07/11/99 MARATONA DI NEW YORK
di Stefano Morselli
Leone Giacomo, Goffi Danilo, Abou El Wafa Abdelillah, Innocenti Fausto, Vecchi Angelo,
Moroncini Fauzio, Franceschi Fabrizio, Vello Gianni, questi sono i nomi degli italiani
presentati tra i Top runners della Maratona di Nwe York 1999. Ognuno di loro con velleita
diverse, è qui per dare il massimo, Goffi e Leone sono dati in grande forma e soprattutto
il primo con la sua regolarità può essere considerato veramente uno dei favoriti
principali. Per Leone si tratta di un ritorno dopo la vittoria del 1996 e diversi malanni
che lo hanno frenato dopo quella straordinaria vittoria. In campo femminile la nostra
Franca Fiacconi parte chiaramente con buone possibilità di fare bene, soprattutto dopo la
delusione della mancata partecipazione ai Mondiali.
Senza nulla togliere ai Campionati Mondiali, il campo dei partenti di questa edizione è
talmente straordinario da superare di gran lunga ogni gara Mondiale, Europea o addirittura
Olimpica. E' veramente impossibile trovare tanti campioni al via in una gara sola come
quest'anno a New York.
In bocca al lupo ai nostri e speriamo cha la RAI non faccia brutte figure durante la diretta che inizierà alle ore 17.30 su RAI 2. In alternativa alle 16.30 inizierà una diretta di 3 ore su EUROSPORT ma solo in lingua Inglese.
Ecco i favoriti con i primati personali e a seguire i profili (In Inglese)
1 Kagwe, John 30 2:08:12 . KENYA KEN
2 Chebet, Joseph 29 2:07:37 . KENYA KEN
3 Bayo, Zebedayo 23 2:08:51 . TANZANIA TAN
4 Elmouaziz, Abdelkhader 30 2:07:57 . MOROCCO MAR
6 Biwott, Simon 29 2:07:43 . KENYA KEN
7 Lagat, Elija 33 2:07:41 . KENYA KEN
9 Fiz, Martin 36 2:08:05 . SPAIN ESP
14 Goffi, Danilo 26 2:08:33 . ITALY ITA
15 Tarus, Philip 25 2:08:33 . KENYA KEN
17 Castro, Domingos 35 2:07:51 . PORTUGAL POR
18 Ndeti, Cosmas 27 2:07:15 . KENYA KEN
19 Kabiga, Jackson 22 2:08:47 . KENYA KEN
20 Silva, German 31 2:08:53 . MEXICO MEX
22 Kipsambu, Paul 36 2:08:25 . KENYA KEN
23 Leone, Giacomo 28 2:09:07 . ITALY ITA
24 Swartbooi, Lucketz 33 2:09:08 . NAMIBIA NAM
26 Guerra, Silvio 31 2:09:49 . ECUADOR ECU
30 Stefko, Robert 31 2:09:53 . SLOVAKIA SLV
31 Bungei, James 31 2:10:23 . KENYA KEN
36 Castro, Dionisio 35 2:11:54 . PORTUGAL POR
37 Bedasso, Turbe 27 2:10:15 . ETHIOPIA ETH
38 Githuka, Peter 30 2:11:20 . KENYA KEN
40 Shvetsov, Leonid 30 2:09:16 . RUSSIA RUS
41 Keiring, Eliud 25 2:11:19 . KENYA KEN
42 Kororia, Shem 27 2:11:27 . KENYA KEN
43 Otieno, Samuel 26 2:10:41 . KENYA KEN
46 Silva, Luis-Carlos 30 2:11:01 . BRAZIL BRA
47 Mahon, Terrence 29 2:13:02 PHILADELPHIA PA USA
48 Middleman, Dan 30 : : RALEIGH NC USA
49 Kiptum, William 28 : : . KENYA KEN
50 Colorado, Diego 26 : : . COLOMBIA COL
60 Ntyamba, Joao 31 : : . COLOMBIA COL
70 Carrasco, Alirio 23 : : . COLOMBIA COL
71 Gebreslassie, Teyeke 29 2:11:45 UDEN . NETHERLANDS NED
