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News06 Nov 2000


El Mouaziz scores runaway victory in New York

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El Mouaziz scores runaway victory in New York
James Dunaway for IAAF

5 November 2000 – New York - Abdelkader El Mouaziz of Morocco scored a runaway victory today in the men's division of the New York City Marathon, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 10 minutes 9 seconds, 2:22 ahead of runner-up Japhet Kosgei of Kenya. Ludmila Petrova of Russia won the women’s race in 2:25:45, 100 metres ahead of fast closing Franca Fiacconi of Italy, the 1998 winner. Runners fought swirling winds gusting to 25 miles/hr (40km/hr) for much of the way, with the temperature around 10 Celsius - usually good for marathoning, but uncomfortably cold when combined with the wind.

A squad of world-class pacers - including Joseph Kariuki, Domingo Ceron, and Robert Stefko - set a fast early pace, averaging about 4:50 per mile (3:01/km). At about 8 miles (12 km) Kenyan Jacob Losian, El Mouaziz and 1996 Olympic champion Josia Thugwane of South Africa broke away from the 30-man lead pack with a blazing 4:29 mile. Mouaziz kept the pressure on and going through the halfway point in 1:03:08 he had opened a 50-meter bulge on Thugwane (1:03:19) with Kenyans Kosgei, Noah Bor, Benson Mbithi and Benedict Kimondiu and Shadrack Hoff of South Africa another 15 seconds in arrears.

El Mouaziz never looked back after that. He continued to opened the gap steadily, and even after he slowed to an average of 5:17/mile (3:18/km) over the final 10,000 meters his margin kept widening; everybody else was moving even more slowly. Behind El Mouaziz were Japhet Kosgei of Kenya, in 2:12:30; Shem Kororia of Kenya, in 2:12:33; Elijah Korir of Kenya, 2:13:00; and Abraham Assefa of Ethiopia, 2:13:16. Two-time winners John Kagwe of Kenya and German Silva of Mexico were 10th and 14th respectively.

In the women's race, Petrova and Fiacconi headed the lead group for the first 8 miles (12km), where the women's field linked up with the men and 2:09.16 Russian male marathoner took over the pace-setting chores for the women. At the halfway mark (1:12:38), the lead group had dwindled to six - Fiacconi and Petrova, Hellen Kimutai and Florence Barsosio of Kenya, Sun Yingjie of china and Yuko Arimori of Japan. They stayed in a group for the next 10km, until with about 11 km to go Fiacconi dropped back (menstrual cramps, she explained after the race) while two-time winner Tegla Loroupe, 11th and 45 seconds behind at the half-marathon, began moving up.

Petrova surged in the 17th mile, covering it 5:18 (a 3:19/km pace) and again in the 19th mile, covering it in 5:12, the fastest mile of the race and equivalent to a 3:15 km, and in the 21st mile she and Kimaiyo broke away, with Loroupe moving past Fiacconi into third 20 seconds behind the two leaders. Loroupe got within 8 seconds of the lead, but as they entered Central Park with 5,000m to go Petrova slammed up the 200m hill and quickly opened up 30m on Kimaiyo.

Behind them, Loroupe's three Olympic races caught up with her as her legs went dead, while Fiacconi's troubles had passed and she was flying. But she couldn't catch quite catch Petrova. Okayo passed the spent Kimutai on the run-in for third with 2:26:26; Kimutai, next, was fourth in 2:26:42 and Florence Barsosio of Kenya, fifth in 2:27:00.

El Mouaziz, who was 7th at Sydney, won $65,000 for first plus a $10,000 bonus for breaking 2:11. Petrova, who didn't run in Sydney, did even better. Her time bonus for bettering 2:26 brought her $25,000 for a total of $90,000. Both won Pontiac Aztyek automobile and a Vespa scooter.

Men's top 10 NYC marathon

1, Abdelkader El Mouaziz, Morocco...............2:10:08
2, Japhet Kosgei, Kenya................................2:12:30
3, Shem Kororia, Kenya.................................2:12:33
4, Elijah Koror, Kenya....................................2:13:00
5, Abraham Assefa, Ethiopia..........................2:13:16
6, Josiah Thugwane, South Africa....................2:15:25
7, Yasuaki Yamamoto, Japan.........................2:15:37
8, Simon Bor, Kenya......................................2:16:23
9, Mathias Ntawurikura, Rwanda......................2:16:26
10, John Kagwe, Kenya...................................2:17:02

Women

1, Ludmila Petrova, Russia...............................2:25:45
2, Franca Fiacconi, Italy...................................2:26:03
3, Margaret Okayo, Kenya................................2:26:36
4, Hellen Kimutai, Kenya..................................2:26:42
5, Florence Barsosio, Kenya.............................2:27:00
6, Tegla Loroupe, Kenya...................................2:29:35
7, Sun Yingjie, China........................................2:30:13
8, Kerryn McCann, Australia............................. 2:30:39
9, Esther Kiplagat, Kenya..................................2:30:52
10, Yuko Arimori, Japan................................... 2:31:12

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