Posted: April 26, 2004

Athletics: Newcomers Claim Wins at Big Sur International Marathon

By Mark Winitz, Running USA wire

CARMEL, Calif. - (April 25, 2004) - It takes just one run over the 26.2 miles between Big Sur and Carmel to discover the spectacularly rugged beauty of the Big Sur International Marathon. But several journeys over the mountainous and often windy Pacific coastline course are typically required to run this race well. Not for Ibrahim Limo or Suzy West, the respective men's and women's winners of this year's 19th presentation of the BSIM.

Limo, a 26-year-old Kenyan tackling his first marathon, claimed the men's victory, heading the field of over 3,000 starters in 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 19 seconds. West, of Putney, Vermont scored the women's win in 3:10:06, her first title among 10 marathon finishes.

This year's mild and almost windless conditions at the 7 a.m. start lured two-time defending champion Jonathan Ndambuki to a fast solo getaway, perhaps, in pursuit of the tough men's course record of 2:16:39 set by Brad Hawthorne in 1987. In his 2002 and 2003 victories, Ndambuki recorded the second and fourth fastest BSIM times behind Hawthorne's barn burner.

Over the innocently rolling first 10 miles starting among California redwoods and proceeding over a tame coastal plain, Ndambuki built a sizable gap on fellow Kenyans Limo and Wilson Gatiha. Following the two-mile, 520-foot climb to the top of aptly-named Hurricane Point at 12 miles, and cresting the highest location on the California coastline between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Ndambuki was apparently on his way to a runaway win.

"I didn't know what to think about him," Limo said about Ndambuki's lead that ballooned to 3 minutes over his pursuers. "I was running within myself, at my own pace."

Limo was taking the advice of one of his relatives, multiple Honolulu Marathon winner Mbarek Hussein. "He told me to just start slow, to do my own thing, because it's a long way to go," Limo commented.

Limo's strategy paid off. Barely halfway through the BSIM course, the most challenging section lies ahead - a brutal series of hills that have proved a bounty or bane for countless Big Sur competitors. With temperatures rising into the mid 60s, Ndambuki suddenly slowed after 20 miles.

"I just got cramps; I don't know why," he said, pointing to his legs which required an hour massage after the race.

Working in tandem, Limo and Gatiha swept by Ndambuki at about 21 miles. A mile later, Limo left his final challenger in his wake and proceeded to victory. Gatiha garnered second a minute and 20 seconds back at 2:27:40. Ndambuki painfully limped home at a relative snail's pace in 2:40:45 for third.

"I surprised myself," Limo commented about his win.

In the women's race, West claimed her winner's crown by little more than the distance between the runners hugging the starting line and several thousand starters many rows back. A gap of only 1 minute and 3 seconds between West and second place female Heather Iasso of Arizona at the finish will have Iasso thinking twice about starting so far back next time.

Like Limo, West started conservatively.

"I don't like running downhill because I cramp up," said the 41-year-old dentist. "Since the first 10 miles are downhill, I knew I would cramp if I went out too fast. But, I love uphills."

Fortunately for West there were enough vertical climbs over the remainder of the course to jettison her from fifth place at halfway to first at the finish.

"I think a number of women had really bad races, which allowed me to win," said West about her 3:10:06 victory which was well off Svetlana Vasilyeva's course record of 2:41:34 set in 1996. >P>Iasso, starting far back in the pack, finished the challenging course in 3:11:09 to grab the bridesmaid spot.

"I decided to train for this one," said Iasso, who runs in the mountains at 6,000 feet in Hereford, Arizona. "It might have helped."

Iasso's training resulted in an hour's improvement over her only previous marathon. Kim O'Malley of Santa Cruz, CA was third in 3:13:03.

In the accompanying News 46 5K presented by Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Steve Immel of Lincoln, CA successfully defended his Pacific Association/USATF 5K Championship men's title in 15:14. Shaluinn Fullove of Palo Alto, CA was the women's victor in 17:41. Like the marathon, the 5K course is a challenging one.

For most Big Sur participants, who this year represented all 50 states and 17 countries, the allure of Big Sur is incomparable ocean vistas and attention to detail. Over 11,000 entrants participated in the marathon, marathon relay, 5K run and walks. Yet, for the majority, the sounds of Jonah and the Whalewatchers, the last of 26 musical groups strategically located along the fabled course, provide a welcome sound, indeed.

Since its inception in 1986, BSIM has donated more than $1,300,000 in grants and awards to schools and community organizations in Monterey County. Thanks to BSIM's sponsors that include ASICS, Comcast, Blackstone Winery, Granite Construction Company, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Runner's World, Dole Food Company, Earthbound Farm, Gatorade and Monterey Marriott.

19th Big Sur International Marathon - Carmel, CA, Sunday, April 25, 2004

MEN
1) Ibrahim Limo, 26, Kenya  2:26:19  $2,500
2) Wilson Gatiha, 29, Kenya  2:27:40  $1,000
3) Jonathan Ndambuki, 27, Kenya  2:40:45 $500
4) Ramiro Loredo, 40, Nevada  2:46:38  $250
5) Kenneth Macalpine, 34, Canada  2:48:03  $175

WOMEN
1) Suzy West, 41, Vermont  3:10:06  $2,500
2) Heather Iasso, 30, Arizona  3:11:09  $1,000
3) Kim O'Malley, 27, California 3:13:02  $500
4) Audrey Macmillan, 37, Unknown  3:15:00  $250
5) Diane Ridgway, 55, Colorado  3:18:01  $175

For full results, go to: www.bsim.org.