72 Bekele, Tesfaye 28 : : NEW YORK NY NOR
73 Abou El Wafa, Abdelillah 37 2:15:00 FIDENZA . ITALY ITA
74 Cabrera, Marvin 29 : : NEW YORK NY USA
75 Kahsay, Alem 27 2:16:00 NEW YORK NY ETH
76 McVeigh, Joseph A. 36 2:16:48 SUMMIT NJ USA
77 Foglia, Luca 37 : : ASCONA SWITZERLAND SUI
78 Hernandez, German 30 2:17:03 BROOKLYN NY MEX
79 Tbahi, Rachid 34 2:17:39 SLEEPY HOLLOWNY MAR
80 Silva Covarrubis, Gabriel 33 2:17:58 ZAPOPAN JA MEXICO MEX
81 Dura, Gilbert 31 2:18:00 VENISSEUX RH FRANCE FRA
82 Hall, Stuart 34 : : PLYMOUTH DE ENGLAND GBR
83 Nikolic, Srba 33 2:18:00 RIDGEWOOD NY SER
84 Barrientos C, Marcelo 29 2:18:22 SANTIAGO CHILE CHI
85 Chuqui, Julio 29 2:18:36 L.I.C. NY ECU
86 Ahmed, Sameh 28 2:18:48 ALEXANDRIA EGYPT EGY
87 Gury, Cyrille 39 2:19:00 FRANCE FRA
88 Piveteau, Pascal 38 2:19:02 ST/HERBLAIN FRANCE FRA
89 Ortiz, Arsenio 26 2:19:16 OZONE PARK NY USA
90 Innocenti, Fausto 34 2:19:30 CATENA QTA PI ITALY ITA
91 Billaudaz, Alexandre 27 2:19:35 SONNIERES FRANCE FRA
92 Vecchi, Angelo 37 2:19:48 BRESCIA BR ITALY ITA
93 Gebremichael, Kidane 35 : : NEW YORK NY ETH
94 Brunet, Jean-Pierre 38 2:21:50 LA VERPILLIERE FRANCE FRA
95 Caredda, Stephane 26 2:22:00 OULLINS RH FRANCE FRA
96 Schneider, Christophe 28 2:22:00 REIMS FRANCE FRA
97 Bellaouo, Hassan 30 2:23:30 RABAT MOROCCO MAR
98 Munoz, Francisco 31 2:24:17 BROOKLYN NY MEX
100 Moroncini, Fauzio 31 2:20:00 FOLIGNO PG ITALY ITA
M15 Schmidt, Joseph 51 2:19:36 LONG BEACH NY USA
M16 Franceschi, Fabrizio 40 2:20:31 PAPPINA PI ITALY ITA
M17 Ramirez, Jose Ignacio 40 2:20:46 FLUSHING NY COL
M18 Clima, Franco 45 2:21:57 AUBAGNE . FRANCE ITA
M19 Berald, Joel 40 2:22:00 MEYZIEU FRANCE FRA
M20 Horner, Jim 45 2:22:19 WILTON CT USA
M21 Gavino, Hugo 50 2:23:00 HUANCAYO JU PERU PER
M22 Michel, Patrick 41 2:23:00 BRIANCON FRANCE FRA
M23 Magne, Sergio V 40 2:24:00 E RUTHERFORD NJ BOL
M24 Porter, Scott 44 2:24:00 LAS VEGAS NE USA
M25 Vello, Gianni 49 2:24:00 PORTOGRUARO VE ITALY ITA
F1 Fiacconi, Franca 34 2:25:17 . ITALY ITA
F2 Fernandez, Adriana 28 2:24:06 . MEXICO MEX
F4 Catuna, Anuta 31 2:27:34 . ROMANIA ROM
F6 Dorre-Heinig, Katrin 38 2:24:35 . GERMANY GER
F8 Ndereba, Catherine 27 2:28:27 . KENYA KEN
F10 Timofeyeva, Irina 29 2:27:46 . RUSSIA RUS
F12 Tecuta-Gherasim, Alina 27 2:28:37 . ROMANIA ROM
F14 Loma, Guadalupe 31 2:32:07 . MEXICO MEX
F16 Kagiri, Margaret 30 : : . KENYA KEN
F17 Sultanova-Zhdarova, Firaya 38 2:30:45 . RUSSIA RUS
F19 Pana, Florina 30 2:30:21 . ROMANIA ROM
F21 Pomacu, Cristina 26 2:30:55 . ROMANIA ROM
F22 Talpos, Luminita 27 2:31:05 . ROMANIA ROM
F27 Hiwot, Giza 21 : : . ETHIOPIA ETH
F28 Narloch, Marcia 30 2:32:23 . BRAZIL BRA
F48 Wieciorkowska, Zofia 36 2:40:39 STRATFORD CT POL
F49 Solominskaia, Natalia 38 2:36:10 SAINT PONS FRANCE FRA
F50 Chalco Fernandez, Luz Mila 37 2:40:00 BROOKLYN NY ECU
