Running News Daily

Amber Zimmerman captured the Philadelphia Marathon on her home course on a frigid day as Dominic Ondoro, a Kenyan who lives in Texas, won the men's race

As the sun began to light Ben Franklin Parkway and the city’s skyline on Sunday morning, spectators and competitors were warming up for the coldest Philadelphia Marathon since 1994. Hands and feet were cold, and even contact lenses froze.

Yet spirits prevailed as the city showed up for those who prepared for this day months in advance.

“I had a phenomenal group of people that last half mile before we made that turn up Kelly Drive, and that saved my life,” said women’s winner Amber Zimmerman, who recently moved to the city.

The temperature at the start was 35 degrees, but the wind made it feel like the low 20s. Eleven miles of the marathon were concentrated in Center City, blocking the wind somewhat. However, at the finish, the wind was fierce along Boathouse Row and Kelly Drive.

“The race was good, but there was a lot of wind,” said men’s champion Dominic Ondoro, who thought he was slowing down because of the gusts. “I enjoyed the course.” The Kenyan runner who lives in Texas broke away from the pack in the last few miles, finishing in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 20 seconds, followed by Gilmar Lopes of Brazil and Bernard Kiprop Koech of Kenya.

Zimmerman triumphed in 2:31:35, her new personal best. Maegan Krifchin of Long Island was second and Fantu Zewude Jifar of Ethiopia took third.

“They’re great runners and they’re brave runners,” Zimmerman said. “And I thought, you know, I’m going to try to be a brave runner to put myself in it.”

In the first half of the race, Zimmerman said she felt strong but hit a wall in Manayunk where her body started hurting. Nevertheless, she pushed to the finish, knowing that others were close behind. A regular runner since 7 years old, she posted her first win in her new city.

“I was thinking about that this week. I get a little bit teary about it,” she said when asked about her journey. “I really tailored my training. I coached myself and I played around with a lot of harder, longer runs, and that really worked out for me this time. I’ve been trying to make myself tougher.”

First-place finishers take home $10,000, plus an extra $1,000 for Zimmerman as a Philadelphian. What will she spend it on? Her blue heeler Doughnut (an Australian cattle dog), she said, pointing to her socks featuring blue doughnuts.

“He’s really sweet and I told him I was going to run this race for him and I was going to win for him,” Zimmerman, who ran at the University of New Mexico.

This year’s marathon was a notable one for the city, as a nonbinary category was added for the first time. Fifty-five runners registered in the category and race director Kathleen Titus said he believes it will grow in years to come, along with prize money for these athletes as well as para-athletes.

“You look at it and it’s a city of diversity as well as adaptivity,” she said. “... Whatever type of an athlete you are, if you’re a runner, we want you to feel that you can come to Philadelphia and participate as you are, in the ability that you are.”

The city also cheered on its first marathon long boarder, Chris Koch, who completed his 13th marathon. The 40-year-old Canadian was born with a partially developed right leg and foot. Shortly after he pedaled across the finish line, he joked, “I couldn’t feel my fingers the whole time.”

Koch completed his first marathon in 2016. “I guess I’m a glutton for punishment,” he said. “It’s a great challenge. I’m a motivational speaker and I encourage people to keep raising the bar and keep pushing themselves. I don’t want to be just talking the big talk.”

Sporting a Bobby Clarke Flyers jersey and blacked-out front teeth, Koch looked the Philly part. After visiting the city when he was speaking nearby, he decided to add it to his marathon list.

“I literally boarded out Ben Franklin Parkway to the Rocky stairs, climbed up the Rocky stairs,” he said. “... I’ve always found marathons [to be] a neat way to see the city.” Koch plans to attend the Flyers-Calgary Flames game at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night.

Celebrations are in order for Koch and all the finishers. Runners will travel back home, rewind on the Thanksgiving holiday, and return to the grind soon enough.

When asked if she would be running on Monday, Zimmerman said she is probably going to walk. Probably.

Course records fall at the 42nd anual Madrid Marathon

Kenya’s Reuben Kerio and Ethiopia’s Shasho Insermu set race records at the 42nd Rock ’n’ Roll Madrid Marathon, crossing the line of the IAAF Gold Label road race in 2:08:18 and 2:26:24 respectively on Saturday (27).

