Moses Mosop, 2:05:37 course record in Chicago (© Getty Images)
Rotterdam, The Netherlands - With a broad smile Kenyan Moses Mosop, the World record holder on the track for 25,000 and 30,000 metres, presented himself at the pre-race press conference yesterday ahead of Sunday’s 32nd edition of the ABN-AMRO Rotterdam Marathon.
The ABN-AMRO Rotterdam Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.
Mosop, 26, nicknamed by his countrymen as “The Big Engine’’, told his audience that “I have seen the course some five weeks ago and I am certain on this flat, very fast course it is possible to break the World record time of 2:03.38 of my countryman Patrick Makau which he set in Berlin last September.”
“I am well prepared and when the weather is ok I think wonderful things are possible.’’
It will be Mosop’s third outing at the marathon distance. He debuted a year ago in Boston at the classical distance with 2:03:06 well inside Makau’s current World record, finishing second to countryman Geoffrey Mutai, whose 2:03:02 could not be recognised as a World record as Boston has a point to point course and is downhill. Mosop then reconfirmed his talent by winning last autumn’s Chicago marathon in 2:05:37.
Favourite Mosop will be in very good company with his countrymen Sammy Kitwara and Peter Kirui, who were sitting next to him during yesterday’s press conference.
Kitwara, 25, will run his first marathon. He was the bronze medallist at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and has a personal best of 58:48 for the half distance. “I have been two times a pace maker in Rotterdam. I know the course is extremely fast and I am prepared very well. Moses Mosop and I have with Renato Canova the same coach as Mosop. We are good friends,” said Kitwara
Peter Kirui, 24, will run his second career marathon. Last October he debuted in Frankfurt with 2:06:31.
The ‘dark horses’ in the race are four Ethiopians: Getu Feleke (2:05:44, winner of Amsterdam 2010) and Yemane Adhane (2:06:29) and two 22-year-olds Tilahun Regassa and Lelisa Desisa who will be running their first marathon.
Kenyan Stephen Kibet will be another mystery man in the race. The 25-year-old East African was the impressive winner of the ABN-AMRO City-Pier-City Half Marathon in The Hague a month ago in 58:54, the second fastest time this year.
WOMEN – Italian veteran to challenge Ethiopian favourites
Ethiopia has the favourites in the women’s race. Tiki Gelana, 24, is with her personal best of 2:22:08 the fastest in the field. Last year October she won with that time the Amsterdam marathon. Her young compatriot Merima Hasen, 19, will be a dangerous contender for Gelana.
There is also a very interesting European challenger for honours. The performances of Valeria Straneo a 36-year-old Italian mother of two, improved spectacularly after the removal of her spleen in 2010. Last year she ran six personal bests and especially her Half Marathon (1:09:42) and Marathon (2:26:33) were impressive. She improved her PB at the Half Marathon to 1:08:48 when winning the famous Stramilano on 25 March.
The weather forecast for Sunday (start marathon 10.30 hrs) is temp:10 degrees CT, partly sunny, wind 3-4 m/sec.
For a lot of runners in Rotterdam it will be the last chance to gain a spot in their countries Olympic team.
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
The invited runners (with bib) are:
MEN
(1) Moses Cheruiyot Mosop (Kenya)
D.o.B: 17-07-1985
PB: 2.03.06 (2) Boston 18-04-2011
(2) Sammy Kirop Kitwara (Kenya)
D.o.B: 26-11-1986
PB: debut
(3) Peter Cheruiyot Kirui (Kenya)
D.o.B: 02-01-1988
PB: 2.06.31 (6) Frankfurt 30-10-2011
(4) Getu Feleke (Ethiopia)
D.o.B: 28-11-1986
PB: 2.05.16 (1) Amsterdam 17-10-2010
(5) Yemane Adhane (Ethiopia)
D.o.B: 08-04-1985
PB: 2.06.29 (10) Dubai 27-01-2012
(6) Rashid Kisri (Morocco)
D.o.B: 01-03-1975
PB: 2.06.48 (5) Parijs 05-04-2009
(7) Stephen Kwelia Chemlany (Kenya)