Bib #1
John Kagwe
Personal Best: 2:08:12
Kenya
Age: 30
In 1997, as the busiest and best roadracer on American streets, John Kagwe
came to New York City and won by 75 seconds with a near course-record
2:08:12. In 1998, coming off of decidedly less sparkling results, he emerged
from the closest three-man battle in the event's history to defend his title in
2:08:45, becoming the first man to break 2:09 twice in the five-borough race. In
‘98, "I have concentrated on marathon training, not racing," was his
logical
explanation.
Kagwe, a devout Christian and a father of three, is a man who learns his
lessons. In 1996, he finished fourth in New York City (2:10:59), "because I kept
an eye on the key guys and they didn't move," allowing Italy's Giacomo Leone
to surge to a surprise victory (Kagwe placed fifth in his NYC Marathon debut in
1995 in 2:11:42). Kagwe vowed not to let it happen again. In both 1997 and
1998, he made his decisive move after the 22-mile mark, when the arduous
uphill running into Central Park begins.
Kagwe set the still standing Pittsburgh Marathon mark of 2:10:24 in 1995 and
won in Prague in 1997 with a 2:09:27. He placed fifth at the Boston Marathon
in both 1998 (2:08:51) and 1999 (2:13:57). But he is a relatively late starter by
Kenyan standards. The onetime soccer player began running at age 18. After
limited success at 800 meters, he moved to the 5,000, and soon to longer
distances.
In 1997, Kagwe might have broken Juma Ikangaa's New York City mark of
2:08:01 if he hadn't needed to stop twice to tie his shoelaces. The laces were
tighter in 1998, but so was the battle. Afterward, Kagwe graciously saluted rival
Joseph Chebet, the runner-up who "gave me the toughest race of my life."
The two-time defending men's champ trains in Norristown, Penn, in an enclave
that includes Kenyan stars Joseph Kamau, Peter Githuka, Catherine Ndereba,
and Teresa Wanjiku, and runs in nearby Valley Forge National Park. A diligent
worker who puts in 20 to 25 miles through to the end of September, he notes,
"I do take some time off... like a day."
#18
Cosmas Ndeti
Personal Best: 2:07:15
Kenya
Age: 27
Three straight Patriots' Day victories forever assured that Cosmas Ndeti's name
would be linked with the Boston Marathon, but just to be certain, the Kenyan
champ named his first son Boston.
By winning there in his first three tries in 1993, 1994, and 1995, Ndeti matched
a three-in-a-row feat previously achieved in Boston only by Clarence DeMar and
Bill Rodgers. As a virtual unknown, he took the 93 race in 2:09:33. In 94, he
staged one of the epic duels in marathon history, finally besting Mexico's
Andres Espinosa by four seconds to defend his title in 2:07:15, a Boston
course record that still stands. A 2:09:22 in 1995 completed the Kamba
tribesman's trio of triumphs.
