News01 Jan 2010


Ethiopian sweep in Peuerbach

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Günther Weidlinger at the 2009 Vienna City Marathon (© VCM/Victah Sailer)

Ethiopians Abere Chane and AsmeraWorkBekele Wolkeba took the wins at Austria’s most prestigious Silvester Race in Peuerbach on New Year’s Eve.

Twenty-five-year old Chane had to fight until the very last stages to beat Austrian Günther Weidlinger by a mere two metres. Both were timed at 18:49 over the 6.8 kilometre course and came within three seconds of the course record set by Richard Limo. Aberu Kuma, recently third at the Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa, took third place in 19:18.

Chane went out hard from the beginning and led a group of five with Weidlinger 40 metres adrift. Weidlinger, 31, who has seven victories at his home race in Peuerbach to his credit, worked his way forward and challenged Chane until the very end.

Weidlinger in second place felt no disappointment. “This was my best time at this race for several years,” he said. “This is very promising as I am now concentrating on the marathon.” The Austrian national record holder from 1500m to the Marathon (2:10:47 in October in Frankfurt) has his next outing at the classical distance set for the Vienna City Marathon on 18 April.

In the womens race over 5.1 kilometres young Ethiopian Asmera-Work-Bekele Wolkeba won decisively, clocking 16:25. The 18-year-old was clearly ahead of Svetlana Kouhan from Belarus (16:39) and Hungarian Livia Toth (16:43).

Top Austrian Andrea Mayr made a fine comeback in fourth place following an accident when cycling in Vienna. The prolific mountain runner and national record holder in the marathon (2:30:43 in Vienna 2009) collided with a truck. However, a broken collarbone did not stop her fighting spirit to make her way back. Mayr clocked 16:46, two seconds ahead of promising middle distance runner Jennifer Wenth.

Andreas Maier (ÖLV) for the IAAF
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