Patrick Makau and all 6 Daegu champions get wild card entries into Kenyan Olympic squad

Athletics Kenya have announced the automatic qualifications of all the 6 newly crowned world champions at Daegu and new marathon World record holder Patrick Makau (2:03:38 at Berlin last Sunday, pending ratification) to the Kenyan 2012 London Olympics team.

The 6 gold medalists at the World Champions 2011 Daegu are:
Men
800m: David Rudisha
1500m: Asbel Kiprop (defending Olympic champion)
3000m S/C: Ezekiel Kemboi
Marathon: Abel Kirui

Women
5000m/10,000m: Vivian Cheruiyot
Marathon: Edna Kiplagat

Top Contenders for New York City Marathon 2011 November 6

A Galaxy of Stars to shine on the field of New York City Marathon 2011 November 6 which includes:

Men: (Course record - 2:07:43 Tesfaye Jifar (ETH) 2001)
Geoffrey Mutai (KEN), 29 -- PB 2:03:02 Boston 2011 - fastest time ever run
Tsegaye Kebede (ETH), 24 - PB 2:05:18 Fukuoka 2009 , making a debut
Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) - PB 2:04:53 Boston 2011
Emmanuel Mutai (KEN),27 - PB 2:06:40 London 2011
Meb Keflezighi (USA), 36 --- PB 2:09:15 New York 2009
Jaouad Gharib (MOR), 39 -- PB 2:05:27 London 2009

Women: (Course record - 2:22:31 Margaret Okayo (KEN) 2003)
Mary Keitany (KEN), 29 - WL 2:19:19 London 2011, Half Marathon 1:05:50 WR
Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 32 - PB 2:20:46 London 2011, World champion Daegu
Caroline Kilel (KEN), 30 - PB 2:22:36 Boston 2011
Buzunesh Deba (KEN), 24 - PB 2:23:31 San Diego 2011
Galina Bogomolova (RUS), 33 - PB 2:20:47 Chicago 2006

The New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world attracting more than 100,000 applicants annually for the limited places and and last year saw an all time record number of 44,977 finishers

Marathon World Record Progression in the last 30 years

Patrick Makau
Paula Radcliffe






1896 Athens Olympics Marathon




History
1896 April 10 - Inauguration of modern Olympics in Athens, Greece when 1st marathon race was run from Marathon Bridge to the Olympic Stadium in Athens, a distance of 24.85 miles (40km) which was won by Spiridon Louis of Greece in 2:58:50

1908 July 24 - 2:55:18 Johnny Hayes (USA) London Olympics - distance was increased to 26.2 miles ( 42.195km) (to cover the ground from Windsor Castle to White City Stadium and after 16 years of heated discussion, this 26.2 mile distance was established at the 1924 Olympics in Paris as the official marathon distance.) This 2:55:18 was the first official time of the 26.2 mile marathon on record.


Marathon world record progression since 1981:

Men (last 3 world records set in Berlin in last 4 years)
2:08:18 - Robert De Castella (AUS) - Fukuoka 1981
2:08:05 - Steve Jones (GBR) - Chicago 1984
2:07:12 - Carlos Lopes (POR) - Rotterdam 1985
2:06:50 - Belavneh Dinsamo (ETH) - Rotterdam 1988
2:06:05 - Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) - Berlin 1998
2:05:42 - Khalid Khannouchi (MOR) - Chicago 1999
2:05:38 - Khalid Khannouchi (USA) - London 2002
2:04:55 - Paul Tergat (KEN) - Berlin 2003
2:04:26 - Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) - Berlin 2007
2:03:59 - Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) - Berlin 2008
2:03:38 - Patrick Makau (KEN) - Berlin 2011 (at 2:56 pace)

Women: (1 world record in last 8 years)
2:29:57 - Joyce Smith (GBR) - London 1981
2:29:01 - Charlotte Teske (West Germany) - Miami, USA 1982
2:26:12 - Joan Benoit (USA) - Eugene, USA 1982
2:25:29 - Crete Waitz (NOR) - London 1983
2:22:43 - Joan Benoit (USA) - Boston 1983
2:24:26 - Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) - London 1984
2:21:06 - Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) - London 1985
2:20:47 - Tegla Loroupe (KEN) - Rotterdam 1998
2:20:43 - Tegla Loroupe (KEN) - Berlin 1999
2:19:46 - Naoko Takahashi (JPN) - Berlin 2001
2:18:47 - Catherine Ndereba (KEN) - Chicago 2001
2:17:18 - Paula Radcliffe (GBR) - Chicago 2002
2:15:25 - Paula Radcliffe (GBR) - London 2003 (as at 19 September 2011)

Ranking of World's Fastest Marathon Runners n Finishing Times (Male) As of Berlin 2011

#1 Geoffrey Mutai 2:03:02 Boston 2011
#2 Moses Mosop 2:03:06 Boston 2011 (debut)
#3 Patrick Makau 2:03:38 (WR) Berlin 2011



As of Berlin Marathon 2011 September 25 :

Top 10 Marathon Runners of all time :
1) Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) - 2:03:02 Boston 18 April 2011 (not ratified by IAAF)
2) Moses Mosop (KEN) - 2:03:06 Boston 2011 (2nd) (not ratified by IAAF)
3) Patrick Makau (KEN) - 2:03:38 Berlin 2011 (World Record)*
4) Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) - 2:03:59 Berlin 28 Sept 2008
5) Duncan Kipkemboi Kibet (KEN) - 2:04:27 Rotterdam 5 April 2009
5) James Kipsang Kwambai (KEN) - 2:04:27 Rotterdam (2nd) 5 April 2009
7) Emmanuel Mutai (KEN) - 2:04:40 London 17 April 2011
8) Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) - 2:04:53 Boston 2011 (3rd) (not ratified IAAF)
9) Paul Tergat (KEN) - 2:04:55 Berlin 28 September 2003
10) Sammy Korir (KEN) - 2:04:56 Berlin (2nd placing) 28 September 2003

