26 October 2008
Dramatic sprint finish leaves Lomala victor in 23rd Venice marathon; RAB athletes struggle in last 10km.
The Men’s Venice Marathon finished in dramatic style remaining too close to call right to the very last second. Just a few metres before the finish line Kenyan Joseph Lomala held off fellow Kenyan Jacob Chesire to take a very narrow win by one second in 2:11:06.
RAB athletes Yared Hailesilassie Hagos and Bereket Alem Kidanu were determined to compete with this strong international field. Undaunted by the fast early pace, they tucked themselves into the back of the lead pack, reaching the 10km mark in 30:51. At this point they and several others dropped off the leading 12-runner group, but still passed 15km in 46:46 and the halfway mark in 1:06:53.
For Kidanu and Hagos, unfortunately, the fast early pace took its toll when they reached this difficult portion of the course. Through 30km they were struggling, but still able to retain a solid pace; Kidanu’s split was 1:37:16 (projecting a 2:16 finishing time) and Hagos’ 1:39:34 (projecting 2:19). Before reaching the Ponte della Liberta’ at 35k, however, they reached such a point of fatigue that they were forced to withdraw from the race.
“Garrett Ash, (RAB Co-Director) said to try for a time of 2:15, 2:16, or 2:17,” said Kidanu after the race. “But we thought of being Venice Marathon champions, so we ran with the front group through 10 kilometers. At 35 kilometers we had zero energy.”
Ash himself concurred with the assessment. “Hagos and Kidanu are exceptional athletes, even by the high local standards of Ethiopian runners. But I knew they weren’t ready to mix it up with a field like the one that was assembled today.”
“The plan I gave them, based on assessing their training and oxygen uptake testing results, was to go out in 31:50-32:40 for the first 10k and 1:07-1:09 for the first half. I knew that would put them minutes behind the leading group, but with the warm temperatures and difficult bridges during the second half, anybody running a smart race was bound to catch a good portion of the leading athletes as they fell off the pace.”
“I was really happy with the way the guys prepared physically for this race; they did everything from the taxing 1.5- to three-hour training sessions necessary to develop marathon-specific endurance, to being ultra-conscientious of how they ate, drank, and slept during the days leading up to the race. The area in which they need to improve is the mental side; they have competed well and consistently in local races within Ethiopia, but being here at an international marathon against such a strong field got to their heads a little bit. They got caught up in the excitement that such a fine race like Venice can generate, and forgot that they had trained with the goal of 2:16, not 2:10.”
___________________________________________The challenge of Venice’s course and competition, though it defeated RAB athletes Hagos and Kidanu last weekend, did not demoralise them but rather inspired them to improve. They took the failed first marathon attempt in their stride, as a learning experience for how to approach the next one. After the return flight, Kidanu said, “we reached to Addis safe and we are very happy about everything. We hope that we will do good for the future.”
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It is fair to say that this years marathon attracted one of the strongest elite fields in the race’s history. Raymond Kipkoech, former winner of the Berlin Marathon (2:06:47), Ethiopian Wodajo Teferi (2:08:11, Seoul, 2004), William Biama (2:09:53, Kosice, 2007) to name a few. The leading group was made up of 12 men who passed the 15 km in 45:52 including pacemaker Elisha Tarus Meli, Jacob Chesire, Wodajo Kure Teferi, Abdi Kidane Gemechu, 2004 Venice Marathon winner Raymond Kipkoech, Paul Kimaiyo Kimugul, Joseph Lomala. They continued to keep a sub-2:10 pace, reaching the halfway mark in 1:04:59.
The second half of the Venice Marathon course is more challenging than the first, because it includes 14 of Venice’s famous bridges. To tourists they are an internationally-renowned sight to be enjoyed, but to marathon runners they are a challenge to the maintenance of pace and rhythm. This was the venue for the close battle that unfolded in the closing stages of the race. At the 30Km mark Chesire and Rotich went to the front in a five-men group which was also made up of Kimugul, Gemechu and Lomala. Chesire tried to launch a first attack at 35 km on the Ponte della Libertà (Freedom Bridge) which links Mestre to Venice and by 38 km the race for victory was between Lomala and Chesire. They were engaged in a tight battle across these few remaining bridges. Lomala managed to catch up with Chesire. Chesire tried to launch two attacks but Lomala managed to respond to both ultimately becoming this years champion.
After having run from the start in Stra, through the small towns of the Brenta Riviera, past the Venetian bridges and villas to finally arrive at the unique finishing line in second place at Riva dei Sette Martiri, on Venice's picturesque waterfront was, for Chesire, ‘a fantastic moment’ in his marathon career. Even more so because this race had its challenges. Relaxing in the evening with several of the athletes Cheshire remarked ‘This race was tough. The temperature was affecting the runners and the bridges made it more of a challenge.’
The champion Lomala was born in Nandi Hills and trains in the renowned Iten under the guidance of Italian coach Gabriele Nicola. He finished third in the Turin Marathon with a personal best of 2:10:22 and trains with position number 2 Chesire.
Cheshire (left) and Lomala (right) in the sprint finish
