Gete Wami (ETH) running in the 1999 Oslo Golden League meeting (© Getty Images)
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsIn nearly ideal weather, around ten degrees, no wind and overcast, two athletes running their first Marathons, won the 27th edition of the Delta Lloyd Amsterdam Marathon today.
Gete Wami won the women’s race in 2.22.19, setting an Ethiopian and course record, as well. In the men’s race, Benjamin Kimutai Kosgei clocked 2.07.26, after making a late surge to catch and pass the leading group.
Gete Wami, the 1999 World 10,000m champion, decided only ten days ago to run her first marathon. The Ethiopian woman, who made here name on the track and in cross country, was advised to try the Marathon by her now Dutch husband Geteneh Tessema, who works for Jos Hermens’ Global Sport Communication agency, and who saw his own promising career as a long distance runner broken off by a very serious road accident.
“Geteneh just told me to try,” said Wami after today’s race. “I had decided to take this year off, to rest after the stress and hard training of recent years. From May, I trained once a day over long distances. I felt fine and wanted to go to Amsterdam, the capital of my husband's country. I’m very happy with this first marathon.’’
Wami’s time was not only one of the fastest ever marathon debuts but also a national record for Ethiopia and a women’s course record. Wami, 27, bettered the national record of Fatima Roba who ran 2.23.21 in Boston on April 20th 1998. The previous Amsterdam course record was 2.22.23, set by Ireland's Catherina McKiernan (November 1st 1998).
The women’s race was until 35km a two women affair with Wami and Romanian Constantina Dita. The two had spoken together before the race, agreeing to stay side by side. However, with over 7km remaining Wami drew away from Dita.
“She (Dita) is a very experienced runner and this was my first marathon,” said Wami explaining her tactics for the early part of the race, with the Romanian conceding that “at 35 kilometres I could not stay with her (Wami). She was so strong.”
Dita lost over one and a half minutes in the final stage but by finishing in 2.23.52, she bettered her personal best by nearly three minutes. Norwegian Stine Larsen, running her first marathon, finished third in 2.27.06.
It initially looked as if Benjamin Kimutai Kosgei, a 31-year-old physiotherapist from Eldoret, Kenya, would not play a major role in the men’s race, as he fell back from the leading group of fifteen just before the 20km point on a course, which was also used for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Marathon.
“One of the pacemakers accelerated at that moment and I could not follow. Nevertheless, I never panicked because I was feeling well and decided to run my own pace.’’
Just after Kimutai had fallen back, the leading pack reached 20km in 1.00.35, which indicated a 2.07 time was possible. At 30km (1.30.30) five were left in the leading group: Simon Bor, Stephen Cheptot, Sammy Korir, Boaz Kimayo (all Kenyans) and the Spaniard Antonio Pena.
Then all of a sudden, Kimutai re-caught the leading group. In just over three kilometres, he had managed to close a gap of about 3000m.
It was at the point that the race reached the centre of the city, that Kimutai drew level with the leaders. Then in the Vondelpark (around 39 kms) he broke away from the group and went on. He reached 40 kms in 2.01.06 and, with the race ending in the 1928 Olympic Stadium, crossed the finish exactly half a minute ahead of Simon Bor (2:07:56). Stephen Cheptot came home in third, with 2.07.59.
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
Leading Results:
Women
1. Gete Wami (Eth) 2:22:19 (national and course record)
2. Constantina Dita (Rom) 2:23 :52
3. Stine Larsen (Nor) 2:27:06
4. Worknesh Tola (Eth) 2:29:08
5. Alina Tecuta (Rum) 2:29:29
6. Alventina Ivanova (Rus) 2:30:25
7. Meseret Kotu (Eth) 2:30:26
8. Anne van Schuppen (Ned) 2:34:26 (42 years old)
Men
1. Benjamin Kimutai Kosgei (Ken) 2:07:26
2. Simon Bor (Ken) 2:07:56
3. Stephen Cheptot (Ken) 2:07:59
4. Antonio Pena (Spa) 2:08:08
5. Sammy Korir (Ken) 2:08:10
6. Boaz Kimayo (Ken) 2:08:46
7. Ambesse Tolasa (Eth) 2:10:11
8. Mathew Sigei (Ken) 2:10:12
