Ottaviano Andriani and Daniele Caimmi crossing the line side-by-side in Treviso (© Alberto Zorzi)
Italy's Ottaviano Andriani and Daniele Caimmi crossed the finish line shoulder-by-shoulder at the Treviso Marathon on Sunday (14), each clocking 2:12:49. Together they will fly to Barcelona next August to run the Marathon at the European Championships as well.
Andriani won the race in a photofinish, but they did not even seem to sprint. They have been friends for long time, they have a internet site in common, and both trained with former Olympic champion Stefano Baldini for a month in Kenya between January and February.
The goal for both was to clock around 2:11. Andriani, born in 1974, had not run a Marathon since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing; Caimmi, born in 1972, has run just five marathons and fought against many injuries after the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Led by Kenyan rabbits Abraham Talam and Hillary Bii the leading pack reduced immediately to three contenders for the win: Caimmi, Andriani and Italy's Morocco-born Mostafa Errebbah, who was second last year in Treviso. They reached halfway a little slower than planned (1:05:57), so at 25km Caimmi tried to move.
He pushed Bii to a 15:25 split between 25 and 30km and at that point his advantage on Andriani was about 20 seconds. However when Bii finished his work at 31km, the leader slowed down and at 36km Andriani caught him again. He tried many times to drop Caimmi, but couldn't, until the final straight.
They were clocked the same time of 2:12:49, the best race in the last three seasons for both. Errebbah faded and closed in 2:16:31. Luciano Gigliotti, Baldini's coach and Italian marathon director, followed from a car the whole race.
"I had not run a marathon for two years, so today I suffered very much," Andriani said. "The weather was perfect, just the wind was a little problem. I thank Daniele because we worked a lot in Kenya. I think I can do something good in Barcelona."
Ethiopia's Amelework Bosho won the women's race, demolishing her PB by four minutes. She closed in 2:33:09.
In the beginning, Rwanda's pre-race favourite Epiphanie Nyrabarame pushed the pace, crossing 10km alone in 35:06. However at 15km she was very fatigued and Bosho took the lead. At halfway the Ethiopian clocked a fast 1:15:39, but at 24km she was caught by Kenya's Emily Chepkorir.
Bosho made her move at 32km and won with by more than two minutes over Chepkorir. Last year's winner, Italian reigning champion Laura Giordano, was third running just 16 seconds slower than in 2009.
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Leading results -
Men -
1. Ottaviano Andriani ITA 2:12:49
2. Daniele Caimmi ITA 2:12:49
3. Mostafa Errebbah ITA 2:16:31
4. Taoufique El Barhoumi MAR 2:18:58
5. Hermann Achmueller ITA 2:18:59
6. Filippo Lo Piccolo ITA 2:19:25
Women -
1. Amelework F. Bosho ETH 2:33:09
2. Emily P. Chepkorir KEN 2:35:37
3. Laura Giordano ITA 2:35:52
Andriani won the race in a photofinish, but they did not even seem to sprint. They have been friends for long time, they have a internet site in common, and both trained with former Olympic champion Stefano Baldini for a month in Kenya between January and February.
The goal for both was to clock around 2:11. Andriani, born in 1974, had not run a Marathon since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing; Caimmi, born in 1972, has run just five marathons and fought against many injuries after the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Led by Kenyan rabbits Abraham Talam and Hillary Bii the leading pack reduced immediately to three contenders for the win: Caimmi, Andriani and Italy's Morocco-born Mostafa Errebbah, who was second last year in Treviso. They reached halfway a little slower than planned (1:05:57), so at 25km Caimmi tried to move.
He pushed Bii to a 15:25 split between 25 and 30km and at that point his advantage on Andriani was about 20 seconds. However when Bii finished his work at 31km, the leader slowed down and at 36km Andriani caught him again. He tried many times to drop Caimmi, but couldn't, until the final straight.
They were clocked the same time of 2:12:49, the best race in the last three seasons for both. Errebbah faded and closed in 2:16:31. Luciano Gigliotti, Baldini's coach and Italian marathon director, followed from a car the whole race.
"I had not run a marathon for two years, so today I suffered very much," Andriani said. "The weather was perfect, just the wind was a little problem. I thank Daniele because we worked a lot in Kenya. I think I can do something good in Barcelona."
Ethiopia's Amelework Bosho won the women's race, demolishing her PB by four minutes. She closed in 2:33:09.
In the beginning, Rwanda's pre-race favourite Epiphanie Nyrabarame pushed the pace, crossing 10km alone in 35:06. However at 15km she was very fatigued and Bosho took the lead. At halfway the Ethiopian clocked a fast 1:15:39, but at 24km she was caught by Kenya's Emily Chepkorir.
Bosho made her move at 32km and won with by more than two minutes over Chepkorir. Last year's winner, Italian reigning champion Laura Giordano, was third running just 16 seconds slower than in 2009.
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Leading results -
Men -
1. Ottaviano Andriani ITA 2:12:49
2. Daniele Caimmi ITA 2:12:49
3. Mostafa Errebbah ITA 2:16:31
4. Taoufique El Barhoumi MAR 2:18:58
5. Hermann Achmueller ITA 2:18:59
6. Filippo Lo Piccolo ITA 2:19:25
Women -
1. Amelework F. Bosho ETH 2:33:09
2. Emily P. Chepkorir KEN 2:35:37
3. Laura Giordano ITA 2:35:52