D.o.B: 09-08-1982
PB: 2.07.55 (2) Berlin 25-09-2011
(8) Stephen Kosgei Kibet (Kenya)
D.o.B: 09-11-1986
PB: 2.09.27 (5) Dubai 21-01-2011
(9) Tilahun Regassa (Ethiopia)
D.o.B: 18-01-1990
PB: debut
(10) Lelisa Desisa (Ethiopia)
D.o.B: 14-01-1990
PB: debut
(11) Francis Kirwa (Finland)
D.o.B: 28-11-1974
PB: 2.11.01 (1) Gothenburg 27-08-2005
(12) Koen Raymaekers (The Netherlands)
D.o.B: 31-01-1980
PB: 2.11.09 (9) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
(14) José Alirio Carrasco (Colombia)
D.o.B: 22-02-1976
PB: 2.12.09 (11) Chicago 12-10-2003
(15) Juan Carlos Cardona (Colombia)
D.o.B: 07-09-1974
PB: 2.12.17 (12) Boston 18-04-2011
(16) Mariusz Gizynski (Poland)
D.o.B: 26-06-1981
PB: 2.12.34 (25) Frankfurt 30-10-2011
(17) Dylan Wykes (Canada)
D.o.B: 06-06-1983
PB: 2.12.39 (1) Sacramento 05-12-2010
(18) Ignacio Cáceres (Spain)
D.o.B: 18-06-1976
PB: 2.12.40 (11) Rotterdam 05-04-2009
(19) Jussi Utriainen (Finland)
D.o.B: 28-11-1978
PB: 2.13.10 (2) Sacramento 08-12-2002
(20) Jason Gutierrez (Colombia)
D.o.B: 08-05-1984
PB: 2. 13.24 (5) Los Angeles 20-03-2011
(21) Rui Silva (Portugal)
D.o.B: 03-08-1977
PB: debut
(22) Robert Krebs (Germany)
D.o.B: 18-08-1989
PB: debut
(23) William Naranjo (Colombia)
D.o.B: 18-08-1978
PB: 2.15.39 (1) Nashville 24-04-2010
(24) Øyster Sylta (Norway)
D.o.B: 03-03-1978
PB: 2.15.58 (13) Frankfurt 30-10-2011
(25) Roman Arroyo (Mexico)
D.o.B: 04-01-1981
PB: 2.16.16 (5) Torreon 06-03-2011
(26) Rob Watson (Canada)
D.o.B: 23-06-1983
PB: 2.16.17 (4) Houston 30-11-2011
(27) Diego Colorado (Colombia)
D.o.B: 31-08-1973
PB: 2.16.48 (11) Nashville 29-04-2000
(28) Miguel Angel Gamonal (Spain)
D.o.B: 26-06-1981
PB: 2.16.58 (4) Castellon 11-12-2011
(29) Rens Dekkers (The Netherlands)
D.o.B: 29-11-1981
PB: 2.17.10 (16) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
(30) Ghirma Woldu (Belgium)
D.o.B: 10-06-1974
PB: 2.17.23 (3) Antwerp 17-04-2011
(31) Sean Conolly (Ireland)
D.o.B: 03-08-1982
PB: 2.17.23 (15) Rotterdam 17-04-2011
(32) Luis Rivero (Puerto Rico)
D.o.B: 29-01-1973
PB: 2.17.59 (16) Berlin 20-09-2009
(33) Marten Boström (Finland)
D.o.B: 03-08-1982
PB: 2.18.51 (19) Ottawa 25-05-2008
(34) Jeppe Farsøht (Danemark)
D.o.B: 15-09-1978
PB: 2.18.47 (17) Rotterdam 11-04-2010
(35) Sergui Ciobanu (Moldavia)
D.o.B: 10-08-1983
PB: 2.19.33 (12) Dublin 25-10-2010
(36) Thomas Frazer (Ireland)
D.o.B: 10-09-1981
PB: 2.19.42 (19) Chicago 09-10-2011
(37) Dan Hornery (Australia)
D.o.B: 30-09-1980
PB: 2.19.40 (35) Otsu 07-03-2011
(38) Dimitris Theodorakakos (Greece)
D.o.B: 05-12-1978
PB: 2.19.20 (28) Amsterdam 16-10-2011
(39) Nelson Cruz (Cape Verde Ilands)
D.o.B: 31-12-1977
PB: 2.19.15 (21) Rotterdam 10-04-2005
(40) Pip Tesselaar (The Netherlands)
D.o.B: 26-06-1969
PB: 2.22.53 (16) Amsterdam 16-10-2011
(41) Christian de Lie (The Netherlands)
D.o.B: 31-07-1976
PB: 2.24.46 (29) Amsterdam 18-10-2009
WOMEN
(F1) Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia)
D.o.B: 22-10-1987
PB: 2.22.08 (1) Amsterdam 16-10-2011
(F2) Merima Mohammed Hasen (Ethiopia)
D.o.B: 10-06-1992
PB: 2.23.06 (3) Toronto 26-09-2010
(F3) Valeria Straneo (Italy)
D.o.B: 05-04-1976
PB: 2.26.33 (8) Berlin 25-09-2011
(F4) Miranda Boonstra (The Netherlands)
D.o.B: 29-08-1972
PB: 2.29.23 (10) Berlin 25-09-2011
(F5) Yamna Oubouhou (France)
D.o.B: 20-02-1974
PB: 2.31.56 (11) Paris 06-04-2008
(F6) Maria José Pueyo (Spain)
D.o.B: 16-03-1970
PB: 2.32.22 (1) Valencia 17-02-2008
(F7) Tannitha Maxwell (South-Africa)
D.o.B: 02-06-1976
PB: 2.32.33 (8) Berlin 26-09-2010
(F8) Heleen Plaatzer (The Netherlands)
D.o.B: 20-11-1979
PB: 2.35.23 (9) Amsterdam 16-10-2011
(F9) Krista Duchene (Canada)
D.o.B: 09-01-1977
PB: 2.39.08 (6) Ottawa 30-05-2010
(F10) Charné Bosman (South-Africa)
D.o.B: 06-11-1975
PB: 2.39.26 (4) Amsterdam 16-10-2005
(F11) Katarzyna Durak (Poland)
D.o.B: 1980
PB: 2.43.34 (3) Poznan 16-10-2011
(F12) Tonya Nero (Trinidad & Tobago)
D.o.B: 27-11-1988
PB: debut
