FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marathon Revisited
If Jonathon Kipkorir, or any of the lesser lights running the Athens
Classic Marathon on Sunday morning needs any tips on how to approach one of
the toughest courses in the world, they don't have to go very far for
advice.
This year is the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, the little
joust whose re-telling gave rise to the race itself and, in passing may
just have saved democracy for the western world. The Greeks understandably
- in need of some good news in these economically straightened times - have
gone to town on it.
The cast list (in best alphabetical order) includes Abel Anton of Spain,
Italian Stefano Baldini, Joan Benoit of the USA, Constantina Dita of
Romania, Briton Ron Hill, Rosa Mota of Portugal, and Kathrine Switzer of
the US, who between them won four Olympic, three world, and six European
titles in the marathon, as well as breaching the male bastion in Boston
over 40 years ago.
So if they can't provide a word of warning on what to do about a course
that begins with a flat 10 kilometres out of the town of Marathon itself,
then rises 21k, before a steady 11k decline into Athens, and the haven of
the 1896 Olympic Stadium, then no one can help the intrepid 12500 who will
start at 0900 Sunday.
Mota and Hill were the first on the scene yesterday (Thursday), the latter
winning a lot of kudos for bringing the official athletes' bag he was
issued here in Athens when he won his Euro title in1969. Hill described how
winning here, after failing in two Olympic Games unlocked his potential,
and he went on to break the Boston record by three minutes, and win the
Commonwealth Games, while setting a world record of 2.09.28, "without
pacemakers, or a timing car, or ever getting a massage." And, it should be
added, wearing shoes whose sole was so thin it must have been like running
barefoot.
Mota's debut at the distance was at the 'Europeans' here in 1982, the first
international women's marathon championship. She competed initially in the
3000 metres, up 'til then the longest championship distance for women. "The
furthest I'd ever run (in training) was 15 kilometres," she said yesterday.
"I just came to participate, I didn't expect to win, I didn't think I was
strong enough.
"But it was the first marathon championship for women, it was in the place
of the first Olympics, with all the history. When I entered that stadium,
it was like a dream. Even when I go now, I get...," and she strokes her
arm, indicating goose pimples.
Race favourite Kipkorir of Kenya listened intently to the two veterans at
the press conference, but even beforehand he was aware of the task in hand.
Kipkorir, who ran 2.07.31 in Paris last year, said, "I heard it's a tough
course. But when I heard about the history, I asked my manager to send me
here for this fantastic race. The organisers would like us the go for the
course record (Baldini's gold medal 2.10.55 in 2004), and if the weather is
good, then maybe we can go out in 65-66(mins, for halfway). I know I'm
favourite, but anyone who can run 2.10 is a potential winner".
Cue colleague Jacob Yator, who ran a personal best 2.09.02 in winning in
Enschede, Netherlands last year. He said, "I think 65 - 65.20 is a good
pace for a tough course. Kipkorir is favourite, but I'm in really good
shape." Add four other colleagues who are under or just over 2.10, and Paul
Lekuraa, who set the race (as opposed to the course) record of 2.12.42 in
2008, and the 28th edition of this revived Athens Classic Marathon could be
on the way to matching the legend which spawned it.
The Russians, Irina Permitina and Olga Glok would do well to beware of Eri
Hayakawa of Japan in the women's race. Permitina won bronze in the Euro
Champs in 2006, and Glok won in Prague last year. But if the Oracle in
Delphi was still in business, she might point out that Japanese have won
here in the last two years, and that Hayakawa, in one of her first
marathons passed the Russian pair, Alevtina and Albina Ivanova (no
relation) in the final kilometres in Honolulu a half dozen years ago, to
win in 2.31.57, an excellent time in the high humidity which always
prevails in Hawaii.
In contrast, this is the time of year in Athens when the weather becomes
unpredictable. The streets were awash two nights ago after a thunderstorm,
but the race day forecast is for dry conditions, with temperatures of
around 13C at the start, rising towards a high of 18C.
The once-in-a-dozen-lifetimes anniversary has quadrupled the marathon
field, with close to 50% of entrants coming from abroad. With the shorter
events, there will be over 20,000 runners finishing in the striking
Panathenaiko, the old marble stadium created on ancient lines for the
inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896.
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