News16 Sep 2008


Kelai-Jufar re-match in Toronto Marathon

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Jufar leads Kelai in Mumbai in January 2008 (© MarathonPhotos.com)

The promise of an excellent re-match between 31-year-old returning champion, John Kelai of Kenya, and 24-year-old Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia, highlights the strongest-ever men’s field announced for the 9th edition of the for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to be run on 28 September.  The race is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.

Kelai is an athlete who knows how to win

Kelai created major excitement across Canada last year when he triumphed in a thrilling, come-from-behind, sprint to the line over fellow countryman Daniel Rono. His time of 2:09:30 was the fastest marathon ever on Canadian soil. It eclipsed the previous All-comers mark of 2:09:55 that had stood for 31 years since the Montreal Olympics in 1976 -- run 4 months before Kelai was born. Kelai and Rono made Scotia Toronto Waterfront one of only four sub 2:10 marathons in North America in 2007 and helped propel the event into the top ranks of world marathons with the awarding of an IAAF Silver Label for 2008.

Since last autumn, Kelai has maintained his winning ways, running to victory in Mumbai for the second year in a row, in January. Again, he used his patented strong finish to defeat a young Ethiopian, Tariku Jufar, by a scant 5 seconds, 2:12:23 to 2:12:28. This was only 20 seconds off the course record at Mumbai and reminiscent of his thrilling, 6-second victory at Toronto Waterfront ‘07. Jufar then went on to record an impressive 2:08:11, for 3rd place in Hamburg in April. Daniel Rono was 2nd place again, in Rotterdam this Spring, but in a remarkable 2:06:58. Jufar now has the time, but no victories.

Kelai clearly knows how to win.  “I am training hard for Toronto Waterfront and will be ready to defend my title, and run a new PB (2:09:09, Eindhoven 2005),” says Kelai. 

Thanks to Scotiabank sponsorship, the Toronto Waterfront prize purse has been increased again for 2008, to $20,000 for first place, with money going down to 8th in the Open division. There are extra $20,000 cash bonuses for new “fastest time on Canadian soil” records that were so alluring last year-- now sub 2:09:30 for men and sub 2:26:01 for women. The men’s bonus will be increased to $25,000 if the new mark is under 2:09:00. The total purse is just over $180,000, plus time bonuses.

The increased purse and growing reputation of the flat, fast, Waterfront course as a place where young up-and-comers can get a fast time, have attracted the event’s deepest men’s field to date. Besides Kelai, Kenya will be well represented by Peter Kiprotich, Jonathan Yego, Phillip Sanga, Kenneth Mungara, David Tarus and Samuel Ndereba.

The 29-year old Kiprotich, from Iten, ran his PB of 2:08:49 last October in Frankfurt, placing third. Yego, just 30 years old, won Rome on a windy morning this March in his best time of 2:09:58 -- winning a good battle with Sanga who was 2nd in 2:10:02. The 27 year-old Tarus was 6th at Rome in a best of 2:11:18. Mungara also knows how to win, crossing the line first in Prague in May, after a 2:10:37 for 2nd at Tiberius in January. Samuel Ndereba, younger brother of Olympic silver medallist Catherine “The Great”, has run only one previous marathon, a 2:17:04 for 9th in the “monsoon” that was Boston ’07, where Robert K. Cheruiyot ran 2:14 for victory. Ndereba’s 61:50 half PB, and good, build-up performances at Falmouth and The Crim this summer suggest he is ready to run in the sub-2:10 pack.

Besides Jufar, Ethiopia will also be represented by Amersisa Ketema who finally faded to 4th in Mumbai (2:13:29) in January, behind Kelai and Jufar, after staying with them until a decisive incline at 35k.

Alan Brookes for the IAAF

For entries and information, go to www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com

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