Madrid
Millenium Marathon and farewell to Fiz
and Anton
Michael Butcher
for the IAAF
25 October 2001 – Madrid
- Martin Fiz and Abel Anton will bid
farewell to athletics this Sunday in the
Millenium Marathon de Madrid. Both men
gave Spain a phenomenal run in world
championship marathons from 1995-1999
when first Fiz in Gothenburg and Anton
in Athens and Seville lifted the IAAF
world titles.
But it will be no easy ride for either man on home territory.
The formidable Portuguese Antonio Pinto, triple winner in London, will be on the start line alongside Edmonton bronze medallist Stefano Baldini of Italy and 2:06 Kenyan Fred Kiprop.
The women’s race will pitch Atlanta gold medallist and triple Boston winner Fatuma Roba against Kenyan Florence Barsosio, winner in Paris last year.
With a 75m-pesetaprize fund ($402,000) the race is the richest in Spain. The winners will receive 4m ($21,000) with time bonuses of 2m ($10,000) for sub-2:08 and 2:25clockings for men and women.
The race has attracted 6,000 runners with an elite field of 40. It starts at the Plaza de Lima and finishes alongside the lake in the Casa de Campo.