A delighted Vincenzo Modica talkes the silver medal (© © Allsport)
The men’s field for the IAAF Rome Millennium Marathon has been strengthened still further with the entry of World Championship silver medallist Vincenzo Modica. Italy’s Modica and his compatriots Giacomo Leone and Roberto Barbi are the leading Italian entrants in a field that includes many of the world’s top marathon runners.
The crowds lining the course through the historic centre of Rome will be able to follow the duel between this Italian trio and international stars of the order of Josephat Kiprono from Kenya, who ran the world’s sixth fastest time ever when he won the 1999 edition of the Berlin Marathon and Kiprono’s compatriot Philip Tanui, who was the winner of the 1999 Rome Marathon.
Three of Ethiopia’s top marathon runners will be defending their country’s colours in Rome, headed by veteran athlete Abebe Mekonnen, who set his personal best of 2:07:35 in the 1988 Peking Marathon. Running with 35 year-old Mekonnen will be Tena Negere, laureate of Fukuoka 1993 and Moges Taye, the winner of the 1998 Vienna Marathon.
The undoubted favourite in the women’s field is Kenya’s Tegla Loroupe, the owner of the world’s best performance in the marathon, with her clocking of 2:20:43 in Berlin 1999. Loroupe’s strongest challenger, based on past performances, is Italy’s Ornella Ferrara who has a personal best of 2:28:01 from her second place in the 1999 Turin Marathon. But, as the diminutive Kenyan would be the first to say, anything can happen over 42 km!
After the blessing of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, the marathon will set off from St Peter’s Square at 12.30 p.m. on 1 January 2000 and run past many of the greatest historical monuments of the Eternal City, ending this athletic start to the new millennium in the shadow of the Coliseum.
But this unique marathon is as important for its symbolism as for the high level of competition. It is a lesson in brotherhood and peace at the start of the new millennium. Of the whole world running together in friendly competition towards a better future. A future where the world takes a lesson from sport and strives to achieve equality and democracy for all.
