.jpg)
| ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
By:
HARRISON MAINA | ||||||||||||||||
| Posted:
Jun,17-2019 21:11:17
| ||||||||||||||||
|
By the time Boston marathon runners hit the sixth mile marker of the 26.2 miles course last week, a group of Kenyans and Ethiopian men had already formed a pact that separated and created a gap between themselves and the rest of the 30,000 strong marathoners out to shine and raise money for various charities. The group would dominate the course for the entire time with the gap increasing with every other mile they ran. The three lead positions were intermittently switching between Kenyand. Ethiopians and the increasingly competitive US runners. The decision as to which country was would take home the trophy was therefore not decided very early into the race but the question as to who would be the champion was always too close to call. As the leading pack of runners took a final turn on Hereford Street to take a view of the finish line way down legendary Boylston Street, Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa who won the Boston race twice in 2015 and 2013 took opened a commanding lead over the Kenyans. However, Kenya's Lawrence Cherono, who made his debut appearance at the Boston marathon as the world's fastest man based on his record breaking performance last year at the Amsterdam marathon (2:04:06), kept up the pace slightly behind Desisa's heels. As the two epic runners approached the final few meters, Desisa saw his lead dissipate in a flash when the Kenyan's sudden burst of energy saw him break the tape first at 2:07:57, literally 2 seconds ahead of Desisa who clocked 2:07:59.
Cherono's epic win brought back to the fore the legendary dominance of Kenyan's as the most feared runners at the world's most popular marathon after a poor showing last year in a day that saw 7 Kenyan men and 4 women finish among top ten runners in their respective races. The great performance redeemed Kenyan runners from the debacle during the 2018 marathon marred by extremely cold and rainy weather elements. This year however, the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners could not have wished for a better weather situation. With a light rain present at start time clearing by 10.30 am, giving way to temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, the Kenyans came out strong with a brisk pace that left runners from USA and other parts of the cold weather countries training badly.
Other Kenyan top male Kenyans to finishing in top 10 positions included Kenneth Kipkemboi at number 3 followed by Felix Kandie (fourth), Geoffrey Kirui (fifth) and Philemon Rono(sixth) with Benson Kipruto completing the rout at number 10. Two USA runners in the men's race staged an impressive fight against the east Africans when Scott Fauble and Jared Ward finished at number seven and eight respectively. "I am so grateful, so happy," stated the newly crowned winner, whose victory was his first in an Abbott World Marathon Majors event. "To me, I am poor in finishing races. But today, I did a fantastic job. It was very nice for me," Cherono told reporters at the end of the race. Before Cherono's stunning victory however, a similar pattern of performance by Kenyan, Ethiopian and US elite female runners saw defending champion, Edna Kiplagat of Kenya finish at number two with a 2.24.13 on the clock, 42 seconds behind eventual winner, Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia (2.23.31). Three other Kenyan women followed suit among the top 10 finishers including 2013 defending champion, Caroline Rotich, the 2015 Boston marathon champion who came in at number 6, newcomer, Mary Ngugi clocked in at number 7 and Betsy Saina at tying up number 10. However, runners from the USA gave the east Africans from Kenyan and Ethiopia a run for their money with Jordan Hasay finishing at number 3 with 1.49 minutes behind Kiplagat, while defending champion, Dez Linden of USA finished fifth with compatriot, Lindsay Flanagan coming in at number nine. Despite the massive show of effort by Kenyan runners at the 123rd edition of the Boston, Kenyan diaspora marathon fans were nowhere to be seen. According to an Ajabu Media count, only 5 fans were spotted flying the Kenyan flag at the finish line. The lonely fans complained that since the marathon bombing in 2013, most Kenyans in the region had stopped coming out to support and cheer the runners who have done their part to raise the profile of their country at the world's most challenging and highly followed by millions of fans around the world.
"I don't understand why the thousands of Kenyans in Boston would chose to let down their world beating marathon runners by failingto show up to cheer while Americans in the area come out in millions. The fact that there was a bombing six years ago does not mean there will always be bombings at the marathon finish line," said Chebet Kirui, a female fan who has never missed a race since 2005. "Others fans refused to come out just because weather forecast had indicated it would rain. But if you are afraid of the rain, how about the runners who never quit running in the rain, and other American fans that still come out to cheer in the rain? Kenyan fans need to come back to the finish line so we can all cheer together and have the fun we used to," added another fan thrilled with the win but disappointed with Kenyan diaspora fans. The few fans and runners who spoke to Ajabu Media urged local fans to make sacrifices for their country in such important moments as the Boston marathon by showing up to the finish line for future races as expected of real patriots. In general however, attendance to the 2019th edition of the race was low as many fans including local Bostonians kept away inclement weather forecasted earlier. Most of the runners also vowed to come back to repeat the outstanding performance and keep the Kenyan flying high during the 124th eition of the Boston marathon to be held mid -April 2020. For full 2019 Boston marathon results,click here >>>> More pics below
| ||||||||||||||||
|
Source:
AJABU AFRICA NEWS
| ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RSS