Africa avenue shines in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Okay, it was expected that the runners from Africa would monopolise the event. Okay, it was easy to guess that a favourable course and start time would bring better timings than the inaugural year.
What, however, was not imminent was that the 2nd Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon would be a ''smashing'' success. Julius Sugut of Kenya won the men''s title and $30,000 with a new course record of 2 hr, 13 min, 20 sec.Amongst the women, a 21-year-old upstart of a girl, Mulu Seboka of Ethiopia too set a record of 2:35.03.
The new records were not just set, they were simply smashed. The top five male runners went under South African Henrik Ramaala''s first year timing of 2:15.47 secs. Nine women ducked below 2004 Polish winner Violetta Urgya''s timing of 2:47.53. While the timings in both sections were way off the world mark (2:04.55, Paul Tergat in men and 2:15.25, Paula Radcliffe), rarely does it happen that a large number of athletes top best timings.
Amongst men, Christopher Isegwe of Tanzania was second with 2:13.29 and Gashaw Malese of Ethiopia third with 2:13.59. In the women''s category, Leila Aman followed Seboka in 2:36.19 while Russian Irina Timofayeva was third in 2:36.42.
"The pacemakers did an excellent job," said the 30-year-old Sugut who missed out last year in the wake of Ramaala''s excellent final kick.
Like last year, Kenyan Simon Tonui, with occasional advice to increase or decrease the pace by player coordinator Ian Ladbrooke, broke away at the 3 km mark with two others of his kind. They held sway until 24 kms before being whisked away in a jeep.
"I think it was around the 29 kms mark that I got into the lead," said Sugut. There was a brief tussle for supremacy the lead with two others but the Kenyan was "confident that I''ll win this time."
"Conditions couldn''t have been better," said Sugut for whom it was a fourth career victory and the biggest pay-cheque. "I''m extremely happy with my timing." The winner added: "I love it here and will come again next year."
Young Sebuka, whose first-name means ''full'' in Ethiopian, struggled with the conditions. She was continuously pouring water to keep herself cool and, simultaneously, retching liquids too.