NAIROBI, Kenya, October 15- Dickson Kiptolo Chumba was the surprise winner of the 29th Eindhoven Marathon as Leonard Komon scooped his third Berlin 10K road race for the third year in a row on Sunday.
Kiptolo, 25, won in a bristling course record of 2:05:46, bettering the previous best set last year by compatriot Jafred Chirchir by two seconds and in the process, he also improved on his previous lifetime best (2:07:23) by over one and a half minutes.
“I was very, very tired over the last two kilometres,” admitted the champion. “I didn’t really know what was happening behind me.”
“I decided to make my break just before 29 kilometres because my body felt very good and the pace at that time felt so slow. I was quite surprised at first because I thought somebody might come with me but I soon felt confident that I could win.
“I knew I was running fast but I was never quite sure how fast until I turned the last corner and saw the clock at the finishing line.
“The man on the motor bike (race director Peer Pulles) was showing me cards with times, telling me how fast I was going, but it didn’t register. I could see what he was doing but it didn’t go into my mind,” the soft spoken Chumba, who hails from Kapsabet and who is a training partner of 2012 Paris Marathon winner Stanley Biwott told IAAF.
Countrymen Franklin Chepkwony and teenager Erick Ndiema finished second and third in 2:06:11 and 2:06:17 to seal the podium sweep as pre-race favourite Tadese Tola of Ethiopia was forced down a disappointing fourth in 2:08:01.
In Berlin, Komon led another Kenyan podium shut-out after the 24-year-old clocked 27:46 for the victory while David Kogei just edged out his fellow countryman Richard Mengich in a sprint finish for second.
Both runners were given the same time of 27:56, personal bests for both. Kennedy Kimutai (28:14) and Alex Korio (28:15) followed in fourth and fifth place.
Komon, the course record holder who had run 27:12 in 2010 and then 27:15 a year ago in this race, took the lead early on and was in the fifth kilometre when he left his rivals behind.
“It was a pity that the wind was so strong in the second half,” Komon told the IAAF. “I think I will come back once again next year to give it another try.”
EINDHOVEN MARATHON LEADING RESULTS
MEN –
1.Dickson Kiptolo Chumba, KEN 2:05:46 PB, course record: Previous 2:05:48 by Jafred Chirchir (Ken) 2011
2. Franklin Chepkwony, KEN 2:06:11 PB
3. Erick Ndiema, KEN 2:06:17
4. Tadese Tola, ETH 2:08:01
5. Francis Kipkoech Bowen, KEN 2.08.21
6. Solomon Kiptoo, KEN 2:08:30 PB
7. Stephen Tum, ETH 2:08:39
8. Weldon Kirui, KEN 2:09:06 PB
9. Julius Chepkwony, KEN 2:09:09 PB
10. Gezaghen Beyene Girma, ETH 2:10:52
11. Abdelhadi el Hachimi, BEL 2:11:53
12. Sisay Jisa, ETH 2:16:12
WOMEN –
1. Aberume Mekuria, ETH 2:27:20 PB
2. Miranda Boonstra, NED 2:28:18 national champion
3. Dinkenesh Mekasha, ETH 2:30:31
4. Andrea Deelstra, NED 2:34:33 debut
5. Merel de Knegt, NED 2:35:07 PB
6. Inge de Jong, NED 2:41:40
7. Els Rens, BEL 2:42:09
8. Miriam van Rijen, NED 2:46:50
