FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Torrid Times at the Singapore Marathon
Amos Matui had a welcome wedding present for his soon to be wife,
Benedicta, when the Kenyan won the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon on
Sunday morning, breaking the course record by over a minute, with 2.15.55
in torrid conditions. And earned himself $25,000. Matui, who will get
married in early February only took the lead 200 metres from the finish
line, but it was a decisive move, since he left long-time leader, Ashebir
Demissu of Ethiopia 25 metres back.
Despite temperatures rising to 30C (86F), with over 80% humidity at the 6am
start, the first five men and the first two women all broke course records
in the event. But it was a close run thing in the men’s race. Demissu had
been forcing the pace for the final 10k, but he couldn’t shake off Matui,
and when Matui saw the finish line 200 metres ahead, he launched a sprint
that Demissu couldn’t match. The Ethiopian clocked 2.15.58, with another
Kenyan, Joseph Ngolepus in third in 2.16.34.
"It was good that we worked together at first," said the 31 year old Matui
after the race, "because it was very hot and humid. There were about 12 of
us at halfway, and still eight at 38k, then the Ethiopian made a break. I
stayed close behind him, but I wasn’t sure of winning until I crossed the
line."
This was the first victory in a seven marathon career thus far for the
Kenyan from Kitale in the Rift Valley, who trains with Martin Lel, winner
of both the New York and London Marathons. Matui only started running five
years ago, and had his first international race in 2002. He says he would
now like to run one of the big marathons, "Boston, London or New York."
Demissu was philosophical about his defeat. "I thought I’d won with a
kilometre to go, but with 200 metres left, he was too strong. My problem is
my finishing." The 26 year old must be one of the few Ethiopians without a
sprint finish, the more embarrassing since he comes from the same Arsi
province in the south of Ethiopia as Haile Gebrselassie and the new king of
distance, Kenenisa Bekele, both of whom know how to blow away the
opposition in the final metres.
For the rest, it was Kenyans all the way. Emmanuel Kosgei was fourth in
2.16.49. And former winner (2003) and one-time Singapore resident, John
Kelai, who has run this race four times said, "I think these were the
hottest conditions I’ve run in here. It was actually more humid at the
start than later." Kelai was that rarest of Kenyans, a triathlete, when he
lived in Singapore, but he said, "I decided to concentrate on running, so I
went back to live in Kenya." Kelai in fifth was also inside the record of
2.17.02, set last year by another compatriot, Philip Tanui, who was down
the field this year.
It looked like a Kenyan double for a long time, and a successful defence of
her title for Helen Cherono, but she wilted in the last ten kilometres, and
conceded victory to the veteran Russian, Irina Timofeyeva, who won in
2.34.37. An exhausted Cherono was second in 2.35.12, with another Russian,
Sylvia Skvorsova third in 2.36.46. But the top two broke the course record
of current world half-marathon champion, Contantina Dita, who ran 2.36.06
in 2002.
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