Gebrselassie ganó con 59:24 en New York

Haile Gebrselassie gran vencedor en New York (foto de New York Road Runners)

Nadie puede con Gebrselassie
El etíope conquista su octava media maratón en Nueva York
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EFE - Nueva York - 05/08/2007

Haile Gebrselassie ganó el medio maratón de Nueva York con un tiempo de 59 minutos y 24 segundos, recorriendo, además, los últimos ocho kilómetros en solitario. Gebrselassie, que ganó su octavo medio maratón en ocho participaciones, superó al estadounidense Abdi Abdirahman, segundo, y al keniano Robert Cheruiyot, tercero.

La keniana Hilda Kibet ganó en categoría femenina con un tiempo de 1:10:32, aventajando en 1.15 segundos a la vencedora del año pasado, su compatriota Catalina Ndereba. La sorpresa estuvo a punto de darla la neozelandesa Nina Rillstone que ocupó la posición de líder hasta 500 metros de la línea de meta, momento en el que fue superada por las dos kenianas.

En el kilómetro 13, Abdirahman, que nació en Somalia, adelantó a Cheruiyot y poco después Gebrselassie abandonó la compañía de Abdirahman para hacer el resto de la carrera en solitario. En el momento de la llegada, en Central Park, el termómetro registraba 21 grados celsius, después de una semana de calor y humedad extremos, motivo por el que la carrera comenzó a las 7.00 horas de la mañana (hora local).

Gebrselassie, ganador de tres maratones en los últimos dos años y vencedor de dos medallas de oro olímpicas en los 10.000 en Atlanta en 1996 y Sydney en 2000, no pudo sin embargo batir el récord de medio maratón, también en su poder desde el año pasado cuando lo logró con 58:55 en Tempe, Arizona

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Crónica IAAF

New York City, USA - Haile Gebrselassie, the double Olympic gold medalist and multiple World record-holder from Ethiopia, won the second annual NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE today, clocking 59:24, the second-fastest Half-Marathon time ever on North American soil. Kenyan Hilda Kibet triumphed for the women, edging her countrywoman and the defending champ, Catherine Ndereba, 1:10:32 to 1:10:33.

Fast from the outset

The pace was quick from the start as “Geb,” American 10K and 10,000-meter champion Abdi Abdirahman, and defending Boston Marathon and LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon champ Robert Cheruiyot opened with a 14:11 5K (4:33-per-mile pace) despite the hilly Central Park terrain.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting, those first few miles,” said Gebrselassie, 34, who thanked Abdirahman and Cheruiyot for setting a fast early pace. “I thought maybe we’d just run easy in a big pack, then start to run hard later.” An unexpected break in the warm, humid weather of the past week made for near-ideal summer racing conditions.

As the lead trio exited the park onto Seventh Avenue at 7.5 miles (12K), Cheruiyot reached for a drink at a fluid station. Abdirahman seized the opportunity to bolt into the lead.

Gebrselassie covered the move. “When I caught him, he asked me to go,” Gebrselassie recounted, flashing his trademark smile. “I thought maybe he wanted me to be the rabbit, but I felt good, so I went. He didn’t catch me again.”

The runners continued south through the heart of Times Square, past the giant NASDAQ screen flashing WABC Channel 7 race coverage, west onto 42nd Street, and then south again at 15K (9.3 miles) onto the West Side Highway for the drive to the finish just north of historic Battery Park.

Gebrselassie maintained his lead with apparent ease, cruising to victory more than a minute in front of Abdirahman, 30, who ran a personal-best 1:00:29. Abdirahman will compete in the 10,000 meters at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka later this month.

Only Gebrselassie has run faster in North America – he clocked 58:55 in Phoenix early last year – and collected his eighth Half Marathon victory in as many attempts over the distance.

Cheruiyot, 28, was third in 1:00:58 and was transported to a hospital for observation due to dizziness; he was later released.

"He felt weak and a little confused at the finish," said Cheruiyot's manager, Federico Rosa, who accompanied him to the hospital. "He went to the hospital as a precaution. He was there for about an hour, and everything was okay."

Kibet in a sprint over Ndereba and Rillstone


Hilda Kibet outdashes Catherine Ndereba in New York
(Courtesy of New York Road Runners)

Kibet, a 26-year-old cousin of IAAF World Cross Country champion Lornah Kiplagat, scored the biggest win of her career with her down-to-the-wire victory. She was part of a tight women’s pack that also included Ndereba and Yuri Kano of Japan, with Nina Rillstone of New Zealand not far off the back. Aided by a tailwind, the quartet ran hard through the final miles; Kibet pulled ahead only in the final meters.

“I only knew I had it won when I crossed the finish line,” said Kibet, who nonetheless was not surprised by her victory. “I have been training well and having good results all year.”

Rillstone’s third place in 1:10:35 broke her own national record. She will run the IAAF World Championships Marathon in Osaka on September 2. “I didn’t get the practice running in heat and humidity today that I was expecting,” she said, “but I’m really happy to get a national record.”

Just under 10,000 runners finished the race, which is put on by New York Road Runners, whose premier event is the ING New York City Marathon."

New York Road Runners for the IAAF