Dejere
Abera Wins the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon
Hong Kong, Sunday, February 5, 0600gmt
By
Pat Butcher
Losing
a marathon by one second last year taught Dejere Abera
of Ethiopia a lesson that he put to good use this
morning, when he won the Standard Chartered Hong Kong
Marathon – an IAAF Bronze Label event - by less than a
second. Indeed so tight and exciting was the men’s
finish that Eliud Cheptei in second place shared
Dejere’s winning time of 2.11.27, while two more
Kenyans, Cosmas Kyeva and Julius Maisei were just
one second each further back.
Dejere
improved the long standing course record by one minute
and 42sec, but his colleague, Misiker Demissie took
pride of place in that department when her runaway
victory in the women’s race, in 2.30.12, took all of
three and a half minutes from last year’s course
record.
Given
the tough course here, and the inevitable humidity,
around 90% at one stage, albeit with reasonable
temperatures of 16-19C (61-66F), the times were never
going to be of the order of last week’s Dubai record
breaking spree. But, like Dubai this was another
Ethiopian double header to relish, and remind the
Kenyans that they’re not going to get all their own
way in Olympic year.
The
Hong Kong organisers eschew pacing, but with over a
dozen men together at halfway, and eight still in
contention past 35k, combined with some of the most
clement conditions in race history, a men’s record was
always on the cards. And not before time some would say,
Ethiopian Belay Wolashe’s 2.13.09 had lasted since the
second edition of the event, in 1998.
When
the leading quartet broke away with 40k in sight, it was
always Dereje who was forcing it from the front, mindful
he said later of that one second defeat in Ottawa last
year to Laban Moiben of Kenya. Dereje managed to get a
10 metres lead two or three times in the last kilometre,
but though he was pulled back each time, and then balked
by an errant cyclist on the last turn into the finish in
Victoria Park, he never looked like losing at that
point.
“It
wasn’t a problem,” said an ebullient Dereje, though
it wasn’t clear whether he was talking of the cyclist
or the three close pursuers, “I knew by then I could
win. This is my first time in Hong Kong, but I love
it”. And so he should, his win netted him $50,000 with
five figure time bonuses.
Though
Cheptei shadowed him through the finish line, the Kenyan
admitted he never felt he could win. “He was too
strong, I was trying to go with him, but that was to
make sure I stayed ahead of the third guy”. Like
several of his compatriots last year, Cheptei paid his
own way here, but the $1500 investment paid off
handsomely, when he picked up $20,000 and a share of the
time bonus.
There
was more confusion over Misiker’s change of name than
her running tactics. It seems that the Ethiopian had an
unhappy time running for Bahrain under the name of Teyba
Naser and has reverted to a full Ethiopian name of
Misiker Mekonnin Demissie, and has been living with
husband Zereu Kelele in Albuquerque, New Mexico for some
time.
There
was no debate about her victory though. She led from the
start, and though she had colleague Shitaye Gemechu and
Kenyan Winfred Nyansikera right behind until past
halfway, when she accelerated at 30k, she ran right away
from them.
“It’s
a very hard course, and it was a little humid, but I
thought I could win from 30k,” she said, “I’d like
to run Boston now (April), because last year I had to
drop out. I’d like to run in the Olympics eventually,
but Ethiopia has many strong women. It will have to be
the next one in Brazil”.
Both
her pursuers had other problems, Shitaye finished with a
one shoe full of blood from a toe injury, and Nyansikera
had to stop for a vomiting fit. But Shitaye just managed
to stay ahead to take second, 2.31.44, to Nyansikera’s
2.31.47.
RESULTS
MEN
1
19
Dereje ABERA
ETH
2.11.27 (record)
2
22173 Eliud CHEPTEI
KEN
2.11.27
3
9
Cosmas KYEVA
KEN
2.11.28
4
2
Julius MAISEI
KEN
2.11.28
5
22207/George NGETICH/KEN
2.12.19
6
22176/Lilan
KIPROP
KEN
2.12.42
7
4
Haile HAJA
ETH
2.12.43
8
7
Nigussie CHALA
ETH
2.13.17
9
17
Patrick KOECH
KEN
2.13.19
10
1
Nelson ROTICH
KEN
2.13.33
WOMEN
1
61
Misiker DEMISSIE
ETH
2.30.12 (record)
2
30317
Shitaye GEMECHU
ETH
2.31.44
3
66
Winfred NYANSIKERA
KEN
2.31.47
4
79
KIM Kum-Ok
DPR KOREA
2.32.48
5
77
Datu Zehara KEDIR
ETH
2.34.14
6
30312 Viola BOR CHEPKETING
KEN
2.37.11
7
62
Goitetom HAFTU
ETH
2.39.43
8
76
Malika BENLAFKIR
MOR
2.41.22
9
70
Mariia TSKAIA
KRG
2.49.41
10
68
THI Bin Pham
VTN
2.56.11
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