FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blom Beirut Marathon Report/Results
Notch up another victory for the pacemakers, this time in the BLOM Beirut
Marathon Sunday morning (7th).
Mohamed Temam of Ethiopia conceded his pacing role shortly after halfway on
a bright, sunny, hot morning in the Middle East. But race favourite, his
colleague Abere Chane misjudged his effort, and Temam swept past at 40k,
going on to win in 2.16.43. Chane came limping in, second in 2.17.30, and
James Macharia of Kenya was third in 2.18.20.
Often the unsung heroes of the marathon, providing a springboard for the
stars to attack records, there have however been sufficient surprises in
the past, to convince any pacemaker that, if they feel good enough, they
should just keep going.
Such was the case for Temam this morning. Charged with pacing the leaders
up to 33 kilometres (of the 42.195k), he was relieved of his duties shortly
after halfway in 66.01, when debutant Chane decided to strike out by
himself.
Chane had run a 61.47 'half' earlier this year, and had predicted a 2.10 or
2.11 today. Which meant running a faster second half. But he probably
elevated the pace too much on a morning when the direct sun made 22C in the
second part of the race seem much hotter.
"I wanted to go faster," said Chane, 25, "but at 37k, this (indicating his
hip) started to hurt, and I had to slow down." But it was probably the
switch from an average 3.08 per kilometre to under three minutes that
proved his undoing. Temam had said he was going to finish after his pacing
duties, and that proved easier than he'd imagined. He merely hitched a ride
on Chane's wake, then picked up the pieces when his colleague fell apart.
Macharia had fallen away at 35k, but still finished a clear third. He made
his most decisive move at the victory ceremony. A huge Ethiopian flag was
produced for Temam and Chane, and when the latter tried to wrap it around
Macharia as well, the Kenyan was having none of it. A firm hand removed it
from his shoulders.
The women's race was clearer cut, but another victory for an Ethiopian
Etaferehu Tarekegn played her role perfectly as favourite. She headed a
group of three at 30k, when she began to push the pace. At 37k, she was
alone, and won in 2.41.15. She had said that the heat would not worry her,
but admitted that it made a difference. "It was hot," she conceded
afterwards. Her colleague Mihiret Anamo was second in 2.44.04, and Irina
Kazuboskaya of Russia was third.
The organisers had hoped for new records in their eight annual event, and
they were rewarded with a national men's record for Hussein Awadah. He
clocked 2.20.31 in seventh place, and took five seconds off his previous
record, from Berlin 2008.
But he's probably still have to concede tomorrow's front page to Prime
Minister Saad Hariri, who demonstrated the contention that the marathon is
a cause for unity in Lebanon. Son of Rafik, the former PM, who was
assassinated in 2005, Saad ran the 10k around the streets of the city
centre.
RESULTS
MEN
Place Bib Surname & Name Nat Time
1 12 TEMAM Mohammed ETH 2:16:43
2 1 CHANE Abere ETH 2:17:30
3 16 MACHARIA James KEN 2:18:20
4 3 DAGNE Abere ETH 2:19:38
5 13 TEGEGN Desalegn ETH 2:20:11
6 14 TSEGAYE Makash ETH 2:20:17
7 7 AWADAH Hussein LEB 2.20.31
WOMEN
1 F1 TAREKEGN Etaferahu ETH 2:41:15
2 F3 ANAMO Mihiret ETH 2:44:04
3 F2 KAZUBOSKAYA Irina RUS 2:46:05
4 F4 CHEMUTAI Carolyne KEN 2:47:56
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