Wednesday, Apr 17, 2002
Wednesday, Apr 17, 2002 |
| Sport | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Sport
-
Athletics
Rop, a 26-year-old Nairobi policeman, won in two hours nine minutes and two seconds by running the back half of the course, which is considered more difficult because of a series of hills, faster than the first half. He beat second-placed compatriot Christopher Cheboiboch, 25, by three seconds. Okayo pulled away from his compatriot and world-record holder Catherine Ndereba to win the women's event, shattering the course record for the 26.2-mile race. Okayo clocked two hours 20 minutes 43 seconds, breaking the course record set by German Uta Pippig in 1994 by about a minute. Ndereba, who had won the past two Boston Marathons, faded in the final miles and finished second in two hours 21 minutes and 12 seconds. The men's race was a conservative affair through 15 miles as about 30 tightly grouped runners settled on a cautious pace because they anticipated warm weather approaching 38 degrees Celsius. But that forecast never materialised and Rop took control on a humid, overcast day, stringing out the pack by gradually picking up his pace. At one point, eight Kenyan runners were in the leading pack with the rest of the field lagging. Kenyan runners have won the men's division at Boston every year except 1991. At the 22-mile mark, only Rop and Cheboiboch remained in contention. Rop, appearing stronger after climbing a series of four tough hills, ran the last half of the race more than a minute faster than the first half to break the winner's tape in downtown Boston. Korea's Lee Bong-Ju, who won last year's race, finished fifth, breaking up a group of Kenyans who took six of the top seven spots. The leaders in the women's race ran the first half of the course more aggressively than the men. Ndereba was part of the leading pack with Okayo and Sun Yingjie of China, who set the early pace and led through 15 miles before fading from the lead. Ndereba began to slow over the last few kilometres, allowing Okayo to win.
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|