Paul Kosgei after his second win at Amatrice-Configno (© Alberto Zorzi)
Rieti, ItalyKenya's Paul Kosgei and Algeria's Souad Ait Salem took the honours in the 30th Amatrice-Configno, an 8.5km uphill road race held Sunday (19) afternoon in this little town 150 km from Rome. Both runners earned their second victories in Amatrice: Kosgei also won in 2003, while Ait Salem was able to complete a back-to-back win.
Men's race - Kosgei "stronger than anyone else"
After a slow first km, Kenya's William Chebon Chebor made a strong move that immediately smashed the pack. Only Kosgei was able to follow him some metres behind and at 4km caught him. They ran shoulder to shoulder over a pair of nearly flat kilometres, but when the course became tough again, the former World Half Marathon champion dropped his rival with apparently little effort.
"I had never thought to lose, today I was stronger than anyone else," said Kosgei, who easily controlled the race over the final two kilometres. He closed with a time of 24:11, far from the course record of 23:30, set by Enock Mitei in 2002. It would have been a more interesting race if Paul Tergat had been in the field, as the LOC had engaged him. Actually the Marathon World record holder was forced out because of an illness. Also multiple European Cross Country champion Sergiy Lebid also withdrew at the last minute.
Behind Kosgei there was a very emotional fight for the second place. Chebon Chebor paid for an aggressive start and was overcome by his countrymate Daniel Kipror Limo and Australia's marathon runner Andrew Letherby. Giovanni Ruggiero, even if slowed down by some stomach troubles, was the first Italian to reach the finish, the seventh to cross the line.
"I remembered very well about the course from the 2003 race," Kosgei added. "I knew that it is tough." He is now training for the ING Amsterdam Marathon on October 21, his second Marathon after his debut in Hamburg last April. "I closed with a disappointing 2:14:15. This time I’m aiming at 2:07-2:08."
A fast Marathon is also the focus for Letherby, a 34-year-old who will run in Berlin in a month. "I did not suffer too much on the course, I had been training for weeks in Colorado on such up-and-downs," he said. "My goal in Berlin is to improve my PB, 2:11:42. I think I could do so."
Women's race - Osaka shape for Ait Salem
"It was a very good test," said women’s winner Souad Ait Salem, expressing her satisfaction two weeks before the Marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka. She had no rivals, so she was focused on feelings and time. She lowered by five seconds last year's time with a 27:40 performance, becoming the sixth fastest woman in the history of the Amatrice-Configno.
"I'm in good shape, but at the Worlds it will be very difficult, there are so many top marathon runners," she said. This year she ran a PB in the Rome City Marathon with a course record of 2:25:08. Ait Salem said she doesn’t fear the heat expected in Osaka. "I like running in hot conditions and I had trained at home at sea level to reproduce the climate we will find in Japan," she revealed.
Italy's Lucilla Andreucci, who also is running the Marathon in Osaka, closed exactly two minutes behind. "On Friday I did my last long training session of 30 km, so today I had heavy legs," she admitted. "However I'm really optimistic for the Worlds, I have worked so much for months for this."
Polish-born Marzena Michalska, who now runs for Italy, finished third.
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Selected results (8.5km)
Men -
1. Paul Kosgei, KEN, 24:11
2. Daniel Kiprop Limo, KEN, 24:30
3. Andrew Letherby, AUS, 24:31
4. William Chebon Chebor, KEN, 24:37
5. Jeoffrey Kusuru, UGA, 24:40
6. Moses Aliwa, UGA, 24:46
7. Giovanni Ruggiero, ITA, 24:50
8. Kipsiele Rotich, KEN, 24:53
9. Daniele Caimmi, ITA, 24:54
10. Javier Caballero, SPA, 24:56
Women -
1. Souad Ait Salem, ALG, 27:40
2. Lucilla Andreucci, ITA, 29:40
3. Marzena Michalska, ITA, 30:03