While the 25-year-old Kerio led a Kenyan clean sweep of medals, Insermu obliterared the previous record by over four minutes, getting the better from her fellow Ethiopian Fetale Dejene Tsegaye on a perfect day (10C at the start).

Led by pacemakers Emmanuel Bett of Kenya and Ugandan cross-country specialist Timothy Toroitich, the main pack set off at a steady 3:03/km pace. The opening 10 kilometres were covered in 30:39 with 16 men still in the lead.

The pace increased in the following five-kilometre section and they went through 15km in 45:33 and reached the half-way point in 1:03:54 with Toroitich still in the lead. Bernard Kiprop Koech, Kiprotich Kirui, Kipkemoi Kipsang and Ethiopia’s Sisay Jisa ran closest to the pacemakers by then.

With the clock reading 1:19, Jisa fell injured and was forced to stop. Shortly afterwards Eliud Barngetuny lost contact with the main pack at the 29th kilometre.

Once Toroitich dropped out, Kirui took charge of the pace and only Kerio, Kipsang and Kiptoo managed to stay at his shoulder while the local favourite Javier Guerra could not live with their pace and ran in fifth alongside Nicholas Kirwa.

The lead pack reached 30km in 1:31:08 and with four men still in the group it became clear they were on pace to break the race record of 2:09:15.

The long-legged Kerio made his move at the 36th kilometre and he soon opened a clear gap over Kipsang, Kirui and Kiptoo. By 40km (2:01:35) the leader had built a 22-second margin on Kipsang and 24 on Kirui, having both secured podium places in detriment of a fading Kiptoo.

Kerio crossed the finish line in 2:08:18 to take nearly a full minute off the previous race record. Kipsang (PB of 2:08:58) and Kirui (2:09:05) also dipped inside the previous mark set in 2014. To the delight of the crowd, Guerra finished fifth in 2:10:19, a couple of seconds behind Kiptoo.

“This is my first win at an IAAF Gold Label event so I’m over the moon,” said Kerio. “In addition I ran 2:08 low which means a much faster time competing at sea level so I hope to be in the 2:05 region shortly.”

Paced by compatriot Fikadu Kebede, Ethiopia’s Shasho Insermu, a 2:23:28 performer, set out with the intention of breaking the 2:30:40 race record set last year, but she had a hesitant first 10km, covered in 35:41 in the company of compatriots Tsegaye Dejene, Beshadu Bekele, Gebeyanesh Ayele and Hemila Wortessa.

Shortly after 15km, reached in 52:24, Insermu had built up a sole lead while her three compatriots ran together, helped by 2006 5000m European champion Jesús España, a recreational runner nowadays after his retirement last summer

Insermu, contesting her 11th marathon, cruised to the half-way point in 1:13:00, some 1:15 ahead of record schedule and 20 seconds clear of debutant Tesfaye, Bekele and Ayele.

Taking advantage of Kebede’s pacing duties, Insermu maintained her rhythm for the rest of the event, despite the second half of the circuit being the toughest part.

By 30km, reached in 1:43:28, the leader still held a 20-second advantage over Tesfaye but Bekele and Ayele’s speed decreased dramatically as they lost 1:48 by then. Finally, the gap between the experienced Insermu and debutant Tesfaye increased and the only question remaining was how much the course record would be broken by.

The 26-year-old Insermu won in style in 2:26:24 with a 41-second advantage over Tesfaye while Bekele completed an Ethiopian sweep in 2:32:15.

“Once I knew I would run in Madrid in April, I set myself the goal of setting a new race record as a lot of people said it was not possible to dip under the 2:30 barrier,” said Insermu. “I thought I might clock 2:27 so my performance was even beyond expectations.”

Kenya’s Bernard Kiprop Koech and Ethiopia’s Shasho Insermu among the favorites in Rock and Roll Madrid

Nearly 10,000 runners will gather in the Spanish capital to take part in the 42nd Rock ‘n’ Roll Madrid Marathon on Saturday.

Kenya’s Bernard Kiprop Koech will be one of the athletes to beat in the men’s race. The 30-year-old holds a 2:04:53 PB set in Dubai back in 2013 while his last effort over the distance came in Valencia in 2017 when he clocked 2:08:32 for ninth. More recently he lowered his 10,000m PB to 27:31:83 last November in Hachioji.

Koech will be joined by fellow Kenyan Eliud Barngetuny, who won in Madrid last year in a lifetime best of 2:10:15, the second-fastest time ever in the Spanish capital and exactly one minute shy of the course record.

