FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Youngster Robert Chemonges wins in Duesseldorf
Uganda's youngster Robert Chemonges is the winner of the 15th METRO
Marathon Duesseldorf with a personal best. The 19 year-old clocked a fine
2:10:31 in windy conditions, which should secure qualification for the
World Championships' marathon in London this summer. Norway's Weldu
Gebretsadik took second with 2:11:16 and also qualified for London while
Yared Shegumo of Poland was third. The runner-up from the European
Championships in Zurich 2014 clocked 2:12:33.
Portugal's Doroteia Alves Peixoto took the women's race with 2:32:00,
improving her personal best by 4:01 minutes. Sara Makera of Tanzania, who
had been in the lead for most of the race, was second in 2:33:08. Third
placed Carmen Martinez Aguilar from Paraguay ran a national record of
2:35:17. All three achieved their national qualifying times for the World
Championships.
Including running events staged parallel a total of around 16,000 runners
entered the METRO Marathon Duesseldorf. Close to 4,000 of them were running
the marathon.
A group of six men, including two pacemakers, passed the half way mark in
64:53. When the rabbits dropped out four kilometres later there was a good
mix of nationalities left in the first group: Josphat Ndambiri of Kenya,
Robert Chemonges of Uganda, Poland's Yared Shegumo who grew up in Ethiopia
and Weldu Gebretsadik, who switched from Eritrea to Norway.
It was then Shegumo who lost contact to the group in the 28th kilometre but
later moved ahead to third. The leading trio kept their consistent pace and
went through the 30 k mark in 1:32:35. Surprisingly it was then the
favourite Ndambiri, who could not hold on with around nine kilometres to
go. With a PB of 2:07:36 he was the fastest runner on the start list and
had hoped to break the course record of 2:07:48. But he could not match the
pace of Chemonges and Gebretsadik. The pair shared the lead until the 40th
kilometre, when the Ugandan attacked and built a decisive lead. "I realized
that he would probably not be able to follow me. So that was when I pushed.
Before I was not sure if I could win," said Robert Chemonges, who improved
his personal best of 2:10:32 by exactly 32 seconds in Duesseldorf. "It was
difficult in the wind. But otherwise it was a great race, and obviously I
am very happy."
It was just a week ago when Uganda's superstar Stephen Kiprotich came in
second at the Hamburg Marathon. Now a fellow-countryman turned out to be
the surprise winner of the METRO Marathon Duesseldorf. "I am now number
three in Uganda behind Stephen Kiprotich and Munyo Mutai, so I think I will
be selected for the World Championships," said Chemonges, who one day hopes
to run 2:06.
In the women's race Sara Makera sprinted away right from the start,
covering the first kilometre in 3:08. At 10 k she was still running a 2:25
pace with a split time of 34:27. The runner from Tanzania, who had a
personal best of 2:45:00 before Duesseldorf, slowed but kept a significant
lead until late in the race. She passed half way in 1:13:29 and 30 k after
1:45:38. With 12 k to go 29 year-old Makera was still almost two minutes
ahead of Doroteia Alves Peixoto. However she then slowed dramatically in
the final section and the Portuguese passed her less than two kilometres
from the finish line by the Rhine. Third placed Carmen Martinez Aguilar
improved her own Paraguayan record by 44 seconds to 2:35:17.
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