Margaret Okayo breaks the tape at the 2003 New York Marathon (© Victah Sailer)
Margaret Okayo, a previous winner, set a course record of 2:22:31, and Martin Lel, the World Half Marathon champion but a somewhat unknown quantity at the full distance, finished strongly in 2:10:30, to lead a nearly perfect Kenyan sweep of the podium in both the men's and women's races at the 34th ING New York City Marathon.
Okaya 's winning time of 2:22:31 blasted nearly two minutes off the women's course record she set two years ago in winning the 2001 NYC Marathon in 2:24:21, and she won by a comfortable 120 metres from 2002 winner and World Champion Catherine Ndereba (2:23:03), with former Kenyan and present Dutch citizen Lornah Kiplagat another 100-plus metres back in 2:23:43 - all three thus breaking the course record.
Okayo was always at or near the very front of the race, keeping the pace more than honest and hitting the half-marathon in 1:12:04, already a record pace but accompanied by seven other women. Then she stepped on the gas with a surge that cut her companions to three - Ndereba, Kiplagat and 2000 winner Ludmila Petrova.
Okayo, Ndereba and Petrova traded surges from 16 to 19 miles, covered in 5:05, 5:13, and 5:13 before Okayo mounted another big blast in the 20th mile. That dropped Petrova, and shortly afterwards pulled away from the other two with a 5:01 21st mile. From then on she was running alone and she crossed the line looking as if she were finishing up an easy Sunday 20-miler.
"I didn't know whether I could break the record," said winner Okayo. "I was just trying to do my best." Her best produced a masterful race.
The men's race went out rather slowly, with a huge bunch of more than 25 runners together over the first 10 miles. A lot of air went out of things when World Championships silver medallist Julio Rey of Spain (PB 2:07:27 Hamburg 27/42003), twisted his ankle when bumped by another runner while he was reaching for water bottle.
"I was really sure I was going to win, and I am very sad this happened to me," confirmed Rey.
2002 winner Rodgers Rop was the leader most of the race, but the pace was slow at first (1:05:38 at the half, a 2:11:16 pace). But Rop threw in a 4:38 in the 14th mile, which quickly cut the lead group to seven - Rop, Lel, Elly Rono, Raymond Kipkoech, Gert Thys, Christopher Cheboiboch and Laban Kipkemboi - all Kenyans except South African Thys. Then, running up First Avenue, Rop threw in successive miles of 4:40, 4:42, and 4:42, and only Lel could stay with him (no wonder - that's a sub-2:03 pace).
From 20 through 25 miles, the two ran side by side, step by step, with the precision of a drill team. Then, with a mile or so to go, Lel picked up the pace and as Rop said, "That's when I knew he would win."
Lel drew quickly away and won by 40 seconds in 2:10:30, with Rop second in 2:11:11, and Cheboiboch, last year's runner-up, closing fast to take third in 2:11:23. Rono was fourth in 2:11:31 and Alberico Di Cecco of Italy in fifth (2:11:40), the first European home.
Okayo's course record added a $60,000 time bonus to her $100,000 first-place money, while Lel, who didn't even threaten his own PR of 2:10.02, still got a $8,000 time bonus to bring his total to $108,000.