Jonah Chesum, the victor in Barcelona in 2017 with a PB of 2:08:57, should also be in contention. His most recent marathon effort of 2:10:08 came in Lisbon in October. Reuben Kerio, a 2:08:12 specialist, Kiprotich Kirui (2:08:48 in Paris last year) and Kipkemoi Kisang (2:09:21) complete the large Kenyan contingent.

With a best of 2:04:49, Ethiopia’s 2013 world silver medallist Tadesse Tola has the fastest PB of the field, but he hasn’t run faster than 2:16 since 2015.

The Ethiopian squad also includes Seboka Dibaba, a 2:06:17 performer in 2012 whose last effort was timed at 2:14:35 in September, Sisay Jisa (2:06:27), Belete Gezu (2:10:34) and Tilahun Amsalu (2:12:19).

Javier Guerra, the fourth-place finisher at the past two European Championships, is the top Spanish entrant. His 1:03:57 clocking at the Madrid Half Marathon three weeks ago was intended as a stepping stone for Saturday’s event where he is aiming to beat his lifetime best of 2:08:36 set last year in Seville.

No woman has ever bettered 2:30 in Madrid, but that barrier – and the course record of 2:30:40 – look vulnerable ahead of Saturday’s race.

Ethiopia’s Shasho Insermu, world ranked No.40, has finished in the top two in six of her past seven marathons. Her two most recent races have produced the two fastest times of her career as she ran a huge lifetime best of 2:23:28 in Amsterdam in October and followed it with 2:27:42 earlier this year in Xiamen.

Compatriot Tinbit Weldegebril, world ranked No.79 in the marathon, is another top contender. She smashed her PB on her last visit to Spain, clocking 2:23:37 in Valencia in December.

Other Ethiopians include Gebeyanesh Ayele, who clocked a 2:26:54 PB last year in Hengshui, Bechadu Bekele and Hemila Wortessa. With a best of 2:21:31, Magarsa Askale has the fastest PB of the field but that mark was set 11 years ago and she hasn’t raced since 2016.

Seville marathon winner Boulaid Kaoutar of Morocco may also be a factor if she can repeat her 2:25:35 form from last year.

Uganda’s Mercyline Chelangat will be making her marathon debut. The 21-year-old finished a creditable 12th at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala and 11th in the 5000m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Weather forecasters are predicting a sunny day with temperatures ranging between 11-13C by the time of the event and no likelihood of rain during the races.

Kenyans Erick Kiptanui and Vivian Cheruyiot lead strong field's for the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon this weekend

The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon field includes 21 male runners with personal bests of under 1:01 and ten in the women's field who have dipped under 1:10.

Erick Kiptanui made his debut over the distance in this race last year, winning in 1:00:05, and went on to improve to 58:42 in Berlin one month later. Two other sub-59:00 runners are in the field: 2013 winner Bernard Kiprop Koech, who has clocked 58:41, and Solomon Kirwa Yego, who set his 58:44 best in the 2016 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon.

But there are more athletes in this race who can produce some surprises. Ethiopia comes armed with Mosinet Geremew, winner of the 2018 Dubai Half Marathon with a 59:11 lifetime best from 2014, and Betesfa Getahun, who has a 1:00:26 personal best. He was third in the Barcelona Half Marathon last month.

Behind Kiptanui, the solid Kenyan contingent includes Micah Kogo, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist over 10,000m who's clocked 59:07; Simon Cheprot who has a 59:20 lifetime best; Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo, who has a 59:26 best; Nicholas Kosimbei, who clocked 1:00:21 at this race last year; late addition Edwin Soi, the 2008 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist, who improved to 1:00:24 in Granollers, Spain, this year; and Japhet Korir,  who has run 1:00:08.

Others to watch include Callum Hawkins of Great Britain, who'll be looking to improve on his 1:00:00 personal best and Abrar Osman of Eritrea, who's clocked 1:00:19.

In the women's field, Vivian Cheruyiot, the 2016 Olympic 5000m champion, is the undisputed star of the field. The 35-year-old, who also won three world titles on the track and the 2017 London Marathon, was second in this race last year clocking 1:09:44. She clocked 1:07:43 at last year's Great North Run, also finishing second.

She'll face a formidable field however, led by Ethiopia's Gelete Burka, who has a solid 1:06:11 lifetime best set last year.