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It is not very often nowadays that a European or north American city
marathon gives the locals the opportunity to cheer one of their own to
victory. But that is the highly likely scenario for the 20th running of the
Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon on Saturday morning, when Olivera Jevtic of
Serbia will be the big favourite for the women's race.
Coming from an unfashionable part of old eastern Europe, Jevtic has
probably not got the attention she deserves for a very impressive record.
She won the European silver medal in Gothenburg last summer, finished sixth
in the Olympic Games in Athens, has twice won the prestigious San Silvestre
New Year race in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has a marathon best of 2.25.23, set
in winning the Rotterdam Marathon 2003.
This will be Jevtic's first full marathon excursion in Belgrade, but the
event has played a big part in her life, and was even responsible for
starting her career. In 1993, she was a volleyball player, but having
injured an ankle which forced her out of her chosen sport, she was
persuaded by her trainer, Slavko Kuzmanovic to compete in the 5k fun-run.
But he took race numbers for the half-marathon, which is run in tandem with
the marathon. While her compatriot Suzana Ciric was winning her second
title, the last time a local won here incidentally, Jevtic finished second
in the 'half'.
"If I knew from the beginning that we will run half marathon, I could be a
winner," she said this week. "I didn't force the tempo. Slavko told me 'let
sit here and have some coffee,' because we were way in front of the others
in fun run, so I came second". Ciric's best time, set that year, was
2.40.27, but a more reasonable target for the 29 year old Jevtic will be
the course record of 2.29.44, set by Cristina Pomacu of Romania in 2001.
Her principal rival is Alena Makalova of Belarus, who ran 2.29.12 in
winning Grandma's Marathon in 1999.
"In order to be as prepared for marathon as possible, I spent last four
week training in Kenya," said Jevtic, who won the Serbian Sports
Personality of the Year in 2006. "I have very fond memories of Belgrade and
I would love to win and set the course record. It is my first marathon in
front of the home crowd. I wanted to repay my debt to Belgrade marathon
which took a great part in my success. I know it will not be easy, I must
remind my fans that the marathon is primarily a battle with yourself, then
with the weather conditions, and finally with your rivals. No one can tell
how your body will react during 42 kilometres. Look at Paula Radcliffe at
Athens. She was the biggest favorite, but her body betrayed her on the 35th
kilometre. So we will see..."
Andrew Sambu has never really lived up to the promise of his world junior
cross title in the early 90s, but the Tanzanian is the fastest contender
for the men's title, with his 2.09.52 from 2004. Tusse Feyissa of Ethiopa
(2.11.39 in winning Houston earlier this year) is another who may prevent
yet another Kenyan victory in a city marathon. But don't bank on it. Over
500 Kenyans breached 2.20 for the marathon last year. That's not 500
sub-2.20's for Kenyans, incidentally, that's over 500 separate Kenyans!
That's a better story than the 300 Spartans (in the film 300), who
supposedly held at bay thousands of Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae.
That happened just ten years after the Battle of Marathon, which proved the
inspiration for a weird long distance race.
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