Posted: October 1, 2004

Athletics: Peace Marathon Celebrates 80th Anniversary On Sunday

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak with Alfons Juck

A quartet of Kenyans are the favorites at Sunday's International Peace Marathon, as the oldest international marathon in Europe celebrates it's 80th anniversary in Kosice, Slovakia.

Two-time winner and course record holder (2:12:40) David Kariuki tops the men's field, which also includes Italy-based Kenyans Pius Maritim, the winner of this year's VigaranoMaratona in Ferarra (2:13:03); Charles Yabei, runner-up this year at the Maratona d'Europa in Trieste (2:13:15); and 2002 Maratona di Napoli winner Clement Kibor.

Britons Sue Harrison (2:38:20 - London 2004) and Michaela McCallum (2:38:28 - Firenze 1999) and Romanian Claudia Colita (2:44:35 - Praha 2004) lead the women's field.

Running his 19th marathon will be Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda. Dzurinda has a personal best of 2:54:57 from 1986, but hopes to challenge his "Prime Ministerial" best of 3:36:27 from last year's Flora London Marathon.

"I think you always could find time for running in whatever function," Dzurinda, who also competed in the 2001 New York City Marathon, said. "It is more important for me to run than to sit and have unnecessary talks and meetings, even if I can put aside eating and sleeping."

The race was not contested during the second world war, making Sunday's edition the 74th running. The race will also serve as the Slovak national championships.