Jimmy Muindi (KEN) (© Getty Images)
The Fortis Marathon Rotterdam heads up a busy week of major marathons in the middle of April (Sunday 15). The famous Dutch race which is in its 27th edition has witnessed three World records/bests with Carlos Lopes (Portugal), Belayneh Densimo (Ethiopia) and Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) in his history, and will again offer an impressive starting field in 2007.
On a proven very fast, nearly flat course, four sub 2:07:00 and four sub 2:08:00 men will start, while in the women’s field seven sub 2:30:00 athletes will toe the starting line, and it is possible that in both categories in the coming weeks other elite runners of the same quality will yet be added to the starting list.
MEN
The fastest man is Benoit Zwierzchlewski of France. The 30-year-oldFrenchman, who with Portugal’s Antonio Pinto the co-holder of the European record (2:06:36) looks to be getting back into his old shape having set his 10km PB when coming fourth in Nice on 7 January and then winning the Cannes Half Marathon on 18 February. However, his 64 minute clocking on that occasion is far off his 61:41 best (1997; also 59:53 on a downhill course).
Kenya, the country of marathon running, has a very strong representation in the race situated in what is the biggest port in the world. William Kipsang, winner of the Amsterdam marathon 2003 (2:06:39), Wilson Onsare (2:06:47) and Charles Kibiwott (2:06:52), all have personal bests under 2:07:00.
Kibiwott knows the course in Rotterdam very well having finished third last year in his personal best. Rodgers Rop (2:07:34), the former Boston and New York winner who was fourth last Sunday fourth (58:03) in the 20K of Alphen aan den Rijn, Patrick Ivuti (2:07:46), twice a World XC silver medallist, Jimmy Muindi (2:07:50), the winner of Rotterdam in 2005, and Joseph Ngolepus (2:07:57), the former Berlin victor, are four more sub 2:08:00 men on show in Rotterdam.
Another three Kenyan athletes in Rotterdam have proven their abilities with wins or high classification in international marathons. Salim Kipsang (2:08:04) who won the Paris marathon two years ago, Daniel Yego (2:08:16) who was third in Rome (2005), and Solomon Bushendich who triumphed in the Amsterdam marathon last year in 2:08:52.
The race in Rotterdam will also count for the national championships and qualification for the World championships in Osaka in August. The Dutch federation hopes to send a marathon team (men) to Japan, after the bronze medal the Dutch team won last year at the European championships in Gothenburg (Sweden).
WOMEN
Although the Rotterdam organizers mostly concentrate on a strong men’s field they have this year a reasonably high class and competitive women’s starting line-up. Seven women have personal bests under two and a half hours. Poland’s Malgorzata Sobanska, 37, the former London Marathon winner, is the fastest of them with a personal best of 2:26:08 from when coming fourth in Chicago in 2001.
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
Men
Benoit Zwierzchlewski (France) 2:06:36 (Paris 2003) Euro rec
William Kipsang (Kenya) 2:06:39 (Amsterdam 2003
Wilson Onsare (Kenya) 2:06:47 (Paris 2003)
Charles Kibiwott (Kenya) 2:06:52 (Rotterdam 2006)
Rodgers Rop (Kenya) 2:07:34 (London 2006)
Patrick Ivuti (Kenya) 2:07:46 (Chicago 2005)
Jimmy Muindi (Kenya) 2:07:50 (Rotterdam 2005)
Joseph Ngolepus (Kenya) 2:07:57 (London 2003)
Salim Kipsang (Kenya) 2:08:04 (Paris 2005)
Daniel Yego (Kenya) 2:08:16 (Rome 2005)
Solomon Bushendich (Kenya) 2:08:52 (Amsterdam 2006)
Greg van Hest (Netherlands) 2:10:05 (Rotterdam 1999)
Isaac Macharia (Kenya) 2:10:09 (Nagano 2005)
Luc Krotwaar (Netherlands) 2:10:13 (Fukuoka 2003)
Franklin Tenorio (Ecuador) 2:10:22 (Rome 1998)
Hugo van den Broek (Netherlands) 2:12:08 (Amsterdam 2004)
Koen Raymaekers (Netherlands) 2:15:22 (Amsterdam 2006)
Women
Malgorzata Sobanska (Poland) 2:26:08 (Chicago 2001)
Martha Tenorio (Ecuador) 2:27:58 (Boston 1999)
Nadja Wijenberg (Netherlands) 2:28:45 (Eindhoven 1999)
Ana Dias (Portugal) 2:28:49 (Berlin 2003)
Helena Kiprop Loshanyang (Kenya) 2:28:51 (Amsterdam 2006)
Dulce Maria Rodrigu (Mexico) 2:28:54 (Chicago 2006)
Marcia Narloch (Brazil) 2:29:59 (Hamburg 2003)
