Mutai's Boston Marathon record goes down the hill
Source: Agencies |
April 20, 2011, Wednesday
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KENYA'S Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest 42.2 kilometers in history to win the Boston Marathon on Monday. Then his claim to a world record was swallowed up by the hills.
It was the downhill part of the race that makes his time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ineligible for an official world record. In short: IAAF rules have deemed the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world - long considered the one of the most difficult, too - to be too easy.
"You don't look at world records. You just go," Mutai said. "If you are strong, you push it. But if you put it in your head, you can't make it."
Mutai outsprinted Moses Mosop down Boylston Street to win by four seconds as the two Kenyans both beat Haile Gebrselassie's sanctioned world record of 2:03:59.
Four men, including third-place finisher Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia and American Ryan Hall, broke the course record of 2:05:52 set just last year by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot.
Mutai will receive a US$50,000 bonus for the world best and another US$25,000 for the course record to go with the US$150,000 he and women's winner Caroline Kilel earned for the win.
Kilel won the women's race to complete the Kenyan sweep, outsprinting American Desiree Davila to win by two seconds in 2:22:36.
The IAAF must certify a world record, and it is unlikely to approve Mutai's feat. The international governing body's Rule 206 requires courses to start and finish near the same point in order to discourage downhill, wind-aided runs and the artificially fast times they can produce. Boston has a net decline of 459 feet, though the course is dominated by hills going up and down.
"We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today," said Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, after Mutai ran almost a full minute faster than the sanctioned world record.
"We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that's good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them."
It was the downhill part of the race that makes his time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ineligible for an official world record. In short: IAAF rules have deemed the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world - long considered the one of the most difficult, too - to be too easy.
"You don't look at world records. You just go," Mutai said. "If you are strong, you push it. But if you put it in your head, you can't make it."
Mutai outsprinted Moses Mosop down Boylston Street to win by four seconds as the two Kenyans both beat Haile Gebrselassie's sanctioned world record of 2:03:59.
Four men, including third-place finisher Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia and American Ryan Hall, broke the course record of 2:05:52 set just last year by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot.
Mutai will receive a US$50,000 bonus for the world best and another US$25,000 for the course record to go with the US$150,000 he and women's winner Caroline Kilel earned for the win.
Kilel won the women's race to complete the Kenyan sweep, outsprinting American Desiree Davila to win by two seconds in 2:22:36.
The IAAF must certify a world record, and it is unlikely to approve Mutai's feat. The international governing body's Rule 206 requires courses to start and finish near the same point in order to discourage downhill, wind-aided runs and the artificially fast times they can produce. Boston has a net decline of 459 feet, though the course is dominated by hills going up and down.
"We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today," said Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, after Mutai ran almost a full minute faster than the sanctioned world record.
"We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that's good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them."
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