Istanbul Eurasia Marathon Witnesses New Course Record
Finally, the runners at Istanbul Eurasia Marathon got a rain free weather to run, probably the best in past four years which has helped the runners to set new course records. The men’s race ended with Kenya’s 26 years-old Vincent Kiplagat making it to the
podium after crossing the finishing line in two hours, ten minutes and thirty nine seconds. On women’s side, last year’s runner up Ashu Kasim named the title after crossing the finishing line in mere two hours, twenty seven minutes and twenty five seconds.
With 17 degrees C of temperature, scattered clouds on the sky and almost no wind made it rather an ideal weather for the athletes to be on the track. However, if the one who was probably not comfortable with such pleasant weather was Kasime Adilo Roba, the
defending champion of the race who had got used to with running while the heavy rain pouring in during the last two years of races. Roba finished fourth for making it to the finishing line in two hours, sixteen minutes and eight seconds.
At the start of the race, Vincent Kiplagat from Kenya led the large pack of runners hailing from 84 countries. Right from the beginning to the end, the event was looking more like the depiction of traditional Kenya versus Ethiopia contest, as both Kiplagat
and Ethiopia’s Assefa Girma led rest of the participants until the fifth kilometre. Mere five metres behind them was a group of four other Ethiopian runners comprises of Dereje Yadete, Shume Hailu, Woldegiyorgis and the defending champion Kasim Adilo Roba.
By the ten kilometre mark, Kiplagat was maintaining his lead, he passed the 10km mark in thirty minutes and fifty six seconds while the same group of Ethiopian runners following him maintaining the same distance. From rest of the runners, 20-years old Tilanhu
Aliey from Azerbaijan managed to join the Ethiopian pack by the time the race crossed the 15 kilometre mark. As the race proceeded after fifteen kilometre mark, the distance between lead runners and followers started increasing.
At the midpoint, Kiplagat was still leading the race and Woldegiyorgis was following him from a distance of 5 meters. Behind them was Girma, while by that time Roba had almost fallen out of the race as he dropped back almost 120m.
While reaching at the 25km point, the leaders eventually switched their places as now Woldegiyorgis was leading the race while Kiplagat and Girma were following him from a distance of 5 meters. Roba amid continuing to fall off the pace was now about 230
meters behind the leading group.
At 30km mark, the same pack of three athletes were seen running together, however by the 35km the trio had drifted, Kiplagat had been once again leading the race leaving Woldegiyorgis 50 meters behind while Girma had been fallen back to a distance of 150
meters. Leading the race, Kiplagat made it to pass the 40km mark in two hours, three minutes and four seconds while by that time Woldegiyorgis had been 250 meters behind and Girma was grappling to stay in with a distance of 600 meters behind. Kiplagat lead
the race like a solo runner and made it to the finishing line in just two hours, ten minutes and thirty nine seconds. His success culminated in improving the previous course record by twenty one seconds.
In women’s race, the competition went completely dominated by the Ethiopian runners. Galina Yegorova-Saykina, the Russian athlete closely followed the Ethiopian pack however she could not manage to outdo them.
Right from the start the race was led by the 24-years old Ethiopian runner Alemitu Abera, Abera managed to pass the 5 km mark in seventeen minutes and eighteen seconds while closely followed by three other Ethiopian runners including the defending champion
Bizunesh Urgesa and the formidable runner Ashu Kasim.
Ashu Kasim though could not maintain her lead in the race right from the beginning; however, she took charge of the track after half of the distance was over. From there onwards, it was more like a solo run for her. The girl made it to the finishing line
in just two hours, twenty seven minutes and twelve seconds positioning her at the top of the podium.
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