Brash, colorful, and charismatic, Ndeti was a bit of a trash talker, emulating
boxers like Mike Tyson, whom he admired. In 1996, he resolved to conquer
Boston for an unprecedented fourth straight year, and to take the race's
celebratory 100th edition in course-record time. Before the race, he even took
the pulpit of a local Congregation Church to say so.
Ndeti has earned his three victories by "negative splitting" the course, laying
back and then running the second half faster than the first. But in ‘96, he
abandoned those tactics, went out hard, and paid the price. Under the
circumstances, his third place in 2:09:51 was laudable. He is the only man
ever to break 2:10 four straight times in Boston.
Ndeti's New York City experience has been limited; he was sixth in 1996 with
a 2:11:39. He also took sixth in the 1997 Fukuoka Marathon in 2:11:47. Prior
to his emergence in Boston, he had been the World Junior 20K Road Race
champ in 1990 and was runner-up at the World Junior Cross Country
Championships in 1991.
#2
Joseph Chebet
Personal Best: 2:07:37
Kenya
Age: 29
"I may have to change my tactics," Joseph Chebet said last November after
being runner-up to his Kenyan countryman John Kagwe in New York City for
the second straight year. After finishing 1:15 behind Kagwe in 1997, Chebet
lost last year by a mere three seconds (clocking 2:08:48), the closest NYC
Marathon finish ever. "It's hard to take second-place finishes so often."
No one was more gracious than Chebet, but it was still defeat. He'd been
second twice in New York and second in Boston to Moses Tanui in 1998, even
after running a 2:07:37. Like the great Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania, Chebet
seemed destined to challenge all the way to the very end, only to come up
short against those with superior finishing speed.
But just as Ikangaa did in 1989, when he set the still standing New York City
record of 2:08:01, Chebet finally got his breakthrough marathon win by not
leaving the verdict until the end. When he passed Silvio Guerra at the 22-mile
mark in Boston this April, he had uncontested clear sailing to the finish line. It
didn't matter that his 2:09:52, on a fairly warm day, was the slowest of his last
five marathons. "What's important," observed his coach Gabriele Rosa, "is
Joseph won a race in America."
Chebet may be the most consistent of all world class marathoners. In six tries,
he has never finished lower than second place. He debuted at the 26.2-mile
distance in 1996 by winning in Amsterdam with a 2:10:58, and he set a course
record of 2:09:19 in taking the 1998 Turin Marathon.
#6
Simon Biwott
Personal Best: 2:07:41
Kenya
Age: 29
Biwott, after running with a lead pack of eight for much of this April's Rotterdam
marathon, finished fourth in 2:07:41. In January, he tied the course record of
1:02:02 at the Discover Kenya Half-Marathon in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret,
topping a field that included Philip Tarus. Biwott also won the 1999 Monterrey
Half-Marathon in 1:01:24. He had 1998 victories at the Cancun International
Marathon in 2:13:19 (a minute ahead of 1994 New York City runnerup
Benjamin Paredes) and at the Mexico City Marathon in 2:16:49. Biwott, who
trains at an altitude of 10,000 feet, was fourth in the 1998 Rome Marathon in
2:12:14.
#7
Elijah Lagat
Personal Best: 2:07:41
Kenya
Age: 33
Elijah Lagat's big breakthrough came at 1997's Berlin Marathon, where he took
first place in 2:07:41. His other major marathon title came in Prague in 1998,
where he won in 2:08:52. He was fifth in the 1999 Paris Marathon with a
2:08:50, 10th in Chicago in 1998 in 2:10:33, and second in Turin in 1997 in
2:09:19. The Nandi tribesman has won Italy's Amatrice Configno Road Race for
two straight years and also prevailed at the 1997 Merano Half-Marathon. His
half-marathon best of 1:00:51 came in a fourth-place effort at Luxembourg's
Route de Vin in 1995.
