2:39:27.
It was the fourth year in a row that Singoei was starting in Eindhoven. In 2004 and 2005 he finished second in 2:10:07 and 2:08:45 respectively.
“I love this course,” the remarkably fresh African said afterwards. “I was very confident to win the race again. Just before the 35 kilometres marker I decided to leave my last opponent Paul Biwott.”
A big group of African athletes got off to a fast start with 14:45 and 29:40. At the 15 kilometres point (44:36) there was a leading group of four: Singoei, who was nearly constantly leading, William Todoo Rotich (who eventually did not finish), Joseph Ngeny Kiprotich and pacemaker Charles Koech.
At halfway Koech stopped and the other three were on their own. The pace stayed very fast and it looked that a sub 2:07:00 was possible. The trio passed 30km in 1:29:57.
At around 33km Rotich could not follow the pace and soon after that point he stopped. Singoei and Biwott stayed nearly another two kilometres together. Just before 35km Singoei accelerated and left his last rival.
In the last seven kilometres he opened a gap of nearly two minutes. Biwott just managed to break the 2:10:00. Joseph Ngeny Kiprotich took third place in 2:11:05.
Lydia Kurgat was a comfortable winner in 2:39:27. She was nearly one and a half minute ahead of compatriots Tabitha Kibet and Eunice Korir.
The Eindoven event drew a record of 16.046 participants: 1775 (marathon), 8135 (half marathon) and 6830 in the City Run (6km).
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
Results
Men
1. Philip Singoei (Ken) 2:07:57 PB (CR old Singoei 2.08.18, 2006)
(splits: 14:45-29:40-44:36-59:40-1:02:58-1:14:38- 1:29:57-1:45:15-2:00:50)
2. Paul Biwott (Ken) 2:09:56
3. Joseph Ngeny Kiprotich (Ken) 2:11:05
4. Sammy Chumba (Ken) 2:11:08
5. Mulegeta Wami (Eth) 2:11:47
6. Sammy Njoroge Nganga (Ken) 2:11:54
7. John Kirui (Ken) 2:12:01
8. Vitaliy Shafar (Ukr) 2:12:07
9. David Sang (Ken) 2:14:46
10. Tesfaye Eticha (Eth) 2:15:53
11. Peter Kemboi (Ken) 2:18:31
12. Cleophas Rop (Ken) 2:18:39
13. Kiprop Korir (Ken) 2:20:04
14. Daniel Chirchir (Ken) 2:21:08
15. Greg van Hest (Ned) 2:21:14
Women
1. Lydia Kurgat (Ken) 2:39:27
2. Tabitha Kibet (Ken) 2:40:51
3. Eunice Korir (Ken) 2:40:56
4. Inge van Bergen (Ned) 2:51:53
5. Agnes Hijman (Ned) 2:53:20
6. Ella Witjes (Ned) 2:56:42
7. Kathleen Steenhaut (Bel) 2:59:22
8. Els van Hooydonck (Bel) 2:59:55
