Naoko Takahashi wins 2002 real-Berlin Marathon (© Victah Sailer)
BerlinJapan's Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi in a time of 2:21:49 beat Mexico’s Adriana Fernandez to win the Berlin marathon for the second year in a row. In the men’s race, Simon Biwott the World championship silver medallist lost out in a sprint finish to compatriot Raymond Kipkoech, who crossed the finish in 2:06:47.
Boosted by enthusiastic crowds of more than a million spectators and suitable weather conditions - temperatures of around 12 degrees, low cloud and no wind - Naoko Takahashi who became the first woman to break the 2:20 barrier in last year’s race but had not competed in 2002, ran strongly on the course which cut through 10 of Berlin's 18 districts.
Early on the Japanese was inside the pace of Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba’s current world best of 2:18:47, but she slowed gradually throughout the race.
Takahashi, wearing sunglasses despite the overcast conditions, ran evenly with Fernandez until moving ahead of the Mexican at the 25 km point and opening a 100-metre lead over the next 2000 metres.
Her 5km time of 16:32 was 1:09 below Ndereba's record pace, and at 10kms she was still 45 seconds under. At 15kms the margin was reduced to 29 seconds as she began to slow and by 20kms she was 12 seconds over. (Splits unofficial)
Despite injuries that cut her training preparations from five to three months, Takahashi, 30, had gone into the race with an eye on regaining the title as the fastest marathoner, even though she would not be drawn on the subject in the pre-race press conference last Thursday.
After the race she confirmed that her "condition wasn't as good as last year. I tried to prepare as well as possible in the three months training before the race. I just wasn't as sure of myself this year. The crowds were again fantastic."
She was two minutes and three seconds outside the world best she set in Berlin last year (2:19:46), but nevertheless still ran the 13th fastest time in history, and her own third best, just one second behind her Asian Games winning time of 1998 in Bangkok.
Fernandez of Mexico, finished second in 2.24.11, five seconds outside her own best, set in London three years ago, while Helen Kimutai of Kenya was third in 2.26.10.
Takahashi has now won six consecutive marathons dating back to 1998. She said her main aim was to become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic marathon titles with a win in Athens in 2004, after her gold in Sydney.
Takahashi now runs in the Tokyo Women's Marathon on November 17. "It's an important race for me," she said, "because it's one of the selection races for Paris, and I want to run the World Championships next year".
In the men’s race, Kenyan men again ruled another world class marathon, taking the first five places, with the little known Raymond Kipkoech (23 years) shaving four minutes off his previous best to beat World silver medallist, Simon Biwott in an 2:06:47, the ninth fastest in history. Biwott clocked 2:06:49 for second, with another surprise Kenyan Vincent Kipsos in third, 2:06:53. .
It was a familiar scenario for Biwott who despite possessing a substantial finishing kick himself, also lost out on the 2001 World Championship gold medal in Edmonton after being out-sprinted, then by just one second, by Olympic champion Gezahegne Abera.
The winning Kenyan trio had broken away from the leading group, which included last year's Berlin winner Joseph Ngolepus of Kenya, some 7km from the finish.
Kipkoech, who only got into today's race a week ago, comes from the village of Kapsait, situated at 3000 metres altitude near the Ugandan border, and only began running two years ago, "when I saw my friends Simon Biwott, Eric Kimaiyo, Sammy Korir and Fred Kiprop being successful".
Kipkoech, finished fifth in his first race, the Torino Marathon in 2000, won in Enschede (Netherlands) in April, and now joins Kiprop as tenth fastest of all time.
The 29th Berlin marathon attracted a record number of entries with 48,599 athletes competing with over one million spectators.
With skaters, cyclists and walkers amongst the wide variety of entrants, the organisers claimed the race featured the world’s largest ever field of 32,752 runners. They said the London marathon had 30,000 runners, while 28,800 raced in Chicago and 23,600 in New York.
Agencies, Pat Butcher and IAAF.
Women
1. Naoko Takahashi (Jpn) 2:21:49
2. Adriana Fernandez (Mex) 2:24:11
3. Hellen Kimutai (Ken) 2:26:10
4. Shitaye Gemechu (Eth) 2:26:15
5. Aurica Buia (Rom) 2:32:47
6. Zahia Dahmani (Fra) 2:34:16
7 Joanna Lodge (Gbr) 2.34.17
8 Kathrin Wessel (Ger) 2.36.36
Takahashi wins 60,000 Euros ($60,000), including time bonuses.
Wessel is German Champion.
Men
1. Raymond Kipkoech (Ken) 2:06:47
2 . Simon Biwott (Ken) 2:06:49
3. Vincent Kipsos (Ken) 2:06:53
4. Boniface Usisivu (Ken) 2:07:51
5. Jimmy Muindi (Ken) 2:08:24
6. Kazuhiro Matsuda (Jpn) 2:10:30
7 Jose Ernani Palalia (Mex) 2.10.39
8 Moses Tanui (Ken) 2.10.40
Kipkoeach wins 60,000 Euros ($60,000), including time bonuses.
Martin Beckmann is German Champion 23rd 2:16.07.
