Seoul Marathon record – a mere miss by victor David Kiyeng
David Kiyeng from Kenya and Eun Jung Kim, the Korean runner claimed victories at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon held on Sunday. By making it to the finishing line in two hours, eight minutes and fifteen seconds, Kiyeng bagged the title of the men's race, while
for crossing the finishing line in two hours, forty four minutes and twenty five seconds, Jung topped the women's race.
While participating into the men’s elite field of 14 runners at Seoul marathon which is regarded as IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, Kiyeng missed his countryman Mbote’s record by mere two seconds. Mbote set his course record of two hours, eight minutes and
thirteen seconds back in 2006.
At the marathon, a pack of 21 athletes led by four Kenyans took off from the gun. Among the pack were Mbote; the 33-years old course record holder, Kiyeng who had a personal best of two hours, six minutes and twenty six seconds depicted at Paris marathon
in 2009, Charles Munyeki, the 24-year-old runner who ended up fourth with two hours, seven minutes and six seconds time clocked at last year in Chicago, Nicholas Kipruto Koech, the 22-year-old runner who had clocked two hours, seven minutes and twenty three
seconds in Prague earlier this year, Teferi Wodajo from Ethiopia with a PB of under two hours and eight minutes, and Mohamed El Hachimi from Morocco.
The pack consisted of large swathe of talent and capability after climbing the small hill present at the fourth kilometre of the track in an impressive fifteen minutes and ten seconds, crossed the ten kilometres mark in thirty minutes and fourteen seconds.
By the 15 kilometres mark, crossed in forty five minutes and thirty six seconds, the pack thinned to 17 runners.
While running upon the hilly course the twenty kilometres mark was covered in one hour, one minute and four seconds where the leading pack had been further reduced to 14 athletes. The three runners which had been left behind were Munyeki, Wodajo and the
Korean runner Hyo-Soo Kim. The hilly course continued for five more kilometres which culminated in dropping three more runners from the leading group. By the 30 kilometres mark, covered in one hour, thirty one minutes and fifty seconds, only seven runners
had been left in the contention.
As the leading athletes crossed the 40 kilometres mark, Mbote gave up his struggle to break his own course record as he was now around five meters behind the leading quarter of runners comprised of Kiyeng, El Hachini, Wegayehu Girma Tefera and Mokoka from
South Africa who had been running in his debut race.
With a difference of only two seconds, Kiyeng and El Hachimi kept on grappling with each other, not only for winning the race, but for breaking the course record as well. Kiyeng clocked two hours, eight minutes and fifteen seconds, while El Hachimi finished
at two hours, eight minutes and seventeen seconds. For the latter runner it was his career’s best clocked time and personal best as well. For taking two hours, eight minutes and thirty three seconds, Mokoka claimed third position in the event. Mbote, who had
been around 70 meters behind the leading quarter, finished fifth with time clocked two hours, nine minutes and four seconds.
On women’s side, the domestic field was rather thinned where from announced number of 21 athletes, only 3 runners could participate in the run. As the race began, the initial five kilometres were covered in nineteen minutes and ten seconds where the 27-year-old
veteran runner Eun Jung Kim and 19-year-old Mi Young Shim were leading the race while the 20-year-old Na-Ri had been left around 150 meters behind. By the distance of five kilometres, the pace of the runners clearly revealed that the course record of two hours,
twenty nine minutes and thirty two seconds was not at all in threat.
By the distance of 25 kilometres, covered in one hour and thirty six minutes exact, there were only two runners in contention of the title. The leading runner was Kim while about 900 meters behind was Jin. When Kim crossed the thirty five kilometres mark
in two hours, fifteen minutes and thirty seconds, Jin had managed to reduce the gap to 170 meters. However, Kim still managed to bag the first position by finishing in two hours, forty four minutes and twenty five seconds. With time clocked two hours, forty
six minutes and thirty one seconds Jin stood second in the race.
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