Report01 Aug 2010


Merga and Amare Triumph - Bogota International Half Marathon report

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1:02:31 course record for Deriba Merga in Bogota (© Sean Wallace-Jones)

What was billed as a showdown between World Half Marathon record holder Zersenay Tadese and defending champion Isaac Macharia turned into the Deriba Merga show as the Ethiopian ran away with the win and a new 1:02:31 course record at the Bogota International Half Marathon on Sunday. And in the women’s race, Ethiopian Shewarge Asmare upset her more heralded countrywoman Dire Tune to take the win in 1:13:54.

The Bogota International Half Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Merga Goes Solo

In the men’s race Merga wasted no time, breaking from the pack at four kilometres.  By 10K (28:54) Merga had 200 metres on the pack and it was also at this moment that Tadese dropped out. The World record holder had raced on Monday in Italy, winning the Giro di Castelbuono 10K and perhaps that effort combined with the travel brought him down. “He was coughing and just feeling really bad,” said his coach Jeronimo Bravo.

Back on the course, though, Merga was feeling anything but bad. The morning was cool with an overcast sky, perfect for running. Merga wore blue shorts and a yellow singlet and appeared to be cruising in a gear somewhere around tempo run pace. He looked back occasionally -sometimes twice- as his lead grew to 90 seconds by 15K (43:52) and by then the only question left was would he have enough to break Fabiano Joseph’s course record of 1:02:34 set in 2006.

He did. Merga crossed the line three seconds under the standard with both arms raised. He walked 20 metres then sat down on a curb. “This race was very good for me,” he said. “The altitude is very high but I am very happy.” Bogota is at 2,640 metres above sea level.

Macharia, who had been plagued by a heel injury was more than two minutes back in second, but he too was happy with his place. “I feel good,” he said. “We had a strong field.”

Behind him Morroco’s Ahmad Baday took third in 1:04:47. Kenya’s Hillary Kimaiyo was fourth in 1:04:54.

Amare outkicks Tune

The elite women started before the men and so they were the featured race for much of the early going. A pack of five settled in early: Amare, Tune, Russia’s Tatiana Aryasova, Kenya’s Pamela Chepchumba and Morocco’s Asmae Leghzaoui.

Amare and Tune would take turns at the point and that pack held up until 14K when the two Ethiopian made a move on a bridge, the only hill on the course. It would be definitive. Amare and Tune broke away and ran together until 100 metres from the line, when Amare, who trained for this race at altitude outside of Mexico City, sprinted by Tune, the 2008 Boston Marathon champion, for the victory in 1:13:54.

Arysova would take home third in 1:14:22. Chepchumba was fourth in 1:15:04.

More than 40,000 runners participated in the combined half marathon and 10K event which finished in Simon Bolivar Park.

Dave Kuehls for the IAAF


Leading results -

Men:
1. Deriba Merga   1:02:31
2. Isaac Macharia  1:04:39
3. Ahmed Baday  1:04:47
4. Hillary Kimaiyo  1:04:54
5. Raul Pachecho   1:05:10
6. Constantino Leon  1:05:12
8. Tadesse Abraham  1:05:52
9. Gobin Condor   1:05:59
10. Waldir Ureta  1:06:14

Women:
1. Shewarge Amare   1:13:54
2. Dire Tune    1:14:01
3. Tatiana Aryasova  1:14:22
4. Pamela Chepchumba  1:15:04
5. Jemena Masayauri  1:15:55
6. Yolanda Fernandez  1:16:45
7. Asmae Leghzaoui    1:17:01
8. Gladys Tejada     1:17:08
9. Bertha Sanchez   1:18:20
10. Julia Rivera    1:19:11

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