Marathon News - Course Record for Kebede at Fukuoka Marathon

Dec-7-2008

Course Record for Kebede at Fukuoka Marathon
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia smashed Samuel Wanjiru's course record at today's Fukuoka International Marathon in Japan, capping the Olympic bronze medalist's season with his second marathon victory of the year.

The tiny Kebede, who weighs in at only 50 kg, covered the 5 km between 30 and 35 km in a sparkling 14:17, putting the rest of the field well behind him and launching him to a 2:06:10 personal best. Not only did he surpass Wanjiru's 2007 course record of 2:06:39, but Kebede's was also the fastest marathon ever run in Japan, easily surpassing Gert Thys's all-comers record of 2:06:33 set in Tokyo nearly ten years ago in February, 1999.

Three Japanese finished in the next three places behind Kebede: Satoshi Irifune (2:09:23), Arata Fujiwara (2:09:47) and Tomoyuki Sato (2:09:59).
They were trying to qualify for their national team for the 2007 IAAF World Championship in Berlin next August. Kenyan Felix Limo rounded out the top-5 in 2:10:59.

Pacemaker John Kales of Kenya was with Kebede at the 30 km mark in 1:30:41. Irifune and Yuko Matsumiya were just one second behind, and Sato was just a second behind his two compatriots. Kales left the course after 31 km, and Kebede's sizzling speed left all of his rivals more than a minute behind by the time the 35 km mark was reached. Although Kebede slowed in the final seven kilometers, he had more than enough time in the bank to break Wanjiru's record.

Kebede had one of the best years of any marathoner in the world in 2008. He was the surprise winner of Paris last April in a quick 2:06:40, and in Beijing he passed his teammate Deriba Merga in the last kilometer to take the bronze medal in 2:10:00. His mark today in Fukuoka makes him only one of three men to break 2:07 twice this year (the other two are Haile Gebrselassie and Wanjiru).

The race in Fukuoka marks the pentultimate weekend for international marathon running this year. Next weekend's Honolulu Marathon will effectively close the global marathon season, the best year ever for fast marathon running with record 16 sub-2:07 performances, more than double last year's total.