By James Dunaway for the IAAF
New York, USA – Both the men’s and women’s races at the ING New York City Marathon were decided with exciting finishes in the final mile, but that was the only similarity between the two.
Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, in her first marathon since becoming a mother, won the women’s race in 2:23:09 from Gete Wami of Ethiopia in a race that was a two-person affair from the first step.
In the men’s race, Kenya Martin Lel outkicked Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco, 2:09:04 to 2:09:16, surviving a war of attrition which cut the field from a group of 17 at the halfway point in 1:05:45.
MEN
The men’s race stayed in that 17-man group until they hit the 16-mile mark which has become the traditional break-up point for this race.
And so it was today. Kenyan Rogers Rop zoomed the next mile in 4:25 quickly reducing the lead group to nine and dropping 2006 winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos, and by mile 20 it was down to five – former winners Rop, Martin Lel and South African Hendrick Ramaala plus New York first-timers Kenyan James Kwambai and Goumri, all five of whom surged into the lead at one time or another.
By mile 23, Rop and Kwambai had faded, leaving Lel, Goumri and Ramaala to duke it out in Central Park, with Lel doing most of the pushing. Suddenly Ramaala let go, and both Goumri and Lel looked very strong with 3000 metres (just under two miles) to the finish.
The two had dueled similarly in April at London, when Lel sprinted past Goumri (in his first-ever marathon) to win by three seconds.
This time Lel didn’t wait for the last 50 metres. With 400m or so to go, he accelerated swiftly and opened an eight-metre lead which he held to the line. More than two minutes behind Lel’s 2:09:04 and Goumri’s 2:09:16, Ramaala straggled in 2:11:25, with Italy’s Olympic champion Stefano Baldini charging up from tenth at 30km to grab fourth in 2:11:58.
Interestingly, Lel, endorsed the new no-rabbits policy. “I think it was good for me,” he said, “to test myself what I can handle without pacemakers, and it was very exciting for me.”
Another reason for being excited was, of course, was the US$130,000 he won, plus a US$30,000 prize bonus. Goumri, who must have been pleasantly surprised this year to discover that he is much better at marathoning than the Grand Prix track racing which was his former wont, will take home US$65,000 in prize money, plus a US$30,000 time bonus.
WOMEN
In the women’s race, Radcliffe lost no time in showing that motherhood has not changed her racing style. She charged to the front at the starting horn, and quickly took charge of a small group which went with her for the first mile or so, running uphill on the Verazzano bridge which is the toughest hill on the course.
With her were two-time defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, Ethiopia’s Gete Wami, World champion Catherina Ndereba of Kenya, and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia.
But not for long. Prokopcuka had said earlier in the week that, “If Paula goes through the half-marathon in 1:10, I won’t go with her.”
And it quickly became evident that that was pretty much what Radcliffe had in mind. So by 5km into the race, Radcliffe and Wami were five seconds clear of the other three and the next runner, American Elva Dryer, was another 47 seconds back.
Radcliffe and Wami hit the half marathon in 1:10:47, now two and half minutes ahead, and for the next 20km or so, the two ran together, usually with Radcliffe in front but sometimes side by side. In Central Park, with perhaps 5km to go, Radcliffe put in a surge and opened a 20 metre gap. “I looked back and thought ‘I’m away.’ ”
But Wami crept back and it was business-as-usual as they came into the last kilometre still together. Then Wami made a quick move, and for a moment it looked as if it might be decisive.
It wasn’t. Radcliffe quickly blew back into the lead, and shortly after re-entering the Park for the final 600m, looked over her left shoulder to see Wami, then bent her head and started sprinting. It was all over.
“It was just a gradual build-up, but when I looked back near the finish I was shocked. I thought she was right behind me,” said Radcliffe, but the margin had grown to 100 metres at the finish.
Nearly four minutes back in third was Prokopcuka, in 2:26:13, followed by Grigoryeva in 2:28:37 and Ndereba in 2:29:08.
Radcliffe won US$130,000 for winning, plus another US$40,000 for a time bonus. Wami won US$65,000 for second place money plus US$35,000 time bonus – but she also won US$500,000 as the first winner of the World Marathon Majors series.
That’s a pretty good consolation prize.
RESULTS
Men
1) Martin Lel (KEN) 2:09:04
2) Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) 2:09:16
3) Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) 2:11:25
4) Stefano Baldini (ITA) 2:11:58
5) James Kwambai (KEN) 2:12:25
6) Ruggero Pertile (ITA) 2:13:01
7) Stephen Kiogora (KEN) 2:13:41
8) Marilson Gomes Dos Santos (BRA) 2:13:47
Women
1) Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 2:23:09
2) Gete Wami (ETH) 2:23:32
3) Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) 2:26:13
4) Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) 2:28:37
5) Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 2:29:08
6) Elva Dryer (USA) 2:35:15
7 Robyn Friedman (USA) 2:39:19
8) Tegla Loroupe (Ken) 2:41:58