Alice Timbilil crosses the line as Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot kisses the ground in Sao Paulo (© Léo Shibuya)
Kenyan athletes Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Alice Timbilil dominated the 83rd edition of the São Silvestre road race, which took place in the streets of São Paulo in the afternoon of the last day of 2007.
Over the distance of 15Km, Cheruiyot won in 45:57, on a hot day, with a temperature close to 30º C.
Kipkoech Cheruiyot dominates – men’s race
A quick pace was set in the early stages of the race by 2 Brazilian rabbits. Kipkoech Cheruiyot joined them by the fifth kilometre, with a pair of Kenyans - Patrick Ivuti and Kiprono Mutai - and the 2006 winner, Brazilian Franck Caldeira de Almeida.
The dominating Cheruiyot opened a gap over Ivuti and Caldeira after the sixth kilometre. Later on, by the “Avenida Rudge” in the ninth Km, the distance with the second group increased to about 150m.
The uphill of “Viaduto Rio Branco” (tenth Km) didn’t diminish Cheruiyot’s rhythm, and by the epic hill of “Brigadeiro Luis Antônio” (fourteenth Km), the leader even passed the only two runners ahead of him, female leaders Timbilil and Brazilian Marizete de Paula Rezende, who had started 12 minutes before the male elite race.
29-year-old Cheruiyot, winner of the 2007 Boston Marathon, crossed the line more than a minute ahead of Ivuti, while Brazilian Anoé Dias completed the podium. Cheruiyot had already taken the São Silvestre in 2002 and 2004, and his victory became the tenth by Kenyan athletes in the classic South American race, organized by the Fundação Cásper Líbero.
Timbilil over the Brazilians in the women’s race
A debutant in the São Silvestre, the 24-year-old Timbilil was also dominant in the women’s contest.
Timbilil, the 1999 World Youth Champion at 3000m and 2005 silver medalist at the World Cross Country Championships, posted a relatively slow time of 53:07 to cross the line ahead of the best Brazilian distance runners.
With much better credentials than her Brazilian rivals, Timbilil took the lead by the “Elevado Costa e Silva” (fifth Km) over the rabbits and Maria Zeferina Baldaia, who was the fastest local at the time.
By the eight Km, Marizete Rezende became second on the road, with some 30m of disadvantage, while Timbilil started to run a much slower and conservative pace.
By the “Viaduto do Chá” (twelfth Km) Rezende, the winner of 2002, changed her pace and began to challenge Timbilil.
Those at the side of the road began to cheer Rezende in the final stages, but Timbilil proved to be stronger, and became the fourth female from Kenya to win in the streets of São Paulo.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
2007 São Silvestre – 15 Km – Leading Results -
Men
1. Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, KEN 45:57
2. Patrick Ivuti, KEN 46:52
3. Anoé dos Santos Dias, BRA 47:06
4. Jacinto López, COL 47:23
5. Marildo José Barduco, BRA 47:36
Women
1. Alice Timbilil, KEN 53:07
2. Marizete de Paula Resende, BRA 53:36
3. Maria Zeferina Baldaia, BRA 54:43
4. Edielza Alves dos Santos, BRA 54:52
5. Marily dos Santos, BRA 55:03
