Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
MessageReportBlock
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds

 

Folders

 

 

WORLD MARATHON MAJORS FALL SEASON SET TO OPEN IN BERLIN

Published by
ross   Sep 17th 2008, 11:48pm
Comments

09/17/2008
WORLD MARATHON MAJORS FALL SEASON SET TO OPEN IN BERLIN
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

Berlin Marathon Website

With the Olympic Games results now in the books, the World Marathon Majors is set to open the Fall season at the real,-BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday, September 28. Six athletes are still in the running for a half share of the $1,000,000 annual prize.

On the men's side, Kenyans Martin Lel and Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot are the last two athletes in contention for the 2007/2008 title. Lel has 76 points to Cheruiyot's 55. Lel has already scored in four events (the maximum number allowed in a two-year scoring period). Should he choose to race again, Lel could still improve his score by improving upon his 5th-place finish in the Olympic Games because an athlete may have his best four results count. For Cheruiyot to defend his championship he will first have to recover from the injury which forced him to withdraw from the Olympics. Then, only a victory --coupled with Lel failing to add to his lead-- would give Cheruiyot the title.

Four women are still in the mix for the 2007/2008 women's title. Defending champion Gete Wami of Ethiopia is the current points leader with 65 and, like Lel, she has already scored in four events. Wami would have to place first or second in a Fall race to improve her 65-point total. Should she fail to do so, the door will be opened for three women to challenge for the WMM Series championship (she did not score any points in the Olympic Marathon because she did not finish).

Olympic bronze medalist Zhou Chunxiu of China sits in second place with 50 points, and holds a tie-break advantage versus Wami by virtue of their head-to-head record. So, a victory or runner-up placing this Fall could give Zhou the win. Meanwhile, Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya (41 pts.) would surpass Wami by a slim 1-point margin with a win. Irina Mikitenko (GER) also still has an outside chance. She did not compete in the Olympic Games but a win in Berlin on September 28 would vault her into a tie for first with Wami. It is possible that she could come back to race at either the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (Oct. 12) or the ING New York City Marathon (Nov. 2) and score additional points.

Athletes will also score points towards the 2008/2009 Majors series this Fall. Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru leads the men's 2008/2009 series with 40 points (Lel is second with 26) and Mikitenko, Ethiopia's Dire Tune and Romania's Constantina Dita are all tied for first with 25 points in the women's series. Twenty-five points are awarded for a first place finish, with 15 going for second, ten for third, five for fourth and one for fifth.

The 2007/2008 points leaders will be awarded their $500,000 checks at a special luncheon held in New York City on Monday, Nov. 3.

ENDS

More news

1 share:ross view all
History for ross
YearVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2024   1    
2023 3 1    
2022 9 1    
Show 30 more