Posted: April 24, 2006

Athletics: Kastor Steals the Show in London with Win and Sub-2:20

Limo Edges Lel in Men's Race

By Sean Hartnett, Running USA wire

LONDON - (April 23, 2006) - The Flora London Marathon has been very good for the few Americans who have ventured over the pond for the annual spring event. In 2002, Khalid Khannouchi won in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 38 seconds to set world and U.S. records. The following year, Deena Kastor broke Joan Benoit Samuelson's long standing American women's record with a 2:21:16, good for third overall.

Kastor and Khannouchi returned to and left London with distinction as Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. sliced an even 100 seconds off her U.S. record with a sterling 2:19:36 runaway victory, while Khannouchi of Ossining, N.Y. finished fourth in the men's competition at 2:07:04, the fourth fastest time ever run by an American (Khannouchi now has the top 5 performances).

The women's race set off first in a light drizzle and Kastor, 33, moved to the front with Kenyans Susan Chepkemei and Salina Kosgei. After faltering in the final miles of last fall's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon victory, Kastor was determined to break 2:20 as the Team Running USA athlete ran a steady stream of 5:20 miles. Kosgei fell off the pace in the 10th mile, and Chepkemei let go at 16 miles.

Over the final 10 miles, Kastor ran without competition, paced by training partner Mike McKeeman and then Kenyan Henry Tarus. The 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist maintained a metronomic pace throughout, producing dead-even 69:48 opening and closing halves to record her 2:19:36, which made the Arkansas grad the 4th fastest woman all-time and the 8th woman to break 2:20. Lyudmila Petrova of Russia finished a distance second in 2:21:29.

"I'm very happy with the win," offered Kastor, who earned $105,000 in prize money. "My training has been going so well. I wanted to run faster, but I wasn't feeling it early on. I managed to hold on to go under 2:20 which was my goal."

The victory was the second straight in the marathon for Kastor who noted "I ran more aggressively in Chicago and had some problems at the end. Today, I just went on a more reserved race to run even splits and break 2:20."

Team Running USA coach Terrence Mahon said "it was the combination of a good plan and a great athlete coming together on the same day." Mahon continued that Deena took a different approach to this marathon after she faded over the final miles in Chicago last fall, "everything we prepared for was for that final 5 or 10K."

Khannouchi, 34, returned to form after being sidelined with persistent foot injuries over the past two years. "In some moments I lost faith, I lost hope that I would never run again," Khannouchi commented. "The injury was always in the back of my mind and I wanted to get to the finish line without a problem. I just wanted to run a race without making any stupid mistakes."

Khannouchi covered the first half in a swift 62:34 running at the back of a stellar field headed up by two-time Olympic 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie, defending champ Martin Lel and 2005 Chicago champ Felix Limo. Sub-2:06 marathon pace was maintained thru 18 miles, but the pace began to lag as the competitors waited for someone else to make a move.

Lel launched an attack in the 23rd mile, that dropped Gebrselassie, and that only countryman Limo could cover. The two Kenyans ran side-by-side until Limo took the win with a strong finishing sprint.

"I knew at the 40K mark that I was going to win or come very close," Limo recounted. "I felt good although the conditions were not great. But when the conditions are not perfect you have to use your brain as well as your legs."

Khannouchi couldn't match the Kenyans' move, but finished strongly to move up to fourth place. "It was enjoyable to be out there with the guys again and to be able to compete again," Khannouchi noted, then adding "this is good motivation for the future."

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26th Flora London Marathon - London, GBR, Sunday, April 23, 2006

WOMEN
1) Deena Kastor (USA / CA), 2:19:36*, $105,000
2) Lyudmila Petrova (RUS), 2:21:29, $80,000
3) Susan Chepkemei (KEN), 2:21:46, $72,500
4) Berhane Adere (ETH), 2:21:52, $60,000
5) Galina Bogomolova (RUS), 2:21:58, $57,500
6) Mara Yamauchi (GBR), 2:25:13, $10,000
7) Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROM), 2:27:51, $4500
8) Salina Kosgei (KEN), 2:28:40, $2500
9) Margaret Okayo (KEN), 2:29:16, $1500
10) Eri Hayakawa (JPN), 2:31:41, $1000
*pending U.S. record (previous record, 2:21:16, Deena Drossin, Flora London, 04/13/03)

MEN
1) Felix Limo (KEN), 2:06:39, $105,000
2) Martin Lel (KEN), 2:06:41, $80,000
3) Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 2:06:55, $72,500
4) Khalid Khannouchi (USA / NY), 2:07:04, $40,000
5) Stefano Baldini (ITA), 2:07:22, $35,000
6) Rogers Rop (KEN), 2:07:34, $32,500
7) Hicham Chatt (MAR), 2:07:59, $30,000
8) Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 2:08:45, $14,000
9) Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 2:09:05, $8000
10) Evans Rutto (KEN), 2:09:35, $5000

Complete results at: London-Marathon.co.uk

Sub-2:20 women in time order:

2:15:25 Paula Radcliffe (GBR), Flora London, GBR, 04/13/03
2:18:47 Catherine Ndereba (KEN), LaSalle Bank Chicago, IL USA, 10/07/01
2:19:12 Mizuki Noguchi (JPN), real,-Berlin, GER, 09/25/05
2:19:36 Deena Kastor (USA), Flora London, GBR, 04/23/06
2:19:39 Sun Yingjie (CHN), Beijing, CHN, 10/19/03
2:19:41 Yoko Shibui (JPN), real,-Berlin, GER, 09/26/04
2:19:46 Naoko Takahashi (JPN), real,-Berlin, GER, 09/30/01
2:19:51 Zhou Chunxiu (CHN), Seoul Int'l, KOR, 03/12/06

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director

(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016

Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.

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