FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                    Tola Breaks Course Record as Does 
               Jeruto in Her Marathon Debut in Duesseldorf

Both course records were broken and a number of Olympic qualifying 
standards achieved at the 10th METRO GROUP Marathon Duesseldorf. Ethiopia's 
Seboka Diriba Tola ran 2:08:27 and improved the two year-old mark by five 
seconds. He finished ahead of Duncan Koech (Kenya/2:08:33) and former 
Kenyan Abraham Kiprotich (France/2:08:35). In contrast the women's winner 
caused quite a surprise: Agnes Jeruto (Kenya) ran a great debut in fine 
weather conditions and finished with 2:25:49. She improved the course 
record by 55 seconds. Nastassia Staravoitava (Belarus) finished second with 
2:27:24 while Melkam Gisaw (Ethiopia) took third in 2:27:50. 

The METRO GROUP Marathon Duesseldorf is an IAAF Bronze Label Race. A total 
of 14,000 athletes had entered the various events. 4,000 of them 
participated in the marathon. It was the best quality race in the history 
of the event with seven men clocking sub 2:11 times and five women running 
inside 2:30.

In almost ideal weather conditions with temperatures around 15 Celsius at 
the start, overcast skies and hardly any wind the men's leading group was 
on course for a sub 2:08 time. 10 k were passed in 30:21 minutes and the 
half way mark reached in 64:14 after the pace had slightly slowed. But then 
the leading group of around a dozen runners picked it up again. Among those 
runners who were dropped from the first group at this stage was Japan's 
Yuki Kawauchi, who got a lot of media attention and drew many Japanese 
spectators to the course. He finished eighth with 2:12:58. "It did not work 
out for me today. The Africans set the pace and it was up and down. But it 
was a great experience to run here in Duesseldorf and I would like to come 
back. I will certainly learn from this race and next time I will compete 
with a better strategy," said Yuki Kawauchi.

Six runners were still in contention for victory at 30 k (1:31:12): Besides 
Seboka Diriba Tola, Duncan Koech and Abraham Kiprotich there were Evans 
Ruto, Abraham Chelanga plus the defending champion Nahashon Kimaiyo (all 
Kenya). It was Kimaiyo who was dropped first. After Ruto and Chelanga had 
lost contact as well a tactical race developed around the 35 k mark. None 
of the three left in the leading group made a move. The pace dropped and 
vital seconds for a possible sub 2:08 time were lost. Even the two year-old 
course record set by Iaroslav Musinschi (Moldova) seemed to slip away, but 
when Tola finally did take off with one kilometre to go he produced the 
fastest 1000 metres of the race: After a 2:49 minutes sprint he did break 
the mark by five seconds with 2:08:27.

Behind Duncan Koech (2:08:33) France's Abraham Kiprotich (2:08:35) and 
fourth placed Marcin Chabowski (Poland/2:10:07) achieved the Olympic 
qualifying times set by their national federations. Ruto (2:10:10), Kimaiyo 
(2:10:28) and Chelanga (2:10:40) ran inside 2:11 as well. "For me today it 
was all about winning. After I ran my personal best of 2:06:17 in Dubai in 
January I am happy with today's victory," said 24 year-old Tola.  

In the women's race a leading group of six athletes ran together in the 
first half of the marathon: Pre-race favourite Kebebush Haile Lema and her 
fellow-Ethiopians Gishu Mindaye, Melkam Gisaw and Fantu Eticha Jimma formed 
this group together with the Kenyans Agnes Jeruto and Jane Rotich. After 
they had passed half way in 1:12:25 the group began to break up. Between 30 
and 35 k 29 year-old debutant Agnes Jeruto was on her own. She had 
indicated that she would go for a 2:25 finish before the race, although her 
half marathon best is only 1:12:03. She almost broke that PB during the 
marathon on Sunday. "It was a great debut for me. I had no problems during 
the race and the pacemakers guided me well. It was only on the final four 
kilometres that I slowed a bit," said Agnes Jeruto.

Second placed Nastassia Staravoitava ran inside the Olympic qualifying time 
of Belarus with 2:27:24 as did her fellow-countrywoman Volha Dubovskaya who 
took fourth with 2:28:07. In between them Melkam Gisaw (2:27:50) was third. 
Fellow Ethiopian Haile Kebebush Lema took fifth place with 2:29:02.

Germany's Anna Hahner ran a fine marathon debut, but she just missed the 
national qualifying standard for London by 14 seconds. Clocking 2:30:14 for 
sixth place, the 22 year-old hopes that selectors might still pick her 
after a good race. In contrast there is still no light at the end of the 
tunnel for the German men. Jan Fitschen dropped out because of muscle 
problems after 24.5 k so that no German runner will compete in the Olympic 
men's marathon once again.

More information and online entry is available at: 
www.metrogroup-marathon.de 
 
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