On his second marathon outing, a young Tanzanian Samson Ramadhani, whose marathon best was a quite modest 2:14:45 before today, won the 52nd annual Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in 2:09:24.
Unlike the other three big marathons in Japan - Fukuoka, Tokyo and Lake Biwa - the race in Beppu was not a selection race for the World Championships marathon team in Paris. Thus the very best Japanese who were hoping to make the World Championships team were absent.
Despite near ideal condition (6.7C, 50% humidity) the race started quite slow - 5Km 15:24, and 10Km in 30:40, and 15Km in 46:06. The Beppu course is quite famous for the wind and as the route turned to the seaside, the head wind started to slow the runners down.
At half way (1:05:12), the pacesetter Elenilson Da Silva dropped out, and by the 25Km turn-around point, the lead pack had reduced to thirteen runners. As the head wind turned into a tail wind, the pace visibly picked up which had an effect of again reducing the lead pack to seven runners.
At 28Km, the real racing started among six runners - Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand, Boaz Kimaiyo of Kenya, Teferi Wodajo of Ethiopia, Samson Ramadhani of Tanazia, Tadayuki Tsutsumi and Yohei Sato of Japan.
Sato, who was running his debut race was the next to lose contact with the leaders, though he stayed within striking distance of the leaders. Wyatt was the next to go at 31Km, followed by Kimaiyo (a younger brother of Eric Kimaiyo) and then Tsutsumi.
The race was now a duel between 20 year-old Wodajo (PB 2:09:51) and the one year older Ramadhani, but by 39Km Ramadhani was moving away from Wadajo, and eventually won in 2:09:24.
He had been invited to the race based on his 1:01:05 Half Marathon best. "I was hoping to run sub 2:10. So I am very happy to achieve my goal. When the race came down to me and Wadajo, I was not sure if I could win it. However, by 38Km I felt strong, so I went for the win," said the winner.
Tanzania has been doing well in Japanese marathon’s lately. Last November on the streets of Tokyo, Banuelia Mrashani won the International Ladies Marathon in 2:24:59.
"Tanzanians are no less talented compared to Kenyans and Ethiopians. They just did not have a long range (development) plan in the past. But it should be different for Ramadhani. The money he wins should not spoil him because he is a real good kid," said his agent Luis Posso.
The race acted as an Australian trial for the World Championships marathon team, and Nick Harrison ran a very smart race and improved his personal best to 2:10:22, while finishing third.
"It was the best race conditions I have run in. The wind was not a problem for me, because when the headwind was a problem during the early part of the race, I was hiding in the pack. Later in the race when I was running alone, the wind was mostly behind us. I am now faster than my coach Chris Wardlaw," said Harrison, who was delighted with making the World Championships marathon team as well as running Olympic team qualifying time.
Sato finished in fourth with 2:10:43. "This is totally unexpected. I would have been happy if he broke 2:15 today," said Kunimitsu Ito, who also coaches the multiple national record holder Toshinari Takaoka. Sato had been troubled with injury until last July but Ito always believed in Sato's talent. "I have been telling Sato that he can eventually run a 2:08 marathon. Perhaps he believes in his talent now," concluded Ito.
With this performance Ramadhani, who ran to and from the school in his youth, should be selected for the World Championships marathon team. "I want to win in Paris," concluded the new Beppu-Oita Marathon champion.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
Results:
1) Samson Ramadhani (TAN) 2:09:24
2) Teferi Wodajo (ETH) 2:10:18
3) Nick Harrison (AUS) 2:10:22
4) Yohei Sato 2:10:43
5) Tadayuki Tsutsumi 2:10:53
6) Tsutomu Sassa 2:11:25
7) Koichi Inagaki 2:12:25
8) Jose Palalia 2:13:53
9) Yukinobu Nakazaki 2:16:19
10) Hiroaki Takeda 2:16:29
Splits:
5Km 15:24 Jonathan Wyatt (NZL)
10Km 30:40 (15:16) Elenilson Da Silva (BRA)
15Km 46:06 (15:26) Elenilson Da Silva (BRA)
20Km 1:01:47 (15:41) Jonathan Wyatt (NZL)
Half 1:05:12 Jonathn Wyatt (NZL)
25Km 1:17:04 (15:17) Jonathan Wyatt (NZL)
30Km 1:32:04 (15:00) Jonathan Wyatt (NZL)
35Km 1:47:21 (15:17) Samson Ramadhani (TAN)
40Km 2:02:49 (15:28) Samson Ramadhani (TAN)
Finish 2:09:24 Samson Ramadhani (TAN)
