FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Athens Classic Marathon - 2 Records!
The 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon has been a long time
coming. But it only took a little over two hours for Paul Bett and Rasa
Drazdauskaite to unravel a surprise for their opponents in the Athens
Classic Marathon on Sunday morning.
Both set new race records in an event which was born out of legends
surrounding that ancient battle.
Drazdauskaite of Lithuania is a world class runner, but since she was
competing in the concurrent World Military Championships, she was not
listed among the elite runners. But Master Sergeant Drazdauskaite blew her
cover from the opening steps of the race in Marathon, when she shot into
the lead, and was never headed.
The 29 year old went further and further ahead on a bright sunny morning,
and shattered the race record by over two minutes, when she turned into the
Panethenaiko, the atmospheric marble stadium built for the 1896 Olympics in
Athens, and won in 2.31.06.
The previous record was 2.33.19, by Svetlana Ponomarenko of Russia in 2007.
And today's runner up was also a Russian, Olga Glok , who had been one of
the pre-race favourites, but finished close to three minutes down, in
2.33.51. Svitlana Stanko of Ukraine was third, in 2.38.59.
This was Drazdausakaite's fourth marathon, but undoubtedly her best. Her
fastest time, 2.30.29, came in Frankfurt exactly a year ago. But this
Marathon to Athens course, which has a relentless uphill section of close
to 21k (half the distance) is reckoned to be the hardest of the world's
famous marathons, contributing, by general consensus, to adding four
minutes to a marathoner's potential time on a flatter course.
For example, Abel Anton of Spain, one of the celebrated guests for the
anniversary of the 'Battle' won the world title here in 1997, in 2.13.16,
whereas his best is 2.07.57 in London the following year. Stefano Baldini
of Italy, who won the Olympic title here in 2004, in a course record (as
opposed to race record) 2.10.54, said he cycled the course the following
year, "and it was harder by bike. I said to myself, how did I run 2.10.54
on this course, and in summer too?"
The temperature for the 0900 start in Marathon was around 13C, but the
bright sunshine soon started to worry Drazdauskaite. "The first 10k was
very hot, and I started to get very worried. But someone gave me a cap, and
I was very thankful.
"I wanted to run Frankfurt again (also today), but the Army said I had to
run here, and I'm glad now. I thought I had a chance of winning, but I'm so
happy to win this special race, with all the history".
Bett, 26, had not been one of the pre-men's race favourites, but he was
always in the leading group, which were paced through a 65.49 'half,' in an
attempt to break Baldini's record. But when the pacemakers dropped out, so
did the pace. The group slowed in the mounting temperature, made hotter
than the 17C at the end by the glaring sunshine.
Bett dropped the last of his opponents, pre-race favourite, colleague
Jonathon Kipkorir at 37k, and ran out the winner in 2.12.40, shaving two
seconds from the two-year old race record of another compatriot, Paul
Lekuraa.
"I didn't expect to win," said Bett,"but you never know. It was very hot
and very tough, and there was a lot of competition. I say to God, thank you
for giving me the strength".
Bett too should take a lot of assurance from this victory, just half a
minute slower than his fastest, 2.11.32, which came in Eindhoven,
Netherlands last year. Kipkorir finished second in 2.14.05, and another
Kenyan, Edwin kimutai was third in 2.15.21.
But the pace and course proved the undoing of several of their colleagues,
a half dozen of whom were still with the lead trio, all well clear in a
group at 30k. Henryk Szost and Radoslav Gardzielewski of Poland were over
two minutes down at halfway, but began to make inroads ten kilometres
later.
"We caught the first Kenyan at 35k," said Szost, "and then we passed them
one by one". Szost finished fourth in 2.15.28, with his colleague fifth in
2.15.45.
RESULTS
MEN
Place/bib no name country time
1 7 Raymond BETT KEN 2.12.40
2 1 Jonathon KIPKORIR KEN 2.14.05
3 11 Edwin KIMUTAI KEN 2.15.21
4 923 Henryk SZOST KEN 2.15.28
5 924 R GARDZIELEWSKI POL 2.15.45
6 824 Francesco BONA ITA 2.16.49
7 4 Robert MWANGI KEN 2.17.04
8 922 Michal KAZMAREK POL 2.17.19
9 850 Moulai SLINAME ALG 2.18.36
WOMEN
1 884 Rasa DRAZDAUSKAITE LIT 2.31.06
2 104 Olga GLOK RUS 2.33.51
3 110 Svitlana STANKO UKR 2.38.59
4 103 Eri HAYAKAWA JPN 2.40.25
5 620 Kefala KONSTANTINA GRE 2.40.36
6 108 Irina MASHKANTSEVA RUS 2.41.04
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