#17
Domingos Castro
Personal Best: 2:07:51
Portugal
Age: 35
Domingos Castro earned international attention - and extreme sympathy - at
the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when he was the only athlete to give chase to front
runner John Ngugi in the 5,000-meter final. His courage went unrewarded; he
was robbed of a medal when he was overhauled by two Germans in the final
few meters. The crestfallen Castro recovered, and refashioned himself as a
marathoner, winning with a 2:10:03 in Paris in 1995 and even more
impressively with a 2:07:51 in Rotterdam in 1997. He was sixth in 2:10:23 in
his previous visit to New York City in 1997. This April, he was eighth in London
in 2:10:24. Castro, whose twin brother Dionisio is also entered in New York
City, did get silver medals in the 5000 at the 1987 World Championships and in
the 1994 European Cross Country Championships. He was sixth in the 10,000
at the 1997 World Championships with a 27:36.65, two seconds slower than
his personal best.
#4
Abdelkhader El Mouaziz
Personal Best: 2:07:57
Morocco
Age: 30
It's unlikely that even a "rabbit" will get far away from Abdelkhader El Mouaziz
in New York City in 1999.
After being outsprinted by Abel Anton at the 1998 London Marathon (and
recording a 2:08:07 as runner-up), Mouaziz resolved to "make a strong move
and increase the pace far away from the finish" in London this April.
He stuck with the pacesetters and had a 90-second margin over the other race
favorites. It grew to two minutes after a 4:36 15th mile, and his 2:07:57 missed
the course mark by just two seconds as he eased up and waved to the crowd
(just missing a $25,000 course-record bonus). He defeated 1997 London
winner Antonio Pinto by 1:03, with Anton another 41 seconds in arrears.
Mouaziz also clocked a 2:08:15 in January at the Marrakech Marathon, his
third victory there. He was fourth in New York City in 1997 with a 2:10:04 and
was entered in 1998's race before withdrawing with Achilles tendonitis.
#9
Martin Fiz
Personal Best: 2:08:05
Spain
Age: 36
Martin Fiz's gold medal efforts at the 1994 European and 1995 World
Championships heralded the coming of a second Spanish Renaissance - this
one in the marathon. First there was Fiz and now there are his countrymen
Abel Anton and Fabian Roncero, who give Spain a national marathoning trio
that only Kenya can surpass.
A few months before the ‘95 Worlds in Goteborg, Sweden, Fiz had won the
Rotterdam Marathon in a brisk 2:08:57. The following year, he improved his
time to 2:08:25 with a course record at the Dong-A Marathon in Kyong-Ju,
South Korea. He brought his time down even further in 1997 with a 2:08:05 to
capture the Lake Biwa Marathon in Otsu, Japan, a race he won again this
winter in 2:09:33. He also set a Spanish record of 1:01:08 for the half-marathon
in 1996. In 1997, Anton's finishing kick relegated Fiz to silver at the 1997 World
Championships. At the recent World Championships in Seville, Anton took
gold and Fiz placed eighth.
Fiz, who was seventh in 2:12:31 in the 1996 New York City Marathon, has
been around awhile; he was Spain's national junior 5000-meter champion in
1982. But, at 36, he may be as fast as ever. He set his personal best for
10,000 meters, a 27:49.61, in 1998.
#22
Paul Kipsambu
Personal Best: 2:08:25
Kenya
Age: 36
Paul Kipsambu had been a pacesetter at 1998 marathons in Reims and
Monaco, but became a serious world class contender as the runner-up in the
1999 Paris Marathon in 2:08:25. He is a proven half-marathoner, winning in
1997 at Chamont (1:03:32) and Nice (1:01:58), and taking third in Nice in '98 in
1:02:15. Kipsambu has also run 13:26 for 5000 meters.
#14
Danilo Goffi
Personal Best: 2:08:33
Italy
Age: 26
Danilo Goffi served notice with his marathon debut at Venice in 1995, capturing
first place in 2:09:26. His personal best of 2:08:33 came in a third-place finish
at Rotterdam in 1998. He has been a solid and consistent "big meet"
performer, taking fourth at the World Championships in Athens in 1997 and fifth
in Seville this summer, along with a ninth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Goffi
was the European Junior 10,000-meter champion in 1991.
