Benjamin Kiptoo breaks the tape with a PB 2:09:23 in Brescia (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Brescia, ItalyThe sixth edition of the Telemarket Brescia Art Marathon revealed a new name: Benjamin Kolum Kiptoo who took the win in 2:09:23, missing the course record of 2:09:17 set by Mathew Sigei in the first edition in 2003.
The Brescia race has already revealed emerging stars in the past, such as 2006 winner James Kwambai who went on to finish second in Boston in 2007.
Kiptoo, who finished fourth in Brescia last year, showed a very good form in the final kilometres to cross the finish line in 2:09:23, improving his previous PB by three minutes. He ran his previous career best at the Lausanne Marathon on a difficult course in 2:12:24.
A six-man group of Kenyan athletes, led by pacemakers Paul Ngeny Kipkemboi and Paul Lopio Lomol, went through the 10 km mark in 30:53. The leading pack passed the halfway mark in 1:04:55 and 25 km in 1:16:53.
Last year’s Florence Marathon winner Paul Ngeny Kipkemboi, who ran the first 30 km as a test for his next attempt over the Marathon distance in Prague on 11 May, finished his pace making task at 30 km as planned.
After 30 km last year’s Carpi Marathon winner Noah Kiplagat and Kiptoo pushed hard pulling away from the rest of the field. Kiptoo broke away from Kiplagat at 35 km building a gap of about 10 metres when he was well inside a sub-2:10 pace.
Kiptoo ran faster in the second half of the race (1:04:40 from 21 km to the end) and in the 38th km he was 200 metres ahead of Noah Serem Kiplagat. He ran the final kilometre in 2:57 which enabled him to smash the 2:10 barrier.
Kiptoo trains in the same group as last week’s Flora London Marathon winner Martin Lel and is guided by Claudio Berardelli.
“I knew that Benjamin was in good form,” said Berardelli, who also guided Janeth Jepkosgei to the 800m World Championships title in Osaka last year. “I think that he can run 2:08 against a stronger opposition. Brescia may be a springboard event for him. A friend of Martin Lel introduced him to my training camp.”
“I did not expect this fast time at all but I knew that my training was going on well,” Kiptoo said. “I hope that I will be able to run faster in my next race. The course was not very hard. I realized that I could win at 38 km.”
Ornella Ferrara won the women’s race in a new course record of 2:34:47 after running alone in the lead from the beginning, but missed the 2:30 qualifying time for the Olympic Games in Bejing. Ferrara, a former World Championships bronze medallist in Gothemburg 1995, was assisted for most of the race by her husband Corrado Bado (a 2:20 Marathon runner). Ferrara, who celebrated her 40th birthday on Thursday, passed the halfway mark in 1:16 running slower than she had hoped for before the race.
“I have a special relationship with the organizers and I hoped to run 2:30 to qualify for Bejing but I felt heavy - legged from the beginning,” said Ferrara. “I had to run faster in the first half. Thanks to the support of my husband and a group of friends I found the strength to finish the race.”
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
Leading Results:
Men –
1. Benjamin Kolum Kiptoo (Kenya) 2:09:23
2. Noah Kiplagat Serem (Kenya) 2:11:49
3. Josphat Kipkurui Ngetich (Kenya) 2:17:09
Women -
1. Ornella Ferrara (Italy) 2:34:47
2. Federica Ballarini (Italy) 2:55:20
