FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wanjiru, Mikitenko Win Flora London Marathon and Extend
Lead on World Marathon Majors 2008-09 Leaderboard
LONDON, April 26, 2009 - Olympic gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya and
Irina Mikitenko of Germany scored victories at the 2009 Flora London
Marathon today to extend their leads in the 2008-09 World Marathon Majors
(WMM) series. Wanjiru held off the other podium winners from last summer's
Beijing Olympics, in establishing a course record and recording a personal
best time of 2:05:10. For Mikitenko, her time of 2:22:11 was a
comfortable 1:01 over runner-up Mara Yamauchi, of Great Britain. Wanjiru
and Mikitenko now have commanding 35 point leads on their respective
leaderboards.
The Flora London Marathon was the second of six races in the series. At the
conclusion of the two-year series this fall, the male and female point
leaders will each be awarded $500,000.
Wanjiru beat runner-up Tsegay Kebede of Ethiopia (2:05:20) by 10 seconds,
while Olympic silver medalist Jaouad Gharib (MAR) was third in London in
2:05:27. Both Kebede and Gharib also set personal records on Sunday.
Wanjiru led a group of men on world record pace for much of the race.
Mikitenko and Yamauchi separated themselves early in the race from a chase
back, but Mikitenko's strength and experience proved to be the deciding
factors as she pulled away at the 1:50:00 mark into her race. Mikitenko won
the women's World Marathon Majors Series last year, and she entered London
as the race's defending champion. Also the reigning real,-Berlin Marathon
champion, Mikitenko now has a 35 point lead over Dire Tune (ETH), who is
second place in the standings.
Behind Wanjiru (65 points), Boston's current champion Deriba Merga (30
pts.) is in second place on the 2008-‘09 World Marathon Majors leaderboard.
Last year's London champion and reigning World Marathon Series champion
Martin Lel is in third place (26 points). Lel was forced to withdraw from
today's field prior to the start due to injury.
The top five men's and women's finishers from today's Flora London Marathon
will be included on the 2008-09 WMM leaderboard, as well as joining last
weekend's top finishers at the Boston Marathon in opening the 2009-10 WMM
series.
WMM series points are collected for top five finishes with 25 points for
first place, 15 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth and 1 for fifth. The
WMM series features a $1 million purse with $500,000 for the men's and
women's champions.
The current year's WMM series will continue this summer at the IAAF World
Track & Field Championships in Berlin in August. The fall season will kick
off at the real- BERLIN-MARATHON on September 20, followed by the Bank of
America Chicago Marathon on October 11, and the series finale at the ING
New York City Marathon on November 1.
For complete and updated biographies of World Marathon Marathon points
leaders, go to www.worldmarathonmajors.com
2008-09 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD
MEN
1. Sammy Wanjiru (KEN), 65 pts.
2. Deriba Merga (ETH), 30 pts.
3. Martin Lel (KEN), 26 pts.
4. Marilson Gomes dos Santos (BRA), 25 pts.
4. Evans Cheruiyot (KEN), 25 pts.
4. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 25 pts.
4. Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN), 25 pts.
4. Daniel Rono (KEN), 25 pts.
4. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 25 pts.
4. Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 25 pts.
4. Tsegay Kebede (ETH), 25 pts.
12. Abderrahime Bouramdane (MAR), 16 pts.
13. James Kwambai (KEN), 15 pts.
13. David Mandago Kipkorir (KEN), 15 pts.
15. Ryan Hall (USA), 11 pts.
15. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 11 pts.
17. Timothy Cherigat (KEN), 10 pts.
17. Charles Kamathi (KEN), 10 pts.
17. Khalid el Boumlili (MAR), 10 pts.
20. Gashaw Melese Asfaw (ETH), 5 pts.
20. Martin Lauret (NED), 5 pts.
20. Mariko Kipchumba (KEN), 5 pts.
20. Paul Tergat (KEN), 5 pts.
24. Tekeste Kebede (ETH), 5 pts.
25. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN), 1 pt.
25. Mesefin Adimasu (ETH), 1 pt.
25. Kasime Adillo (ETH), 1 pt.
25. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 1 pt.
WOMEN
1. Irina Mikitenko (GER), 75 pts.
2. Dire Tune (ETH), 40 pts.
3. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 30 pts.
3. Alevtina Biktimirova (RUS), 30 pts.
3. Constantina Dita (ROU), 30 pts.
6. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS), 25 pts.
6. Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 25 pts.
8. Kara Goucher (USA), 20 pts.
8. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS), 20 pts.
10. Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 16 pts.
10. Askale Tafa Magarsa (ETH), 16 pts.
10. Ludmila Petrova (RUS), 16 pts.
13. Rita Jeptoo (KEN), 15 pts.
13. Mara Yamauchi (GBR), 15 pts.
15. Helena Kiprop (KEN), 11 pts.
16. Chunxiu Zhou (CHN), 10 pts.
16. Gete Wami (ETH), 10 pts.
16. Kiyoko Shimahara (JPN), 10 pts.
16. Liliya Shobukova (RUS), 10 pts.
20. Bezunesh Bekele (ETH), 5 pts.
20. Rose Cheruiyot (KEN), 5 pts.
20. Xiaolin Zhu (CHN), 5 pts.
20. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), 5 pts.
24. Desiree Davila (USA), 1 pt.
24. Gulnara Vigovskaya (RUS), 1 pt.
24. Martha Komu (KEN), 1 pt.
24. Berhane Adere (ETH), 1 pt.
2009-10 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD
MEN
1. Deriba Merga (ETH), 25 pts.
1. Samuel Wanjiru (KEN), 25 pts.
3. Daniel Rono (KEN), 15 pts.
3. Tsegay Kebede (ETH), 15 pts.
5. Ryan Hall (USA), 10 pts.
5. Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 10 pts.
7. Tekeste Kebede (ETH), 5 pts.
7. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 5 pts.
9. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN), 1 pt.
9. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 1 pt.
WOMEN
1. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 25 pts.
1. Irina Mikitenko (GER), 25 pts.
3. Dire Tune (ETH), 15 pts.
3. Mara Yamauchi (GBR), 15 pts.
5. Kara Goucher (USA), 10 pts.
5. Liliya Shobukova (RUS), 10 pts.
7. Bezunesh Bekele (ETH), 5 pts.
7. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS), 5 pts.
9. Helena Kirop (KEN), 1 pt.
9. Berhane Adere (ETH), 1 pt.
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