Posted: January 15, 2006

Athletics: Marathon Series fast becoming The World Cup of Marathons

MUMBAI, 15 JANUARY 2006 -

Stanley Leleito today put the Kenya National Team on top of the Nations Challenge with an outstanding run in the third leg of the US$1.575 million Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth in Mumbai. The 21 year-old rising star defied the heat to finish in a time of 2:12:47, beating last year’s course record in the process. Kenya started the race in second place overall, but Leleito’s run now puts them just under nine minutes ahead of Zimbabwe.

Said Leleito of his race: “It was a difficult race because it's the first time I have run in Asia and it is a hard course. I am happy because I have improved my team placing, I ran very well.”

The 2005/06 Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth is a relay of four challenging marathons across four cities around the world. It started in Nairobi in October 2005 then moved to Singapore in December 2005. The finale will be in Hong Kong on 12 February 2006.

More than 125 runners from 30 different countries ran in Mumbai as part of The Greatest Race on Earth, which is fast becoming "The World Cup of Marathons". The high profile line-up attracted by The Greatest Race on Earth 2005/6 Series has been reflected by faster times in all three marathons so far, compared to last Series.

The first non-African home was UK‘s Toby Lambert in a time of 2:24:39, putting the UK National Team team sixth overall in the Nations Challenge, and first in the Europe & Oceania Regional Challenge, 21 minutes ahead of Switzerland. “The Greatest Race is special because, although you go to each marathon on your own, you feel like your team mates are there with you. You keep going for their sake – and it’s paying off,” Lambert said.

In the South East Asia Regional Challenge, Indonesia continues to be runaway leaders after a excellent run by Yahuza. In the North East Asia Regional Challenge, despite an outstanding effort from South Korean runner Im Kyung Nam, who ran 2:30:45, Taiwan are still the comfortable leaders. And in the South Asia Challenge, home team India maintained their dominance with another consistent run, this time from Satya Prakash in 2:32:59.

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was flagged off by the Maharashtra State Governor and a number of Standard Chartered Group Executive Directors, at 8am on Sunday morning. Tens of thousands of people lined the dusty streets to cheer the 27,500 runners who took part in the marathon, bringing the city to a standstill.

Winning the Mumbai Marathon (women’s) for the second year in succession was Greatest Race on Earth athlete Mulu Seboka, who clocked a course record time of 2:33:15, increasing the lead of her Global Mbio team to over fifteen minutes overall in the Women’s Team Challenge. Running for the first time in Mumbai, Team China’s Zhang Xin ran a creditable 2:45:26, and this youngster is certainly one to watch for Beijing in 2008. “It was very difficult and hot but I am pleased with myself and proud to have done well for my country,” she commented.

In the Main Team Challenge, the Run For Peace Fun team have established a strong lead in the race for the US$400,000 first prize. However, just five seconds separate the teams Akaki-Gianni and BMMAC(A) from the second prize of US$195,000.

Also tight is the Individual Challenge, in which athletes run all four marathons in the Series. Meshack Kirwa and Emmanuel Kosgei head into Hong Kong with just 18 seconds between them, the top prize being US$100,000. Kirwa, who finished on Sunday in a personal best time of 2:14:44, said, “I thank God and the organisers for a good race. I have four weeks now until Hong Kong and I am looking forward to it.”

The Greatest Race promotes “Seeing is Believing”, through which Standard Chartered has committed to raise US$6 million before the end of 2006. This money will help restore the sight of one million people in developing nations with visual impairment. In this spirit, two visually-impaired teams, from Taiwan and South Korea, took part in and finished the race.

Greatest Race on Earth Results (provisional) – Leg 3: Mumbai Marathon

Position	Name	Team Name	Time (hrs:min:sec)
1	David Mandago Kipkorir	Rosa 2	2:12:18
2	Christopher Cheboiboch	Run for Peace Fun	2:13:58
3	Melese Gashaw	Akaki-Gianni	2:14:19
4	Cleophas Rop	BMMAC (A)	2:17:32
5	Benjamin Rotich	Kensky 1	2:19:01
6	Kadon Joseph	Kapsabet - Gianni	2:20:09
7	Desse Dembelach	The Vikings	2:20:47
8	Douglass Mwiti	Embu Camp	2:21:21
9	Moses Kimutai Ndiema	Gowar	2:21:50
10	Melaku Bedye	Kensky 2	2:21:53

Bonus Pool for Women’s Team

Nations Overall Challenge (Open to National Associations only)

Nations Regional Challenge (Open to National Associations only)

Individual Challenge

For further information: Please contact the Race Office on 020 7345 3758 or run@thegreatestrace.com.    

Find out more and register online at www.thegreatestrace.com.

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