FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phaustin Baha Sulle Back With a Course Record,
Remalda Kergyte Surprise Women's Winner
Phaustin Baha Sulle is back with a win. Running a course record of 2:13:03
the 26 year-old from Tanzania set the highlight of the 10th edition of the
Morgenpost Dresden Marathon. There was a surprise in the women's race,
which was won by 23 year-old Remalda Kergyte (Lithuania) in 2:38:48.
Altogether 7,017 athletes took part in the jubilee race, which had almost
ideal weather conditions. The wind was disturbing in some parts of the race
though. More than 50,000 spectators lined the loop course through the
picturesque Dresden city centre and along the river Elbe.
The men's race started with good pace. The leading group was on schedule
for a course record throughout the race. The mark they chased was 2:15:26
by Kenya's Joseph Talam from 2006. The leading group of four runners –
among them two pacemakers – reached the half way mark in 65:21 minutes.
After the last pacemaker, Simon Kasimili (Kenya), dropped out at 25 k
(1:17:05) a duel between Phaustin Baha Sulle and Pharis Kimani (Kenya)
developed.
In that part of the race, when Sulle had an advantage of a couple of metres
on Kimani for a short time, it looked as if both could finish in times in
the region of 2:10 and 2:11. But after the 30 k mark (1:32:30) the pace
dropped significantly. When Phaustin Baha Sulle, who had been second in the
World Half Marathon Championships back in 2000, was able to slightly
increase the speed again at 35 k this was the decisive move. This time the
gap was too big for Kimani to come back. But the Kenyan held on for second
and a personal best of 2:14:40 in his second marathon. Vasil Remshchuk
(Ukraine) took third in 2:17:27.
"I am happy with my result. There was some wind on the course which made it
difficult," said Phaustin Baha Sulle, who has a personal best of 2:10:08
from 2004 in Dortmund. In recent years he had a number of injuries that
hampered his performances. "In 2007 I could not run at all. I was only able
to do some light training back in Tanzania because I had a joint problem in
my hip," said Phaustin Baha Sulle. "But now I am feeling better and better.
And I am optimistic for the future. I would like to run the Dubai Marathon
in January and it would be my aim there to go for a time between 2:06 and
2:07."
The women's favourite Fabiola John (Tanzania) already had a big lead early
in the race. The 23 year-old, who had been second in Edinburgh in 2005 and
has a personal best of 2.34:41, passed the half way point in 1:17:40 in
Dresden. While she was well ahead of Remalda Kergyte (1:19:31) at that
stage of the race, she started loosing ground soon afterwards. In the end
Fabiola John had to be content with second place in 2:40:53.
"At 28 k I knew I would have a chance to catch her," said Remalda Kergyte,
although she was still about 60 seconds behind. At 36 kilometres the
Lithuanian took the lead and went on for her biggest career win so far. "I
have now qualified for the World Championships in Berlin next year and
intend to run there. These will be my first major championships," said
Remalda Kergyte, who had been second in Dresden in 2006 and 2007. "As a
defending champion of course I also want to return to Dresden next year."
Further information is available online at: www.dresden-marathon.de
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