FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Another US Marathon Victory: Annie Bersagel
Takes Duesseldorf, Gilbert Yegon Wins Men's Race
Six days after Boston there was another surprising American marathon
victory: In rainy conditions Annie Bersagel won the Metro Group Marathon
Duesseldorf with a personal best of 2:28:59. She overtook Selomie Getnet
with only three kilometres to go. The Ethiopian, who had a big lead in the
middle of the race, was second with 2:30:29. Kenya's Emily Ngetich ran
2:30:50 for third place. Gilbert Yegon won the men's race with 2:08:07. On
slippery roads the Kenyan missed the course record by 19 seconds. Endeshaw
Negesse was second with 2:08:32 while his fellow Ethiopian Fikadu Teferi
ran 2:09:34 in his debut for third place. Adding other running events
staged parallel to the marathon a total of 16,000 runners competed in the
Metro Group Marathon Duesseldorf.
The men's race started fast with split times of 29:54 at 10 k and 44:56 at
15. When a group of 16 runners passed the half way mark in 63:31 they were
still well on course for the course record of 2:07:48 run by Dereje Debele.
The defending champion from Ethiopia was among the leaders at this stage.
However in very wet and cool conditions with temperatures little above 10
Celsius Debele was among those who suffered badly during the second half.
But the first of the favourites who lost contact to the group was fellow
Ethiopian Shami Abdulhadi Dawud. The second fastest on the start list with
a PB of 2:05:42 started to loose ground around the 25 k mark (1:15:36) and
later dropped out at 31 k.
While Kenyan pacemaker Ronald Korir bravely held on to the 35 k mark, which
he reached in 1:46:04, Debele had lost contact three kilometres earlier.
Suffering of cramps the Ethiopian dropped out at 38 k. Five runners were
still in contention after Korir dropped out and the course record was still
a possibility for Yegon, Negesse, Teferi, Shengo Kebede (Ethiopia) and
Moses Masai (Kenya). However with the pacemaker gone it was only Yegon who
was able to push the pace. For a short period it looked as if Negesse would
be able to hold on, but the fastest runner on the start list with a PB of
2:04:52 was also suffering in the cold and wet conditions. "I had a look at
him before I drew away and he did not look that strong any more," said
Gilbert Yegon, who celebrated his second marathon victory during his
career. Back in 2009 he had won in Amsterdam with a time of 2:06:18 which
still stands as his personal best. Since then the 25 year-old struggled
when trying to take another race or improve his PB.
"I am very happy to have won my second marathon now. It was my aim to win
the race and my goal was to run 2:06 - but this was not possible in these
conditions," said Yegon, who was followed by Negesse (2:08:32), Teferi
(2:09:34), Kebede (2:10:14) and Masai (2:10:36) after finishing on the
promenade next to the river Rhine.
Pre-race favourite Getnet, who entered the race with a PB of 2:25:15, took
the lead immediately in the women's race. Passing the half way mark in
1:13:25 she was well clear of second placed Winfrida Kwamboka (Kenya) but
the course record of 2:25:49 proved to be out of reach. Running together
with Ngetich America's Bersagel passed the half way point 1:37 minutes
behind Getnet.
But Kwamboka and Getnet could not keep their pace. Normally the second half
of the race in Duesseldorf is considered to be faster than the first half,
but not so today. It was before the 30 k mark, when Bersagel overtook
Kwamboka. But 31 year-old, who had entered the race with a PB of 2:30:53
from last autumn and more recently showed a fine performance in the World
Half Marathon Championships where she finished 13th, did not think about
victory at this stage of the race. That changed around 38 k. "It was then,
when I suddenly saw the leading car and I realised that I made up ground
quickly," recalled Bersagel. She passed Getnet with around three kilometres
to go and became the first US champion in the history of the Metro Group
Marathon Duesseldorf.
More information is available at: www.metrogroup-marathon.de
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