Posted: April 15, 2005

Athletics: For Rutto And Cherigat, A Challenging Weekend

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak

Competing an ocean apart, training partners Evans Rutto and Timothy Cherigat have put a difficult chore on their plates this weekend: defending titles at two of the world's most prestigious marathons.

For Rutto, the challenge is in Sunday's Flora London Marathon as part of one of the strongest fields ever assembled; for Cherigat, it's the more difficult BAA Boston Marathon course on Monday where a strong field will also gather.

In London's 24 editions, only Mexico's Dionicio Ceron has successfully defended the title in the men's race, with three consecutive wins beginning in 1994. In Boston, the last to defend was course record holder Cosmas Ndeti, who won his first of three straight in 1993. Since 1960, only five men have successfully defended their titles at the world's oldest annually-contested marathon.

"I feel good about London," said the 27-year-old Rutto who won last year in 2:06:19, despite the chill, wind and rain and a tumble in the 23rd mile. "But there is a very strong field at the start."

Rutto is one of three former champions running on Sunday -- two-time winner Abdelkader El Mouaziz (2001) and three-time champion Antonio Pinto are the others-- along with Olympic champion Stefano Baldini and world record holder Paul Tergat.

"It would be nice if I could defend my title, and I want to run a good time. I don't know if it will be possible to run a personal best," a 2:05:50 clocking from his debut in Chicago in 2003, the fastest-ever by a debutante. "But it depends on many things: the tactics, the weather, the pace making and how I feel on Sunday morning."

"I am conscious that I am coming to Boston as the defending champion," said Cherigat, whose 2:10:37 effort last year came under hot conditions virtually opposite of those Rutto faced in London. "And of course it is my aim to win again. I really like Boston and its difficult course." Last year, Cherigat led for most of the race's final seven miles.

Unlike London, where a revision of the all-time performance lists has become expected, Boston is simply about winning.

"Everyone tries to beat me, so I am not running for a certain time, I run to win. Sometimes you have got a certain time that is important, maybe even a personal best. But then you may only be second because somebody ran faster than you. So I will not look at the time. I just want to be first at the finish line."

The Boston line-up includes four men who have career bests of under 2:08: Kenyans Robert Cheboror (2:06:23), Wilson Onsare (2:06:47), Benjamin Kosgei Kimutai (2:07:26) and Mohamed Ouaadi (2:07:55) of France. 2003 winner Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya is the most recent addition to the field.

"It is a strong field and I will not think too much about tactical things, but I am fully prepared," Cherigat said. "The race will be decided on Monday between noon and probably 2.08 pm. You have to be flexible in the race."

Rutto has contested three marathons and won them all. With his two wins at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and last year's performance in London, his career average is an astounding 2:06:08. Cherigat, one year Rutto's senior, hasn't been as dominant as his training partner. He's won two of his six marathons since 2001. Five of those six races came at Boston and New York, so he hasn't been nearly as fast. His personal best, 2:09:34, came at San Sebastián, Spain in 2002, his only marathon outside of the United States. In his last race, Cherigat finished third at the ING New York City Marathon in November, behind Hendrik Ramaala and Meb Keflezighi. He clocked 2:10:00. The pair, both coached by Dieter Hogan, did their final prep work with a two-month stint in Iten, Kenya, before sharpening up the past three weeks in Boulder, Colorado.

With a high powered field in London, Rutto added that this year's 25th anniversary in London may not only be about fast times.

"It might become a tactical race," he said. "There are too many strong guys in the race, who will watch each other. Among them are some of the best runners in the world, like Paul Tergat, John Korir or Stefano Baldini - it is like a world championship or an Olympic race. Everybody has a lot of experience," he concluded, "and so it won't be easy to win."

Sunday morning's men's race in London begins at 9:45; in Boston, the men begin at noon.