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News07 Oct 2001


Ndereba caps historic week for marathon

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Len Ziehm (Reuters)
7 October 2001 - Chicago - Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba capped an historic week in women’s marathon running on Sunday when she took 59 seconds off the world best, clocking two  - hours 18 minutes 47 seconds in Chicago.

The previous best of 2:19:46 was set by Japan’s Naoko Takahashi in Berlin last weekend - the first time a woman had broken the 2:20 barrier.

Ndereba, the defending Chicago champion, had talked of setting a new mark before the race and she described her performance as a “dream” after crossing the line.

“I was surprised and thanked God that I had run under 2:19.  This was my first race in very cold weather, the very coldest for me.”

As was the case in Berlin, Kenyan men finished 1-2-3 with a rabbit (or paceman) winning. Ben Kimondiu was hired to set up five-time world cross country champion Paul Tergat but instead he won the race in 2:08:52.

Ndereba, who also won April’s Boston Marathon, broke away from the pack just before halfway and never relinquished the lead.

Her closest pursuer was Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia, who finished second in 2:24:54. Kerryn McCann of Australia finished third in 2:26:04.

Before the race the Kenyan had said: “I think the record will start to come down as it has in the men’s race. In a few years you could see women running 2:18.”

Chicago has now produced the men’s and women’s world bests in the marathon. Khalid Khannouchi, a native Moroccan who now competes for the U.S., set the men’s world mark in the city when he ran 2:05:42 in 1999.

The world record holder did not compete this year in the men’s race.

Tergat ignored the four pace men who slowed down at the 14-mile mark. Tergat caught Kimondiu and they ran together until the final mile.

Kimondiu spurted briefly, and Tergat could not keep up. He finished second, four seconds behind, and Peter Githuka of Kenya finished third, four seconds behind Tergat.

“Of course I’m surprised. It was a big day for me,” Kimondiu said. “At the start I didn’t have any idea I could win the race.  I kept going because I wanted to run a good time.”

Kimondiu and Tergat were running their second marathons.  Kimondiu was second in Los Angeles and Tergat second in London in April.

“I thought he was going to stop but he kept pressing, pressing,” Tergat said. “With three miles to go I knew he was going to finish.

“I’m still learning the tactics of marathons, and I have to learn them because I’m a marathoner now. I have nothing more to prove on the track or in cross country.

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