#15
Philip Tarus
Personal Best: 2:08:33
Kenya
Age: 25
It's a mind-bending trip from Kenya to San Diego, but Philip Tarus has made
the journey twice and accomplished his marathoning mission both times.
Tarus is the only man ever to win that city's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, breaking
the tape in 2:10:42 in his debut at the distance in 1998. In '99, he won by more
than two minutes in a scorching 2:08:33 on a course that is not among the
easiest around. His is the fastest marathon ever run in the state of California,
surpassing Carlos Lopes' 2:09:21 at the Los Angeles Olympics.
The young Kenyan's other major win in '99 came at the venerable San Blas
Half-Marathon, which he covered in 1:02:11 to defeat Khalid Khannouchi. In
1998, he was first in the Discover Kenya Half-Marathon, running 1:02:05 at an
altitude of 6500 feet. He was also second in two prestigious half-marathons
that year - at Italy's Stramilano in an even quicker time of 1:00:23, and the
Philadelphia Distance Run, which he completed in 1:02:08.
#19
Jackson Kabiga
Personal Best: 2:08:42
Kenya
Age: 22
Jackson Kabiga already has three major marathon victories to his credit. This
year, he won in Nagano in 2:13:26, and in 1998, he conquered Fukuoka in a
personal best of 2:08:42 and Paris with a 2:09:43. Earlier on, he took sixth in
Berlin in 1997 with a 2:09:15 and sixth in Chicago in 1996 in 2:11:39. He has a
half-marathon best of 1:01:00.
#3
Zebedayo Bayo
Personal Best: 2:08:51
Tanzania
Age: 23
Established distance runners who wait until beyond the age of 30 to run their
first marathons should consider the case of Zebedayo Bayo, who in 1998 was
a Los Angeles Marathon champion at 21 and a third-place finisher in New York
City at age 22 with a 2:08:51. No one Bayo's age had ever run so fast through
the five boroughs.
While Kenyan distance running has flourished in the '90s, the sport has been
moribund in neighboring Tanzania, formerly a rival power on the roads and
track. Bayo seems most likely to reverse his nation's fortunes and become
Tanzania's greatest marathoner since Juma Ikangaa, the New York City
record-holder at 2:08:01 (1989).
Bayo first made his mark in 1997 in a pair of Italian 26.2-mile races. He was
second in 2:14:12 in the Vigarano Maratona in Ferrara and improved to 2:12:12
as runner-up in Venice to Antonio Serrano of Spain. His swift 1:00:26 for third
place in the 1998 Lisbon Half-Marathon was proof that Bayo was world class.
Just weeks later, in the Los Angeles Marathon, he was eight seconds down to
Kenya's Jonathan Ndambuki at 24 miles, but, "I had confidence in my kick,
and I still had time left to the finish." Bayo broke the tape in 2:11:20, the third
best clocking on LA's punishing course.
This spring, Bayo's 2:11:17 in Paris was good for only tenth place. But New
Yorkers will recall that in the closest three-way battle in the city's marathon
history, he was still in contention at the 26-mile mark against John Kagwe and
Joseph Chebet, two veterans familiar with New York's course. Bayo finished
three seconds behind Chebet and six behind Kagwe. Zeb Bayo, the surprise of
1998, will not surprise anyone if he's still in the hunt again on Nov. 7.
#20
German Silva
Personal Best: 2:08:56
Mexico
Age: 31
Before his first New York City Marathon in 1994, Mexico's German Silva boldy
predicted "I will win." And he was right. But even he could not have predicted
the events that would make his triumph so legendary and memorable. Silva
took that famous, seemingly fatal premature wrong turn into Central Park near
Seventh Avenue. Then, sensing the horror on the faces of the spectators, he
did a 180-degree turn and summoned up all his finishing speed to overhaul his
training partner, Benjamin Paredes just before the tape and win by two
seconds in 2:11:21.
