Nagarsa Askale Tafa winning the Milano marathon (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Kenya’s Benson Kipchumba Cherono claimed victory in the Samsung Milano City Marathon dipping under 2:08 with 2:07:58 making the Milan race the fastest Italian marathon in 2006.
Cherono, who has already won two big marathons in Beijing 2005 and Los Angeles 2006, smashed the course record held by Daniel Cheribo who ran 2:08:38 in 2004. Also under the previous best mark was Benson Kipchumba Barus who crossed the finish-line in 2:08:33.
In a good-quality race held in sunny and warm weather conditions Joseph Ngeny, who started as a pacemaker, decided to continue until the end finishing in third place in 2:09:27.
In the women’s race twenty-two-year old Askale Magarsa Tafa of Ethiopia improved her previous career best winning in 2:27:57 ahead of last year’s winner Hellen Kimaiyo Kimutai, second in 2:28:51. Third was Kenya’s Anne Kosgei in 2:32:55.
Men’s race
Three designated pacemakers Paul Kimugul (winner of this year’s Stramilano), Evans Cheruyiot (second in 59:29 in the Berlin Half Marathon and 60:18 winning time in the Udine Half Marathon) and Joseph Ngeny set a fast pace in the first 10km (30:13).
Reigning Olympic and European champion Stefano Baldini ran with the leading Kenyan group in the first 23km in an important test one month before the New York Marathon scheduled on 5 November.
The pace setters continued to run a fast pace (15 km in 45:34) closely followed by Barus, Cherono and Baldini.
The Italian star finished his test at 23 km. “It was a very good run. Last week I did not perform as I had hoped for in the Great North Run. After 5km I felt empty. But this week I made an important training session completing a long run of 38km and I had a very good feeling. I wanted to make a good training session testing my shape in a real race situation against the Africans. I wanted to run 1:04 at halfway and I fulfilled my goal. I confirm that the Milan course is very fast and ideal for world-level performances” said Baldini.
A trio formed by Ngeny, Cherono and Barus took the lead at 25km. The three Kenyans ran at a steady pace passing 25km in 1:15:39 and 30km in 1:30:50 (3:02 for each km).
At 35km (1:46:06) Cherono and Barus pulled away from Ngeny who was dropped by 8 seconds. Barus, who was running the first marathon of his career, pushed the pace launching a first attack at 36km but Cherono responded soon closing the gap.
A neck to neck battle between Cherono and Barus developed in the final kilometres. Barus tried again at 38km to distance Cherono with a second kick. However Barus pushed too hard and probably inexperience over the marathon distance cost him the victory. Cherono injected a fast split in 2:58 between 40 and 41 km pulling away from Barus.
Cherono increased his lead over Barus to 11 seconds in the final km securing the victory in 2:07:58, the second fastest time ever recorded on Italian soil after Simeretu Alemayhu’s 2:07:45 in Turin in 2001. Cherono ran faster than his compatriot David Mandango Kipkorir who won the Rome Marathon in 2:08:38, the previous best time for an Italian marathon set in 2006.
The 22-year-old Kenyan lowered by 42 seconds his previous PB of 2:08:40 set in Los Angeles in 2006.
“I could have run faster. But on the eve of the race I suffered from a back problem. For this reason when Barus attacked I waited before responding. I am happy with my new PB. The race was nice. It was very well organized”, said Cherono who was born in Baringo on 30 June 1984 and had a previous PB of 2:08:40 set in Los Angeles 2006.
Barus, the 1998 World junior champion at 10,000 metres, was also very happy with his debut over the distance after a successful road race career which includes three consecutive wins in the famous Giro Podistico di Castelbuono in Sicily (2000, 2001 and 2002).
“I like running in Italy. This year I am focusing my training on the marathon. I will return running over this distance in spring,” said Barus, who hails from Nakuru, a fascinating region near the Nakuru lake.
“Cherono, Barus and Ngeny are very good friends, they train together in the same camp and prepared for this marathon in St. Moritz. Cherono and Barus belong to the Tugen tribe, the same as Paul Tergat,” said manager Federico Rosa.
Women’s race
The women’s race developed into a battle between Ethiopian Magarsa Askale Tafa and Kenyans Hellen Kimutai, Anne Kosgei and Fridah Lodepa who passed the 10km mark in 35:06 and the 15km in 52:45 (3:32 for each km).
At halfway Tafa remained in contention with Kimutai and Kosgei. They still ran at 3:30 for each km for a 1:14:10 at halfway.
The Ethiopian launched a first kick at 32km. After pushing hard the Ethiopian managed to drop Kimutai at 35km. The 28-year-old Kenyan, who gave birth to four children (two twins) and was paced by her husband in the first part of the race, suffered from a leg injury at 32km and could not respond to the second attack of the young Ethiopian which proved to be decisive.
Tafa secured the win smashing her PB from 2:28:27 (set in 2005 when she finished third in Berlin) to 2:27:57. It was the third marathon of the season for Tafa, who finished runner-up in the Arizona Marathon in Tempe on 15 January in 2:31:46. Later in the year she was fourth in the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, where she was beaten by Hellen Kimutai, who crossed the finish-line in second place in 2:28:44.
This time it was the Ethiopian who prevailed over the Kenyan.
“Magarsa trains with a group of young Ethiopians which also includes Tariku Bekele. She is married to an athlete. After Milan she will run a spring marathon and possibly the World Championships in Osaka,” said Federico Rosa.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
Results of the Samsung Milano City Marathon
Men:
1 Benson Kipchmba Cherono (Kenya) 2:07:58
2 Benson Kipchumba Barus (Kenya) 2:08:33
3 Joseph Ngeny (Kenya) 2:09:27
4 Frank Caldera (Brazil) 2:14:05
5 Assefa Mezgebu Woldeyes (Ethiopia) 2:15:16
6 Bedye Melaku Kebebew (Ethiopia) 2:16:01
Women:
1 Magarsa Askale Tafa (Ethiopia) 2:27:57
2 Hellen Kimaiyo Kimutai (Kenya) 2:28:51
3 Anne Kosgei (Kenya) 2:32:55
4 Fridah Lodepa (Kenya) 2:42:46
