Posted: April 19, 2004

Athletics: Under Broiling Sun, Cherigat And Ndereba Win Boston Marathon

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

BOSTON (19-Apr) -- In unusually hot conditions, Kenyans Timothy Cherigat and Catherine Ndereba won the 108th BAA Boston Marathon.

Cherigat, 27, the training partner of yesterday's London Marathon winner Evans Rutto, took control of the race in the 18th mile when pre-race favorites Martin Lel and Rodgers Rop could no longer hold the pace of countrymen Cherigat and Robert Cheboror. Cherigat sealed his victory by charging up the infamous Heartbreak Hill in mile 21 in five minutes and 12 seconds, reaching the crest alone with a sizable lead. He kept his pace high in the final downhill miles, crossing the finish line in 2:10:37, despite the 85°F (29°C) temperatures.

"When I decided to break away I was (just) trying to move," said Cherigat who trained with London champion Rutto first in Iten, Kenya, through March and then in Boulder, Colo. "I was lengthening my lead and I decided to go."

Cheboror held his position to finish second in 2:11:49. "I'm very happy to be second in this race," said the well-spoken athlete. "It was my first time in the Boston Marathon and the course is very difficult, especially Heartbreak hill."

Defending champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot dropped out, as did 2002 champion, Rodgers Rop. Last November's New York City Marathon champion Martin Lel, also of Kenya, finished third 2:13:38.

Cherigat's win continued the Kenyan domination of the Boston Marathon which began with the victory of Ibrahim Hussein in 1991. A Kenyan man has won the race 13 of the last 14 years; the streak was broken only once by Korean Lee Bong-ju in 2001.

In the all-women's elite race which started ahead of the men, Ndereba became the fourth three-time winner of the race, prevailing in a thrilling two-woman duel against Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia. Alemu shot up the road in the seventh mile, and was joined for a short time by Olivera Jevtic of Serbia and Montenegro. But soon Alemu shed Jevtic who would run the rest of the race alone, and Ndereba was the only woman who was able to give chase. By the 14 mile mark the Kenyan and the Ethiopian were together and, exchanging no words, they ran side by side through the 25 mile mark, both looking well despite the heat.

"The heat was so tough, I don't even have words to say," said Ndereba who became the only other women besides Rosa Mota to win a world championships marathon title then come back the next spring to win Boston.

At the 1 mile to go mark (25.2 miles) Ndereba surged, and Alemu could not respond. The former world record holder and reigning world champion cruised down Boylston Street to break the finish tape in 2:24:27, 11th fastest in Boston Marathon history and a remarkable time time considering the searing heat. Alemu finished second in 2:24:43, and Jevtic third in 2:27:34.

Ndereba collapsed at the finish line, her lower legs badly cramped. "Towards the finish I felt like I was dead," said Ndereba who rated this the second most difficult marathon of her career, after Boston in 1999 when she made her debut at the distance. "All of a sudden I had those cramps in my calves," she said of the seconds following her finish. "I could not stand it!"

U.S. athletes were all but absent from the elite competition at Boston this year; the Olympic Trials Marathons for the men (07-Feb) and women (03-Apr) were too close to this year's race. The top U.S. finishers were Christopher Zieman, 32, of Felton, Calif., in 2:25:45 (13th place) and Greta Varchi, 31, of Setauket, N.Y., in 2:54:15 (14th place). Varchi did not run the elite women's race; the top U.S. women in the elite race was 47 year-old Mary Ann Protz of St. Petersburg, FL in 2:57:58 (18th in the combined list and 14th in the all-women's race.)

As victors, both Cherigat and Ndereba won $80,000 in prize money.

Top Results:
MEN - 
 1. Timothy Cherigat, KEN, 2:10:37
 2. Robert Cheboror, KEN, 2:11:49
 3. Martin Lel, KEN, 2:13:38
 4. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 2:14:34
 5. Hailu Negussie, ETH, 2:17:30

WOMEN - 
 1. Catherine Ndereba, KEN, 2:24:27
 2. Elfenesh Alemu, ETH, 2:24:43
 3. Olivera Jevtic, SCG, 2:27:34
 4. Jelena Prokopcuka, LAT, 2:30:16
 5. Nuta Olaru, ROM, 2:30:44

Subscribe to Race Results Weekly: www.raceresultsweekly.com.

Race results Weekly Archive