Sirlene de Pinho of Brazil winning the South American marathon title in Buenos Aires (© Consudatle)
Buenos Aires, ArgentinaTanzania’s Mohamed Msenduki Ikoki set a 2:13:55 race record at the 26th edition of the “Marathon de Buenos Aires”, held on Sunday (11). Brazilian Sirlene de Pinho was victorious in the female race with 2:38:08.
The event also served as the South American Championships for the distance, with both titles claimed by Brazilian athletes. Joining De Pinho as the continental champion was Marco Antônio Pereira, who finished third overall in 2:17:56.
The 23-year-old Ikoki –winner of the 2008 Luxembourg Marathon and the 2007 Groningen Marathon– broke the race around the 26 kilometre mark with 30-year-old Kenyan David Kiptanui as company. Ikoki gained the ultimate advantage over the final kilometre as the race approached the area of the “Estadio Monumental”.
Ikoki also collected a $1000 bonus for breaking the 15-year-old race record, set by Brazilian Clair Wathier in 1994 with 2:14:02, although over a different course. Kiptanui ended second with a season’s best of 2:14:13, ahead of the 21-year-old Pereira.
De Pinho’s victory was much clearer than Ikoki’s. The 33-year-old set a solid pace (1:19:01 for the half that eventually left her alone and in the lead. The last athlete to be dropped from her side was 39-year-old Kenyan Jacqueline Jerotich (2:28:32 PB from 2000), at around the 25th kilometre. The African runner dropped out about five kilometres later due to physical problems.
De Pinho, the bronze medalist at the 2007 Pan-American Games, went thru 30km in 1:51:56, and by then she had already built a lead of almost seven minutes over Chilean Nataly Romero. The Brazilian kept that lead and crossed the finish line in a season’s best 2:38:08, repeating her victory from 2007. Romero was second in 2:44:31, and Argentina’s Andrea Graciano was third in a PB of 2:46:00.
A severe storm on the eve of the competition put the event in jeopardy, but the race went off as expected in the early hours of Sunday in the Nuñez neighborhood in the northern part of Buenos Aires. The course went all the way to the Southeast extreme of the city, to the neighborhood of La Boca, passing thru the centre areas, before returning to wher it started. The temperatures were nice (15°C), but the humidity was high, and as a matter of fact, the athletes faced rain at some stages of the race.
More than 12,000 people took part in the races (Marathon and the complementary Half Marathon), while more than 6000 runners –a record for the Marathon– participated in the classic distance of 42,195m.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
Leading Results -
Men -
1. Mohamed Msenduki Ikoki, TAN 2:13:55
2. David Kiptanui, KEN 2:14:13
3. Marco Antônio Pereira, BRA 2:17:56 (1st South Am Ch)
4. Oscar Cortínez, ARG 2:20:06 (2nd South Am Ch)
5. Fredison Carneiro, BRA 2:21:17
6. Leonardo da Silva, BRA 2:21:21
7. José Ramon Romero, ARG 2:23:21 (3rd South Am Ch)
Women
1. Sirlene de Pinho BRA 2:38:08 (1st South Am Ch)
2. Nataly Romero CHI 2:44:31 (2nd South Am Ch)
3. Andrea Graciano ARG 2:46:00 (3rd South Am Ch)
4. Paulina Mamaní PER 2:46:45
5. Gabriela Almada ARG 2:50:33
The event also served as the South American Championships for the distance, with both titles claimed by Brazilian athletes. Joining De Pinho as the continental champion was Marco Antônio Pereira, who finished third overall in 2:17:56.
The 23-year-old Ikoki –winner of the 2008 Luxembourg Marathon and the 2007 Groningen Marathon– broke the race around the 26 kilometre mark with 30-year-old Kenyan David Kiptanui as company. Ikoki gained the ultimate advantage over the final kilometre as the race approached the area of the “Estadio Monumental”.
Ikoki also collected a $1000 bonus for breaking the 15-year-old race record, set by Brazilian Clair Wathier in 1994 with 2:14:02, although over a different course. Kiptanui ended second with a season’s best of 2:14:13, ahead of the 21-year-old Pereira.
De Pinho’s victory was much clearer than Ikoki’s. The 33-year-old set a solid pace (1:19:01 for the half that eventually left her alone and in the lead. The last athlete to be dropped from her side was 39-year-old Kenyan Jacqueline Jerotich (2:28:32 PB from 2000), at around the 25th kilometre. The African runner dropped out about five kilometres later due to physical problems.
De Pinho, the bronze medalist at the 2007 Pan-American Games, went thru 30km in 1:51:56, and by then she had already built a lead of almost seven minutes over Chilean Nataly Romero. The Brazilian kept that lead and crossed the finish line in a season’s best 2:38:08, repeating her victory from 2007. Romero was second in 2:44:31, and Argentina’s Andrea Graciano was third in a PB of 2:46:00.
A severe storm on the eve of the competition put the event in jeopardy, but the race went off as expected in the early hours of Sunday in the Nuñez neighborhood in the northern part of Buenos Aires. The course went all the way to the Southeast extreme of the city, to the neighborhood of La Boca, passing thru the centre areas, before returning to wher it started. The temperatures were nice (15°C), but the humidity was high, and as a matter of fact, the athletes faced rain at some stages of the race.
More than 12,000 people took part in the races (Marathon and the complementary Half Marathon), while more than 6000 runners –a record for the Marathon– participated in the classic distance of 42,195m.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
Leading Results -
Men -
1. Mohamed Msenduki Ikoki, TAN 2:13:55
2. David Kiptanui, KEN 2:14:13
3. Marco Antônio Pereira, BRA 2:17:56 (1st South Am Ch)
4. Oscar Cortínez, ARG 2:20:06 (2nd South Am Ch)
5. Fredison Carneiro, BRA 2:21:17
6. Leonardo da Silva, BRA 2:21:21
7. José Ramon Romero, ARG 2:23:21 (3rd South Am Ch)
Women
1. Sirlene de Pinho BRA 2:38:08 (1st South Am Ch)
2. Nataly Romero CHI 2:44:31 (2nd South Am Ch)
3. Andrea Graciano ARG 2:46:00 (3rd South Am Ch)
4. Paulina Mamaní PER 2:46:45
5. Gabriela Almada ARG 2:50:33
