Haile and Gete shine at Berlin Tournament

By Jörg Wenig for the IAAF | September 25, 2006

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Third placed Kurao Umeki from Japan, winner Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia and second placed Gudisa Shentema from Ethiopia, from left, pose for media during the winners ceremony after the 33rd Berlin Marathon in Germany, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Gebrselassie won the race in a time of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 56 seconds. Around 40,000 runners from more than 100 countries took part in the event. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

BERLIN, Germany - Haile Gebrselassie on Sunday won the 33rd real-Berlin Marathon but he missed Paul Tergat's World Record once again over the difficult final stages. In warm conditions with temperatures climbing well over 20° Celsius (70° F.) two hours into the race, the 33-year-old Ethiopian clocked 2:05:56, the fastest in the world this year. Gebreselassie also improved his personal best and national record of 2:06:20 set a year ago in Amsterdam by 24 seconds.

Kenyan Tergat won the Berlin Marathon three years ago in 2:04:55, a performance which still stands as the World record. Gebrselassie is getting closer but the gap between the pair is still 61 seconds, which equates to more than 300 metres. Nonetheless, with his Berlin performance, Gebrselassie is now the fifth fastest runner in history with the seventh fastest time ever.

It was the first Ethiopian victory in the history of the Berlin Marathon - and today there were even two as Gete Wami provided an Ethiopian double. She won the women’s race in a world class time of 2:21:34 hours, an Ethiopian record as well. The previous Ethiopian standard of 2:21:52 was set in London earlier this year by Berhane Adere. Taking into account the really warm temperatures two hours after the start both winning times were excellent.

While Gebrselassie’s strongest opponent Sammy Korir (Kenya) dropped out of the race due to a hamstring injury, another Ethiopian, Gudisa Shentema Kudam, finished second behind Gebrselassie. He clocked 2:10:43 with a big gap. Japanese Kurao Umeki finished third in 2:13:43.

In the women’s race Salina Kosgei of Kenya finished second in another world class time of 2:23:22. Third was Poland’s Monica Drybulska clearly behind in 2:30:12. While Sonja Oberem had to drop out at her marathon comeback because of muscle problems, her team mate Melanie Kraus finished sixth in 2:35:37.

Gebrselassie collected 80,000 Euros for the victory while countrywomen Gete Wami collected 65,000. Because of his victory in Berlin Gebrselassie remains unbeaten in the month of September in his international career. From 1992 to the present he won 15 times in the year’s ninth month – eleven times on the track and four times on the roads.

But his big goal, the marathon World record, remained out of reach in his fourth marathon – not counting one race in the age of 15 in Addis Ababa. “I wanted to run faster. But in the end I wasn’t able to push. I will continue to run the marathon and I think I will break the World record one day, I’m sure,” said Gebrselassie, who covered the first half in 62:46 with the support of the pace makers.

But already in the first half of the race the pace had been inconsistent. With one pacemaker after another dropping off, it was only Kenyan James Kwambai who remained until he ended his services at about the 28 km point. At 30 k and 35 k (1:29:06/1:43:37) it looked as if Gebrselassie could be successful in his quest, but between 35 and 40 km it looked different again. This had been Tergat’s strongest part in the race in 2003, while once more, it was the weakest part for Gebrselassie. With seven kilometres to go, he had an advantage of 22 seconds on Tergat’s record. However at 40 k, it turned into a 22 second deficit. For the 40th kilometre, he clocked 3:14. “Already at half way I somehow knew that it would not work. But the last seven kilometres were really hard, I could not push.”

Ethiopia's Gete Wami (C) poses with Salina Kosgei (R) of Kenya and Monica Drybulska (L) of Poland during the winners ceremony after the women's competition of the 33rd Berlin marathon in front of the Brandenburg Gate September 24, 2006. Wami made it a double victory for Ethiopia by winning the women's race in 2:21:34, a national record, ahead of Kosgei in second and Drybulska in third. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann (GERMANY)

Phoning from his home in Kenya, Tergat said, "It is never easy to break a World record. But I have to congratulate Haile because his performance was a really great one.”

In the women’s race the battle between Kenya and Ethiopia was decided early on as well. Before the 20k mark Gete Wami had already left behind Salina Kosgei. The Ethiopian reached the half way mark in 70:22, 22 seconds ahead of Kosgei. The Kenyan dropped further back later. It was only at the very end when Wami was exhausted that she ran slower.

“I’ve always wished to run in Berlin,” said Wami. “From about 30k I knew that I would win this race. The weather was good, the air was clear and the atmosphere strong. I already know that I will be back here and wish to set my personal best time at this race again.

Kosgei was happy as well. “I never thought I could catch Wami again so instead I ran my race and went at my own pace. I think I did very good today and am very happy with my race.”