FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hong Kong Marathon - Sunday
The final 100 metres of the Hong marathon last year looked like a tag-team
wrestling match, with four men sprinting to the line, arms and legs flying
every which way. Dereje Abera of Ethiopia emerged from the scrum at the
last second to snatch victory and the $50,000 first prize. But, returning
to defend his title in Sunday's 17th annual Standard Charted Hong Kong
Marathon, he still recalls the photo-finish with bemusement.
"I always thought I could win, but you can never be sure with the Kenyans.
It's the same this year, there's a lot of good Kenyans in there. Also
there's no pace-makers here in Hong Kong, so a lot of people stay together,
and the pace goes up and down. The weather is the same, one day it's warm,
one day cold".
Race date is determined by Chinese New Year, which was earlier this year,
so the race is three weeks later than 2012, and in this part of the world
that means potential 20C and humid conditions towards the end of the race,
which begins at 0700 local time (2300GMT Saturday).
Abera set a course record of 2.11.27 last year, but Julius Maisei of Kenya
was only a second behind in fourth place; and having finished second in
2011, would dearly love to carry off the increased first prize of $57,000
on Sunday. "It helps to know the course, because it's quite difficult,"
said Maisei at the Friday press conference. "And the tunnel at the end (to
get onto Hong Kong Island) is very long and very hot, and it's also uphill
at the end".
On paper, there is a very evenly balanced men's elite field – six runners
within a minute of one another between 2.08 and 2.09. But since James
Mbugua ran his 2.08.05 in Nairobi, at 1500 metres altitude, that might just
prove to be an advantage here right beside the South China Sea.
In contrast to the men's tight finish, the returning women's winner,
Misiker Demissie was a minute and a half ahead of her pursuers in 2012; and
although her colleague Shitaye Gemechu has run four minutes faster, Gemechu
was well behind in second place last year. With Winfred Nyansikera of Kenya
returning also, last year's top trio could well be in the frame again.
Standard Chartered currently have eight events on their calendar, but at 17
years, Hong Kong was the first, and is one of the longest sponsorships in
world marathoning. Close to two decades have seen competitor numbers rise
from a thousand at the inaugural event to over 14000 for the marathon on
Sunday, and 72000 altogether, counting the ‘half' and 10k. The race is now
an IAAF Silver Label event, and prize money this year has also increased to
over a quarter of a million dollars.
The concurrent 14th Asian Championships (previously held here in 2002 and
2008) have made for an even more exotic collection of nationalities, with
runners from Kirghistan and Uzbekistan in the West, to the Philippines and
East Timor in the East, by way of Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, North
Korea, Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia, among others.
Kim Kum Ok of DPR of Korea should also be a contender for the open race.
According to her coach, who rejoices under the name of Kim Il Sung
(although the interpreter insisted it is pronounced slightly differently to
that of the defunct Dear Leader), Ms Kim is on good form, and eager to
repeat her victory here in 2008.
As for the men, and with apologies to Geordies the world over, it's not
very often you travel to Hong Kong and hear the words, "Newcastle is very
nice". Not having visited Ulaan Bator, I can't compare it with Ser-Od
Bat-Ochir's normal hang-out. But when the Mongolian was preparing for the
Olympic Games last year, he spent four months living with his wife's sister
in Gateshead, even becoming a member of one of the local clubs, Morpeth
Harriers. Nowadays, he trains in an equally exotic, but rather more
polluted city, Beijing.
Bat-Ochir's first marathon was here in Hong Kong in 2002; but with around
30 races under his shoe leather since then, and a best of 2.11.05 in Japan
last year, he is favourite for the Asian title; but whether he can combat
the East Africans remains to be seen.
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