(50% of the above were set in the 1st 9 months of this year including the top 3, 7th n 8th)


Top 10 results (finishing times) of all time
1) 2:03:02 - Geoffrey Mutai 2011 Boston
2) 2:03:06 - Moses Mosop 2011 Boston
3) 2:03:38 - Patrick Makau 2011 Berlin (World Record)*
4) 2:03:59 - Haile Gebrselassie 2008 Berlin
5) 2:04:26 - Haile Gebrselassie 2007 Berlin
6) 2:04:27 - Duncan Kibet 2009 Rotterdam
6) 2:04:27 - James Kwambai 2009 Rotterdam
8) 2:04:40 - Emmanuel Mutai (KEN) 2011 London
9) 2:04:48 - Patrick Makau (KEN) 2010 Rotterdam
10) 2:04:53 - Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 2008 Dubai
10) 2:04:53 - Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) 2011 Boston]

* pending ratification by IAAF

2:03:38 - Patrick Makau is the new Marathon World Record Holder

Patrick Makau became the new marathon world record holder when he won the 38th BMW Berlin Marathon today in 2:03:38, the 5th and 4th consecutive men's world marathon record set on this 'world's fastest course'.

The 26-year old Kenyan shattered the 3-year old record by 21 seconds set right here by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia who surprisingly pulled out to the right side of the road, shaking his hand to indicate breathing difficulties at the 27km mark after Makau took a surge forward, however he continued the race after one minute and remained at 2nd place far behind the leader but finally he DNF with 7km remaining.



Results:
Men
1) 2:03:38 (WR) - Patrick Makau (KEN)
2) 2:07:55 - Stephen Kwelio (KEN) (pacemaker)
3) 2:09:50 - Edwin Kimaiyo (KEN)

Women
1) 2:19:44 - Florence Kiplagat (KEN)***
2) 2:22:18 - Irina Mikitenko (GER)
3) 2:23:46 - Paula Radcliffe (GBR)

***Had Florence Kiplagat clocked faster than 2:17:42, would the IAAF ratify it as the new world record as per new criterion announced 5 days ago since she finished with the pacing of male runners ?

Top Contenders - 38th BMW Berlin Marathon Tomorrow

Patrick won here last year in 2:05:08
2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie broke his own WR here in 2008
Irina and Paula with their bibs
Haile and Patrick with their bibs

'world's fastest marathon course'

2 world record holders, a world champion and an European champion will be included in the following top contenders among the 40,000 starters at the 38th BMW Berlin Marathon which kicks off tomorrow with an expected 1.2 million spectators along the widely considered as the world's fastest 42.195km-marathon course and with live broadcast to over 150 countries:

Men
1) Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 38 - PB 2:03:59 Berlin 2008 (WR)
2) Patrick Makau (KEN), 26 - PB 2:04:48 Rotterdam 2010 (7th fastest marathoner all time)
3) Gilbert Yegon (KEN), 23 - PB 2:06:18 Amsterdam 2009

Women
1) Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 37 - 2:15:25 (World Best) London 2003 ; 2:17:42 (WR) London 2005
2) Irina Mikitenko (GER), 29 - PB 2:19:19 Berlin 2008
3) Nayla Yulamanova (RUS) - 2:26:01 (European champion)
4) Florence Kiplagat (KEN), 24 - 2010 World Half Marathon champion - marathon debut

Gebrselassie is seeking his 5th victory here after having won 4 times in a row in the real,-Berlin Marathon
2006 in 2:05:56
2007 in 2:04:26 (WR)
2008 in 2:03:59 -- current WR
2009 in 2:06:08
(beginning this year the auto giants BMW is the new title sponsor of Berlin Marathon, replacing their long association with real,-)

Last year's winners:
Men : Patrick Makau (KEN) ---- 2:05:08
Women : Aberu Kebede (ETH) - 2:23:58.







Some info on Berlin Marathon:
Capacity: 40,000 - Inaugural Race: 1974 - Largest Field : 35,913 finishers in 2008
Prize Money: $340,000 ($64,000 each for the male and female champions)
An IAAF Gold Label Road Race n a component of World Marathon Majors (WMM)
It is traditionally held on the last Sunday of September

Course Records :
Men - 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 2008
Women - 2:19:12 Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) 2005

7 World records have been established here :
Men:
1998 - 2:06:05 Ronaldo da Costa (BRA)
2003 - 2:04:55 Paul Tergat (KEN)
2007 - 2:04:26 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)
2008 - 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie ===> Current WORLD RECORD
Women:
1977 - 2:34:48 Christa Vahlensieck (GER)
1999 - 2:20:43 Tegla Loroupe (KEN)
2001 - 2:19:46 Naoko Takahashi (JPN)

3rd time in history both marathon World record holders run in the same race - Sunday Berlin Marathon

Haile and Paula with their bibs

Coming Sunday the 38th BMW Berlin Marathon will see for the 3rd time in history the participation of both the current Men and Women marathon World record holders in a same marathon race:
Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia -- 2:03:59 Berlin 2008 and
Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain - 2:17:42 London 2005

The previous two such scenario were in 1989 New York City Marathon (Belayneh Dinsamo and Ingrid Kristiansen) and in 2005 London (Paul Tergat andPaula Radcliffe)