Posted: March 7, 2007

Athletics: Largest Rome Marathon Ever To Feature Top Athletes

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com The Maratona della Cittŕ di Roma, scheduled for Sunday, March 18, will be the largest marathon ever held in Italy and will feature many top athletes, organizers reported today. "As of today, we have reached 14,000 entries and expect to reach 20,000 in a few years," wrote Massimiliano Monteforte, who heads the event's elite athletes division, in an e-mail message do the RRW office. "The charm of Rome is unlike any other marathon city," he added. In 2001, this race had only 4586 finishers, but that figure grew to 9829 in 2006. With the current level of entries, the Rome Marathon is poised to surpass 10,000 finishers for the first time. The race is already the largest marathon in Italy, a country which has dozens of small marathons and hundreds of thousands of dedicated runners. The event has a glorious start in the shadows of the famous Roman Coliseum. At the front of the race, Monteforte has signed six men who have broken the 2:10 barrier: Tesfaye Tola (ETH) 2:06:57, Alberico Di Cecco (ITA) 2:08:02, José Manuel Martínez (ESP) 2:08:09, Frederick Cherono (KEN) 2:08:38, Migidio Bourifa (ITA) 2:09:07, and Ashebir Jote (ETH) 2:09:14. Di Cecco is the course record holder, and he set his personal best at Roma when he won in 2005. Also, Monteforte believes in a large elite field; he's recruited 37 men who have run below 2:20. The women's field features four athletes who have run sub-2:29: Hellen Kimutai (KEN) 2:25:52, Souad Ait Salem (ALG) 2:28:22, Natalia Volgina (RUS) 2:27:32, Helena Javornik (40+/SLO), 2:27:33. Moroccan, Asmae Leghzaoui, who has run 1:08:34 for the half-marathon, will make her second attempt at the marathon distance; she dropped out of Paris last April. Last year's champion, Tetyana Hladyr of Ukraine who set the course record of 2:25:44, will not return to the race this year (she's running Boston). PHOTO: 2006 Rome Marathon start (photo courtesy of the Rome Marathon) The complete elite fields are below with personal best times: Tesfaye Tola, Etiopia '74, 2h06'57" Alberico Di Cecco, Carabinieri '74, 2h08'02" Josč Manuel Martinez, Spagna '71, 2h08'09" Frederick Cherono, Kenia '77, 2h08'38" Migidio Bourifa, Atl. Val Brembana, 2h09'07" Ashebir Jote, Etiopia '77, 2h09'14" Julius Kibet, Kenia '82, 61'18" Mohamed Fadil, Marocco '81, 61'20" Joel Rono, Kenia ' 77, 2h10'12" Hillary Korir, Kenia '76, 2h10'17" Jonathan Kosgei , Kenia '82, 2h10'18" Sergei Lukin, Russia '75, 2h10'57" Joseph Kadon, Kenia '70, 2h11'12" Dennis Curzi, Carabinieri '75, 2h11'17" Ismail Sghyr, Francia '72, 2h11'27" Samson Kosgei , Kenia ' 73, 2h11'27" Youri Abramov, Russia '76, 62'55" Albert Matebor, Kenia, 2h11'52" Victor Kigen, Kenia, *2h12' Elijah Sang, Kenia, *2h12' Claudir Rodrigues, Brasile, *2h12' Abderrahim Maaruf, Marocco, *2h13' Francis Kirwa, Finlandia '74, 2h13'09" Paul Limo, Kenia '79, 2h13'47" Sliman Moulay, Algeria, *2h14' Norman Dlomo, South Africa '75, 2h14'17" Abdel Saji, Marocco, 2h14'29" Said Regragui, Svezia '72, 2h14'52" Elias Kemboi Chelimo, Kenia '84, 2h15'01" Joakim Johansson, Svezia '76, *2h15' Federico Simionato, Aereonautica Mil ' 79, *2h15' Santos Geovane, Brasile '79, 2h15'53" Tesfaye Bogale Reta, Etiopia '83, 2h15'59" George,Majaji, Zimbabwe ' 78, 2h18'21" Marcello Capotosti, Violetta Club, 2h18'41" Adil Lyazail, Marocco '77, 2h19'34" Marko Vaittinen, Finlandia '70, 2h19'50" Marco Romano, Atl. Gonnesa, 2h21'37" Pacemakers: Lead Group: Angelo Carosi, C.S. Forestale '66, 12 Km Philimon Tarbei, Kenia ' 78, 25 Km Richard Limo, Kenia '80, 25 Km Korir Kiprotich, Kenia '76, 30 Km Kiprop Simon, Kenia '78, 30 Km Second Group: Henry Kapkyai, Kenia ' 83, 30 Km - 1h05 Liberato Pellecchia, Aeronautica Mil. '82, 21 Km - 1h07 WOMEN - Hellen Kimutai , Kenia '77, 2h25'52" Souad Ait Salem, Algeria '79, 2h28'22" Asmae Leghzaoui, Marocco '76, 68'34" Natalia Volgina, Russia '77, 2h27'32" Helena Javornik, Slovenia '66, 2h27'33" Abidi Tigist, Etiopia, 2h33'01" Marcella Mancini, Runner Volpiano '71, 2h33'17" Lenah Cheruiyot, Kenia '73, 2h33'44" Ivana Iozzia, Corradini Rubiera '73, 2h35'40" Woynishet Tafa, Etiopia '86, 2h35'48" Maria Sandra Pereira , Brasile '72, 2h36'28" Yang Fengxia, Cina '87, *2h36' Wang Xiaozhu, Cina '86, *2h36' Karin Schön, Svezia, 2h38'21" Karolina Jarzynska, Polonia '81, 1h14'31" Claudia Pinna, Cus Cagliari ' 77, *2h40' Haile Lema, Etiopia ' 86, 2h41'23" Marizete Moreira, Brasile '75, 2h41'50" Anna Von Schenck, Svezia, 2h41'59" Khadisa Laaroussi, Marocco, *2h45' Male Pacemakers for Women's Race: Giorgio Calcaterra, RCF, 42 Km Giuseppe Minici, SME Dar Esercito, 42 Km Doriano Bussolotto, C.S. Esercito, 30 Km Giovanni Aucello, C.S. Esercito, 30 Km Giuseppe Carella, RCF, 42 Km