Monaco Marathon Men's Race Winner Wilfred Cheserek (© Sean Wallace-Jones)
MonteCarlo Kenyan Wilfried Cheserek and Lena Gavelin of Sweden produced commanding victories at the tenth edition of the Monaco Marathon today.
Running under primarily sunny skies and rapidly warming temperatures and competing in his marathon debut, the 20-year-old reached the line in 2:17:20.
“It was a very difficult course, very hilly,” said Cheserek, after receiving his winner’s trophy from HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. “I had to be careful not to push too much.”
Running cautiously from the outset, Chesarek teamed with fellow Kenyan Simon Ripis and Russian Andrey Bryzgalov for more than two-thirds of the race before making his decisive break in the 34th kilometre. The pair never threatened beyond that point, with the Russian faring best, producing a near-personal best 2:17:48 on the difficult course through the Principality. With Ripis fading badly over the waning stages, Jacob Kitur moved up to finish third in 2:18:54 well ahead of Ripis, who stopped the clock 2:20:18 .
Still only 20, Cheserek, a native of Marakwet, began running in 2001, competing on all surfaces - track, cross country and the roads - but said despite the difficulty of the Monte-Carlo course, the latter might be his favourite. Despite his young age, Cheserek said he decided to give the marathon a try after serving as a pacemaker at last April’s Paris Marathon.
The women’s race was primarily a solo affair, won handily by Swedish record holder Lena Gavelin. Gavelin, 20th at last August’s European Championships marathon, was unpressed en route to her 2:39:28 win, her first victory since winning the 2002 Stockholm Marathon. The 32-year-old's 2:30:39 Swedish record was set at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, where she finished 16th.
Living up to its name - 'Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera - the race course winds its way beyond the boundaries of the tiny Mediterranean Principality. From its beginning just outside the IAAF's headquarters on the Boulevard des Moulins - the race was started by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAAF President Lamine Diack - the course descends and ascends towards the French towns of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Menton, and the Italian city of Ventimiglia before making its way back to Monaco and the finish at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille.
The challenging course records - 2:11:26 for men and 2:28:16 - were never threatened. The winners nonetheless earned 3600 euros each for their victories.
Zouhair Ouerdi of Morocco won the 10km in 30:54, well ahead of Italian Diego Fillipi (31:31). The women's race was won by Briton Alison Barnes (37:03), ahead of Slovenia's World indoor 800m record holder Jolanda Ceplak (37:36), who used the race as her Sunday training run. In all, more than 3000 runners were registered for the two morning races.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Results:
MEN –
1. Wilfried Cheserek, KEN 2:17:21
2. Andrey Bryzgalov, RUS 2:17:50
3. Jacob Kitur, KEN 2:18:55
4. Simon Ripis, KEN 2:20:18
5. Wepoghe Pius Mnangat, KEN 2:20:19
6. Sergey Kaledine, RUS 2:25:34
7. Xavier Sabournin, FRA 2:26:36
WOMEN –
1. Lena Gavelin, SWE 2:39:29
2. Olena Sannko, UKR, 2:41:27
3. Kristina Kuta, POL, 2:45:39
4. Elena Kojevnikova, RUS, 2:47:13
5. Maria Fedosseeva, RUS, 2:49:28
6. Ludmilla Afoniouchkina, RUS, 2:51:14
7. Michelle Leservoisier, FRA, 3:08:30
