Kasime Adilo Roba takes the Istanbul Marathon (© organisers)
The 31st Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon is scheduled for Sunday 18 October 2008 with a total of 1684 participants registered for the marathon, 3596 for the 15 km race, and 80,000 for the Fun Run, coming from 71 countries from around the world.
The Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.
Marathon elite field of 99 male and 21 female athletes will contest a prize purse totaling $1,000,000 this year. This includes 140,000 for any world records and prizes for rankings. Each winner in the men’s and women’s categories will get a lump sum of $50,000.
Kenyan athlete David Emanuel Cheruiyot set the 2:11:00 course record in 2007, while the women’s best was set in 2006 by Russian Madina Biktragirova in a time of 2:28:21, improving her previous best, the 2005 record, by almost 6 minutes.
Last year the 30th anniversary edition saw the first major course change for 11 years. The finish area was moved to the ancient part of Istanbul to enhance scenic and historical image of the event. As before, the race connects two continents - Europe and Asia.
The marathon and 15km races both start on the Asian side, cross the Bosporus and Golden Horn Bridges, pass under the Aqueduct and follow the Marmara Sea beach, to the finish line on the European side at the Hippodrome, one of the oldest race tracks in the world, situated in historical district- Sultanahmet, famous for its ancient monuments and mosques.
MEN
New course records are expected on the new route if the weather cooperates this year.
Defending champion, 30-year-old Kasime Adilo Roba (PB 2:10:20 at Toronto 2007) from Ethiopia is returning to Istanbul with the focus on improving his 2:11:16 which was his winning time last which was achieved in heavy rain and gusty wind throughout the race.
Last year’s runner-up, Ethiopia’s Lishan Yegezu, 24, who finished in 2:11:37, is also back.
The large and strong field of Ethiopian runners also includes 29-year old Gudisa Shentema, who finished 4th with 2:09:27 in the 2008 Dubai Marathon and was 4th in a PB of 2:07:34 in the 2008 Paris Marathon, and Solomon Tsige, 24, winner of 2009 Hamburg Marathon with personal best of 2:11:47.
Kenya’s hopes should rest mainly with Jimmy Muindi, 36, (PB 2:07:50, Rotterdam 2007), 6 times winner of Honolulu Marathon (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007) and its record holder (2:11:12/2004).
Also look out for Kenyans Michael Njoroge Kimani, 37, who finished 7th this year in the Daegu Marathon in a 2:10:30 personal best, Jafred Chirchir, 26, who successfully debuted at the 2009 Vienna marathon, finishing 6th in 2:10:42 PB, Silas Toek, 22, the winner of the 2008 Enshede Marathon in 2:10:40 PB, and Dennis Musembi Ndiso, 26, (PB 2:15:49 Amsterdam 2008) who has a half marathon PB of 1:00:33 set in The Hague in 2008.
Kenyan born athlete Faisal Bader Shebto, 25, from Qatar (former name Vincent Kiplagat Kiptoo) is coming with a 2:10:33 personal best from when finishing seventh in the 2009 Rome Marathon.
The pack will be led by four pacemakers, three from Ethiopia - Gela Hailu, Chela Bayessa Dekeba, Bedaso Shibo Cherfa, and Kenya’s Festus Langat.
WOMEN
The women’s elite field looks like it is going to be dominated by runners from Ethiopia: Ashu Kasim, 25, who debuted in 2009 Paris Marathon and finished 4th in a 2:25:49 personal best, and Shiru Deriba, 24, 8th finisher in 2009 Dubai Marathon in a 2:28:26 PB. There is also a notable marathon debutant, 20-year-old Ethiopian Bizunesh Urgesa (15km PB 49:29, Zaandam 2009), silver medalist at 3000m at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz.
Also challenging for honours will be two Russian athletes, Irina Safarova, 30 (PB 2:29:20, London 2002 ) and Svetlana Semova, 34, who was the winner of 2004 edition of the Istanbul Marathon.
Among the Turkish runners there is 31-year old Mehtap Sizmaz, 3rd overall and the top Turkish athlete at the 2008 Istanbul Marathon and winner of the Madrid Marathon 2009 in 2:32:04. Alos running for the hosts is twice Olympian Serap Aktas, 40, (PB 2:31:41 Berlin 1999), and Beijing Olympian Bahar Dogan (2:37:12 PB).
Poland’s Malgorzata Sobanska (PB 2:26:08 Chicago 2001), the 1995 London marathon winner, and last year’s champion in Warsaw, will run her 6th Istanbul Marathon.
Kenya will be represented by Margaret Atodonyang, 31, (PB 2:29:21 / Amsterdam 2003).
Yelena Kurdyumova and Sergey Porada for the IAAF
