Stefano Baldini follows Kenya's Robert Sigei Kipngetich in the night race in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy (© Alberto Zorzi)
Porto Sant'Elpidio, ItalyThe Trofeo Ricci (10km) was won again by Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini. This night race is very much ‘his own’ after he took his fourth career victory last night (22).
Baladini’s previous wins in Porto Sant'Elpidio have been portents of major championship success. In 1998 he won the European title in Budapest, in 2003 the World bronze medal in Paris, in 2004 the Olympic title in Athens, and now he hopes for the same fortune in Gothenburg on 13 August, when he start the European Championship marathon
"I'm here to check my shape for Europeans," he said before the race. He had arrived back from a 3 week training camp in St. Moritz on Friday evening. In 2004, when in the best shape of his life, he closed the race out in 28:10, a record. "I really flew," he remembered. But he also flew yesterday, as his finishing time was 28:13, just 3 seconds off that record.
On the very flat course along the seaside (12 laps for a total distance of 10km), Baldini showed impressive shape. After two laps at a slow pace, in the third lap Kenya's Robert Sigei Kipngetich, the winner of many Italian road races in the past and a 13:19 and 27:46 man on the track, took the lead and increased the pace. Baldini made the next move, just before the halfway.
Almost immediately the pack was reduced to 4 men: Baldini, Kipngetich, two more Kenyans Philip Sanga Kimutai, and Ethiopia's Sahle Warge Betona. The latter runner lost ground during the ninth lap, while the other three came together during the last lap.
"I knew that Kipngetich is a strong finisher," Baldini said, "so I took the lead at the beginning of the last lap. With 400 metres to go, I pushed as fast as I could and just when I reached the last bend ahead of my rivals, I was sure I would win." He closed out the race 4 seconds ahead of Kipngetich and 6 seconds ahead of Sanga.
Gothenburg campaign
Baldini is one of the most experienced marathon runners in the world. This year he was able to improve his national record again with 2:07:22 in London, despite losing a month’s training during the winter.
"My main rival in Gothenburg will be the Spanish, mainly Julio Rey and Jose Rios, then Ukraine's Baranovskiy, and also some of my Italian teammates," he said. "But I'm prepared for everything, I worked very much and without problems." In St. Moritz he ran up to 245km per week and did all his usual training. On Tuesday (25) he will leave for Vipiteno, where he will train in cool conditions until 6 August, then some days at home again and on 10 August he will fly to Sweden.
"I needed an efficiency test," Baldini concluded, "The feeling was good, I’m satisfied."
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Selected results
Men's race (10km)
1. Stefano Baldini, ITA, 28:13
2. Robert Sigei Kipngetich, KEN, 28:17
3. Philip Sanga Kimutai, KEN, 28:19
4. Sahle Warge Betona, ETH, 29:07
5. Antonello Petrei, ITA, 29:09
6. Edward Kiptum Tabut, KEN, 29:20
7. Giovanni Ruggiero, ITA, 29:29
8. Rachid Kisri, MAR, 29:32
9. Robert Kiprotich Cheruiyot, KEN, 29:41
10. Jacob Kendagor Kipleting, KEN, 29:43
