Helena Javornik (SLO) breaking the tape in Treviso (© Alberto Zorzi)
Slovenia's Helena Javornik set one of the best times ever for an athlete over 40 years of age when winning Sunday's (30) 5th edition of the Treviso Marathon in 2:28:36. In the men's race Italy's Denis Curzi dropped his last rival with a couple kilometres to go to repeat his 2005 victory, this time running 2:13:27. The warm weather - 17 C. degrees at the start, 25 at the finish - made the races difficult.
Javornik - Hoping for 40+ record at halfway
The 42-year-old Slovenian didn't hide from organisers that she was in very good shape, as she had shown winning Vienna Half Marathon three weeks ago with 1:11:54. However nobody could imagine such a strong race. She pushed hard from the very beginning, running shoulder to shoulder with countrymate Mitja Kosovelj, her male "rabbit".
She crossed 10km in 34:29 and halfway in 1:13:10, a record pace. In 1987 Priscilla Welch, at that time 42-year-old as well, ran in London a stunning 2:26:51, which has been considered as the fastest time ever run by a woman over 40.
But the pace was too fast and she paid for it later.
"The first 10km were probably too fast," she admitted after the race. "I struggled very much in the last part." She also missed the course record, set by Ethiopia's Shitaye Gemechu in 2007 with 2:28:03, which would be paid with a 2,000 euros bonus. She earned a 7,000 euros prize in what was her 17th win in a marathon in career. "I never had doubts about my win," she added.
His biggest pre-race rival, Italy's Rosalba Console, was already 2:35 behind at halfway, and finally dropped out at 30km when Javornik's advantage was almost 4 minutes. Console had come back to the marathon just 5 months after giving birth to her first daughter Francesca (11 October 2007). The father is Daniele Caimmi, another of Italy's top Marathon runners.
Italy's Laura Giordano, who also races in duathlon and triathlon competition, took the second spot on the podium with 2:37:36, a strong PB by more than 4 minutes. Ethiopia's Sisay Measo repeated last year's 3rd place.
Javornik also ran to a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She has already run an Olympic Marathon in 1996 in Atlanta, but was at the beginning of her career at the distance and closed just in 53rd.
Curzi - Two wins in 4 appearances
At the 2005 Treviso Marathon Curzi made his move at 37km and crossed the finish line with a time of 2:11:37. One year later he set his PB 2:11:17, but was just 4th, like in the 1st edition in 2003. This time he almost waited until the 40km mark to launch his attack and catch her second win in four starts in Treviso.
After a good pace in the beginning (31:12 at 10km, 1:05:47 at half marathon), the race turned into a tactical one. "I feared the heat," Curzi said after the race. "In my last races I always had some problems in the final, so I remained in the front, but without taking the pace."
It was little-known Kenyan Peter Lomuria who tried something at 36km but Curzi just followed him.
"I was very satisfied as I set my new PB," the Kenyan said. He is 35, but before this race he had run a PB in Eindhoven 2006 in 2:21:32. Samson Kosgei, a pre-race favourite since he won the Florence Marathon in 2005, caught a disappointing 3rd place.
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Selected results -
Men's race -
1. Denis Curzi, ITA, 2:13:27
2. Peter Lomuria, KEN, 2:13:47
3. Samson Kosgei, KEN, 2:15:10
4. Kenneth Kiptoo, KEN, 2:15:39
5. Joshua Kipchumba Rop, KEN, 2:16:41
6. Said Boudalia, ITA, 2:17:14
7. Clint Verran, USA, 2:17:51
8. Hermann Achmuller, ITA, 2:19:50
Women's race -
1. Helena Javornik, SLO, 2:28:36
2. Laura Giordano, ITA, 2:37:36
3. Arsedi Sisay Measo, ETH, 2:42:26
Javornik unofficial split:
5km - 17:20
10km - 34:29 (17:09)
15km - 51:58 (17:29)
21.097km - 1:13:10 (21:12)
25km - 1:26:54 (13:44)
30km - 1:44:25 (17:31)
35km - 2:02:02 (17:37)
40km - 2:20:32 (18:30)
finish - 2:28:36
