Kipchumba successfully defends Stramilano title

Philemon Kisang Kipchumba from Kenya defended his Stramilano Half Marathon title today when taking victory in the 37th edition of the famous Milan race in 1:02:14 holding off Uganda’s Wilson Businei by four seconds. Kenyan John Korir claimed third place in 1:02:24. Marda Musasabeker from France was fourth in 1:02:36 ahead of the young Kenyan Hosea Macharinyang. 

Brazil’s Maria Zeferina Baldaia took the honours in the women’s race in 1:13:50 beating France’s Hafida Gadi Richard (1:14:21) and Italy’s Ornella Ferrara (1:15:00).

MEN
 
Philemon Kisang Kipchumba took the lead at the head of a big pack that went through the 5km mark in 14:48 and 10km in 29:48.

Rachid Berradi, the last Italian runner to win the Stramilano in 2002, was just four seconds behind the leading pack at 10km in his comeback competition after many injuries.

The leading pack was reduced to six runners at 13km at which point strangely the pace slowed down. The leaders were Kipchumba, John Korir, Wilson Businei, Hosea Macharinyang (11th at WXC, Edinburgh), Marda Musasabeker, and Asnake Fekadu from Ethiopia.

Kipchumba pushed the pace injecting a 2:55 split in the 15th kilometre but the race was overall not very fast at the 15km mark (44:39). However, the surge was enough that only Businei, Korir and Musasabeker managed to remain in contention with the defending champion with 5km to go, and a 2:57 split for the 17km was then enough for Musasabeker to be dropped.

Kipchumba continued to push hard clocking 2:52 for the next kilometre, though the race was still wide open when the African trio approached the finish-line in the Napoleonic Arena Civica Stadium. It was only in the last stages inside the Parco Sempione, where the Arena is situated, that Kipchumba finally broke away from Businei and Korir, and went on to take the win in 1:02:14.

“The pace was very slow,” commented Kipchumba. “Last year pacemakers made a very good job. This year we had no pacemakers and we had to do the job alone. But it was a good race. I hope to return to Milan next year. I am now planning to run the Vienna Marathon,” confirmed the winner.

WOMEN

Hafida Gadi Richard from France took the early lead in the women’s race going through the 10km mark in 35:04 followed by the pair formed by Italy’s 1995 World marathon bronze medallist Ornella Ferrara and Maria Zeferina Baldaia from Brazil (35:15).

Baldaia pulled away after 15km and went on to win unchallenged in 1:13:50 missing her 1:12:45 PB set in Bristol (2001 World Half Marathon).

“I am happy to win this race. It was a good test before the Hamburg marathon at the end of April. I realized that I could win at 15km”, said Sao Paulo native Baldaia, who holds a marathon PB of 2:36:07 (2002).

Third placer Ornella Ferrara will try a second attempt at the end of April to qualify for the Olympic Games in BeIjing over the marathon distance after dropping out of the Rome Marathon in March.
        
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF

Results of the Stramilano Half Marathon:

Men:
1. Philemon Kisang Kipchumba  (Kenya) 1:02:14
2. Wilson Businei  (Uganda)   1:02:18
3. John Korir Cheruiyot (Kenya)  1:02:24
4. Marda Musasabeker (France)  1:02:36
5. Hosea Macharinyang (Kenya)  1:02:52
6. Fekadu Asnake (Ethiopia)   1:03:15
7. Addane Baze Berhanu (Ethiopia)  1:04:06
8. Rachid Berradi (Italy)   1:04:09
9. Paolo Finesso (Italy)   1:04:20
10. Kibret Abate Astatke (Ethiopia)  1:04:48

Women:
1. Maria Zeferina Baldaia (Brazil)  1:13:50
2. Hafida Gadi Richard (France)  1:14:21
3. Ornella Ferrara (Italy)   1:15:00
4. Rosangela Faria Pereira (Brazil)  1:17:04
5. Melissa Peretti (Italy)   1:17:48
6. Martina Celi (Italy)    1:19:17