Silva had as much fun spoofing his wrong turn as anyone. He was as amiable,
good humored and charismatic as any New York City Marathon champion.
Which is why his 1995 victory, when he emerged from a large pack and
outsprinted Englishman Paul Evans by five seconds in 2:11:00, was so
immensely popular. In the process, he became the first repeat New York City
Marathon champion on the men's side since Orlando Pizzolato accomplished
the task a decade earlier.
One of 13 children, Silva began to run to school at age 14, and later did his
training at 12,000-foot altitude on the side of a volcano. He has used his fame
and wealth and new-found influence to help secure electricity and better
medical aid for his rural village of Tecomate.
Silva has continued to race well in New York, placing fourth in last November's
highly competitive race in 2:10:24 and fifth in 1997 with a 2:10:29. In 1998, he
set a new personal best of 2:08:56 with a sixth place at the Boston Marathon
and scored a major international victory at the Egmond Half-Marathon in the
Netherlands, where he ran 1:03:08.
#23
Giacomo Leone
Personal Best: 2:09:07
Italy
Age: 28
An unknown in New York City in 1996, Giacomo Leone sped through a pair of
the quickest closing miles in the marathon's history - 4:44 and 4:41 - to break
the tape in 2:09:54, 15 seconds in front of Ethiopia's Turbo Tumo. The triumph
of Leone, who heard so many shouts of "Go, Italia" as he outclassed a
star-studded field, was the first by an Italian in the five boroughs since Gianni
Poli's 1986 victory.
Leone improved his personal best to 2:09:07 in Rotterdam in 1997. He was
seventh at the World Championships in Athens that summer and ran a fine
2:09:46 for fourth place at the 1998 Tokyo International Marathon. He was sixth
at the 1999 London Marathon in 2:10:03.
#30
Robert Stefko
Personal Best: 2:09:53
Slovakia
Age: 31
Robert Stefko set a Slovakian national record with a 2:09:53 at London, good
for sixth, in 1998. He also holds national marks for 1500 (3:40.35), 3000
(7:46.83), 5000 (13:19.40), and 10,000 meters (27:42.98), for the mile (3:58.20)
and half-marathon (1:01:46). Stefko was seventh in New York City in 1997 in
2:11:11 and 12th in 1998. He was the 1998 World Military Cross Country
champion.
#31
James Bungei
Personal Best: 2:10:23
Kenya
Age: 31
James Bungei is new to the marathon, coming off a 2:10:23 second-place
debut at Los Angeles this winter. He mastered the half-marathon distance with
two key victories in 1998, in Toronto in 1:03:53 and Las Vegas in 1:01:11, plus
a runner-up 1:01:56 in Rio de Janeiro. Bungei, a three-time winner of the
Phoenix 10K from 1995 to 1997, also races often and well in Peru. He won the
Credicorp 10K in Lima in 1998 and took second in 1999, and won Lima's Metro
10K in 1997.
#43
Samuel Otieno
Personal Best: 2:10:41
Kenya
Age: 26
Samuel Otieno was third in his marathon debut in April, running 2:10:41 in
Hamburg, Germany. He won Great Britain's 1999 Hastings Half-Marathon in a
course-record 1:01:37 and the 1998 Toulouse Half-Marathon in 1:01:36. He
was fourth in the 10,000 meters in this year's Kenyan Armed Forces
Championships in Nairobi. Otieno has run 27:47 for 10,000 meters.
#46
Luis Carlos Silva
Personal Best: 2:11:01
Brazil
Age: 30
Luis Carlos Silva ran his personal best at Berlin in 1997, where he took 13th
place. He was also third that year at the Houston Marathon.
#41
Eliud Keiring
Personal Best: 2:11:19
Kenya
Age: 25
Eliud Keiring ran 2:11:19 to win the 1999 Prague Marathon, his first 26.2-miler
outside of Kenya. The Nandi tribesman was also first at this year's Mexico City
Marathon, winning by 30 seconds in 2:17:55.
