Italy's Bernard Dematteis wins the WMRA Grand Prix in Arco di Trento (© Organisers)
The second stage of the 2013 WMRA Grand Prix in Arco di Trento on Sunday (21) saw two splendid races, won by Bernard Dematteis and Emma Clayton.
Held on a fascinating course in scorching sun, 48 runners toed the start-line for the women’s 9.5km race. Clayton took the lead after just two kilometres and went on to cross the line an unquestionable winner in 46:49, some 27 seconds ahead of her rivals.
Slovenia’s Mateja Kosovelj finished second in 47:16 ahead of a quartet of Italians, comprising Elisa Desco (47:40), Antonella Confortola (47:57), Alice Gaggi (48:24) and European silver medallist Valentina Belotti (49:06).
Kenya’s Majna Veronica Nijeri, running for an Austrian club, finished eighth in 50:14, one place ahead of Germany’s Birgit Unterberger (50:33).
The men’s 13km race was dominated by home favourite Bernard Dematteis, the recently-crowned European champion.
Two-time World silver medallist Azeria Teklay Weldemariam was one of a handful of African athletes to take an early lead, but the Eritrean failed to finish. Dematteis then took the lead at the end of the first lap and continued his charge to the finish, winning by more than a minute in 57:53 from Kenya’s Kenneth Kimathi, representing an Austrian Club, who clocked 58:57.
In third, Italy’s European silver medallist Alex Baldaccini ran 59:06 to finish 30 seconds ahead of team-mate Gabriele Abate (59:36) and Slovenia’s Mitjia Kosovelj (59:46).
Robert Sutum, another Kenyan running for an Austrian Club, was the only other athlete to dip under an hour, taking sixth place in 59:56 in a race that also featured athletes from Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand and The Netherlands.
Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA) for the IAAF
