Alberico di Cecco wins the 2005 Rome Marathon (© Michele D'annibale)
Rome, ItalyAlberico Di Cecco smashed his personal best to win today’s 2005 Rome Marathon in a course record of 2:08:02. The race also featured two other athletes under the 2:09. Di Cecco’s previous PB was 2:08:53, while the old course record was held by Josephat Kiprono who ran 2:08:27 at the 2000 Rome Millenium Marathon.
The kenyan Philip Manym finished runner-up in 2:08:07 to beat his compatriot Daniel Yego, third in 2:08:16 in the first marathon of his career. Ottaviano Andriani was the second italian in an encouraging 2:10:12, one minute slower than his PB (2:09:07) set in Milan in 2001.
On the women side the Russian Silviya Skvortsova took the honours with a gun to tape race in 2:28:01. It is the first win in a big city marathon for the 30-year-old who ran her PB in 2:27:07 in London in 2002 where she finished seventh. Second was the italian Tiziana Alagia in 2:31:46.
MEN
The men’s race began at a fast pace (2:58 in the 2 km) thanks to the experienced pacemaking work of Angelo Carosi, the 1994 European 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist, who led the front-running group until the 15 km (45:45). Carosi finished his task after 15 km and at this point the second pacemaker Phillip Biwott from Kenya took over the task followed one second behind by a eight-men pack which included all the favourites including Daniel Yego, the italians Alberico Di Cecco, Francesco Ingargiola and the kenyans William Kwambai Kipchumba and Philip Manyim. Uganda’s Patrick Chumba and Ottaviano Andriani formed the chasing group with 45:47 after 15 km.
The perfect work made by the pacemakers in the first half of the race enabled the leading group to reach halfway in 1:04:30, well in line with the schedule agreed on the eve of the race. Di Cecco took the initiative with Ingargiola (a 2:08:48 italian top runner who came to the fore in Rome in 2000) and the kenyans Kipchumba, Biwott, Kipkosgei and Yego close on his heels.
The 1:16:30 split time at the 25 km indicated a final time of 2:09. Di Cecco remained in the lead until the 30 km (1:31:39) with Manyim and Yego. Andriani, who was one second behind the leading trio, was still in contention with 12 km to go.
Then at the 32 km the Kenyans launched their attack and established a noine seconds lead over Di Cecco with seven kilometres to go. But by 35km Yego had obtained a gap of 8 second over Manyim and of 17 over Di Cecco!
But in the next two kilometres the former 3000m steeplechaser Manyim closed the gap over Yego and managed to catch up by 37km, and Di Cecco’s confidence was also boosted as he also reduced the gap so that the Kenyans were just 7 seconds ahead of him. The italian, who finished a good ninth at the Athens Olympic Games caught up and past the Kenyan duo when the famous Coliseum was on the horizon.
Di Cecco’s win came after two previous third places in the eternal city in 2001 and 2003, the latter when he set his previous PB of 2:08:53. His today’s win in 2:08:02 makes the 30-year-old italian eligible for this summer’s IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.
Di Cecco’s time makes him the third fastest all-time in Italy behind Stefano Baldini (2:07:29 set in London 2002) and Giacomo Leone (2:07:52 set in Otsu in 2001). Di Cecco who is coached by Donato Chiavatti with the supervision of Luciano Gigliotti, is currently the second quickest in the early 2005 seasonal world list behind Toshinari Takaoka’s 2:07:41 run in Tokyo.
“I did not want to finish third in Rome again. I aimed at a new PB. When the last pacemaker dropped out I took the initiative because Manyim and Yego kept an irregular pace. After the 32 km Yego and Manyim tried to launch their attack. Their rhythm was very strong for me and for a while I feared not to be able to close the gap on them. I thought that the win was within my reach with 5 km to go”, commented Di Cecco.
WOMEN
The Russian Silviya Skvortsova ran a very steady race at a 3:30 pace from the first kilometres. The Italian Alagia (PB 2:27:53 set in Turin 2001) ran with the 30-year-old Russian in the first 5 km (17:36) but lost ground afterwards. At the 10km Skvortsova increased her lead over the 32-year-old Alagia who lost ground by 15km and was overhauled by the Ethiopians Abeba Tola (PB 2:29:54 in Amsterdam 2000 and third in Rome in 2003) and Tafa Magarsa Assale. By 15km (52:46) Skvortsova had more than one minute lead over the Ethiopian pair. Alagia recovered and was back in second position at halfway, but more than one minute adrift Skvortsova.
The win was never under threat for Skvortsova, who increased her lead over Alagia to 1:41 by 25 km (1:27:47) and by more than three minutes at 35km (2:02:49). She crossed the finish line in 2:28:01.
“I feel overwhelmed but I did not really realise that I was winning until when I saw the Coliseum. I am excited after the first important win of my career. Two weeks ago I finished second at the World’s Best 10 km race in Puerto Rico behind Lornah Kiplagat in 32:43 and this indicated that I was in very good shape before the race”, said Skvortsova who comes from the Ural mountain region and trains five months a year in Philadelphia.
Overall the event attracted 10,000 entries, a figure which sets a new record of participants for an Italian marathon.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
Results of the Rome Marathon:
Men:
1 Alberico Di Cecco (Italy) 2:08:02
2 Philip Manyim (Kenya) 2:08:07
3 Daniel Yego (Kenya) 2:08:16
4 Ottaviano Andriani (Italy) 2:10:12
5 Dawi Trfe Tefera (Ethiopia) 2:11:02
6 Nigusse Degene (Ethiopia) 2:11:29
7 Francesco Ingargiola (Italy) 2:12:24
8 William Kipchumba (Kenya) 2:12:36
9 Samuel Kemboi Chemweno (Kenya) 2:12:52
10 David Maiyo (Kenya) 2:13:00
Women:
1 Silviya Skvortsova (Russia) 2:28:01
2 Tiziana Alagia (Italy) 2:31:46
3 Assale Tafa Magarsa (Ethiopia) 2:32:34
4 Abeba Tola (Ethiopia) 2:34:11
5 Edyta Lewansowska (Polonia) 2:35:43