#38
Peter Githuka
Personal Best: 2:11:20
Kenya
Age: 30
Peter Githuka, based in Norristown, PA, and a training partner of John Kagwe,
has been one of the busiest American roadracers since 1996, when he set a
world record of 22:03 at the Crazy Eights 8K in Kingsport, TN. Runner's World
magazine picked Githuka second in its global roadrace rankings in 1997 and
1998. He was eighth in New York City with a 2:11:20 in his marathon debut in
1998 and was sixth in this April's Boston Marathon in 2:14:03. He won the
1998 Philadelphia Distance Run (half-marathon) in 1:01:58.
#42
Shem Kororia
Personal Best: 2:11:27
Kenya
Age: 27
Shem Kororia was ninth in the 1998 New York City Marathon with his 2:11:27.
His most important international victory came at the 1997 World Half-Marathon
Championships in Slovakia, where he prevailed in a four-man sprint and
covered the 13.1 miles in 59:56, two seconds ahead of Moses Tanui. He was
the bronze medalist in the 5000 meters at the 1995 World Championships in
Goteberg, Sweden. His 1999 victories include the Berne (Switzerland)
Ten-Mile, which he completed in 48:31. On the track, Kororia has run 27:18.02
for 10,000 meters and 13:02.80 for 5000.
#47
Terrence Mahon
Personal Best: 2:13:02
United States
Age: 29
Mahon ran his best of 2:13:02 at the 1997 Chicago Marathon, where he placed
14th. He has also run 1:03:36 for the half-marathon and 28:31 for 10,000
meters. In 1999, his results have included a second at the Tim Kerr 10K
(30:09), a tenth at the Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine (29:51), and a 14th at
the Clarksburg (WV) 10K (30:20). The Philadelphia native is a Reebok Enclave
member and is coached by former U.S. 5000-meter recordholder Matt
Centrowitz. Mahon is married to U.S. distance star Jennifer Rhines.
#50
Diego Colorado
Personal best: 2:19:33
Colombia
Age: 26
Colorado was fourth at the 1999 Medellin Half-Marathon, second there in 1998,
and fourth in '97. He was tenth in the 1999 Los Angeles Marathon in 2:19:33.
He was third in the 1998 South American Cross Country Championships.
DEBUTS:
#49
William Kiptum
Personal Best: 1:01:13 (Half-Marathon)
Kenya
Age: 28
One of Kenya's leading 10,000-meter track runners - he ran 27:17.20 in Oslo in
1994 and 27:18.84 in Brussels in 1996 – William Kiptum has been more active
lately on American roads. This year, he was second in the Old Kent (MI) 25K
in 1:14:24, the Santa Cruz to Capitola (CA) Six-Mile in 27:36, and the Cooper
River (SC) 10K in 28:45. He won the 1998 Washington DC Sally Mae 10K in
28:17. Kiptum, who has a half-marathon best of 1:01:13, is making his
marathon debut.
#60
Joao Ntyamba
Personal Best: 1:02:54 (Half-Marathon)
Colombia
Age: 31
Ntyamba, originally from Angola and now a Colombian citizen, was third in the
1999 Medellin Half-Marathon. He was 13th in the 10,000 at the 1999 World
Championships in Seville in a national record 28:32. He was fifth at the 1998
San Blas Half-Marathon in Puerto Rico. A converted middle distance runner,
Ntyamba was a World Championships semifinalist in the 1500 in 1991.
#48
Dan Middleman
Personal Best: 28:04.8 (10,000 meters)
Raleigh, NC
Age: 29
Dan Middleman was third in the 10,000 meters at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials
after setting his personal best of 28:04.8 at that spring's Mt. SAC Relays. He
was 17th in his first round heat at the Olympics in Atlanta. He was 12th in the
first round of the 10,000 at the 1997 World Championships. Last February,
Middleman was third in the U.S. Cross Country Championships, running 12K in
34:32. He has run 13:36.0 for 5000 meters. A graduate of the University of
Florida and of W.T. Clarke High School in Westbury, NY, he is the author of a
running novel entitled "Pain."
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