Kenyan runners Kibet, Sabano win inaugural Country
Music Marathon
AP
29 April 2000 - Nashville, Tennessee - Luke Kibet rallied in the final 2 miles (3.2
kilometers) to overtake fellow Kenyans Elias Chelanga and Sammy Maritem and win the
inaugural Country Music Marathon Saturday in 2:12:55.
The 26-year-old Kenyan trailed Chelanga and Maritem by more than a minute at the 24-mile
(38.6-kilometer) marker, but finished the 26.2-mile (42.1-kilometer) course 50 seconds
ahead of Chelanga, whose time of 2:13:05 edged out Maritem by just 33 seconds.
Kibet was seventh in the IAAF Rome Millennium Marathon, which he finished in 2:11:16 on
Jan. 1.
Another Kenyan, 32-year-old Lucia Subano, beat Dutch runner Nadjia Wijenberg by eight
seconds to win the women's race. Subano's
time was 2:37:02. Subano won the Kenyan 2000 Armed Forces Cross Country 8-K Championships.
Aliro Carrasco of Colombia finished fourth with a time of 2:13:49, while Carlos Grisales
was fifth with a time of 2:14:12. Both were trying to land spots on Colombia's Olympic
team, which will be announced in a few weeks.
Mike Long, elite athlete recruiter for Elite Racing Inc., which organized the marathon,
said the times almost certainly earned the two men a spot on the squad.
Iglandini Gonzalez of Colombia, who took third place in the women's event with a time of
2:40:25, also probably succeeded in qualifying for a spot on her country's Olympic team,
Long said.
Judit Nagy of Hungary was fourth with a time of 2:41:17, followed by Joanna Grant of
Poland, who finished her run in 2:43:16.
About 8,000 runners took part in the marathon, which is planned as an annual event.
