(Mainichi Japan) February 27, 2011
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Hailu Mekonnen came through for Ethiopia in the absence of compatriot and living legend Haile Gebrselassie, winning the men's Tokyo Marathon in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds on Sunday.
Mekonnen won his first marathon after debuting on the circuit last year, finishing 12 seconds off the race record set in 2008 by Viktor Rothlin.
"The Tokyo Marathon is one of the biggest races in the world and I'm very happy to have won it."
Kenyan Paul Biwott took second at 2:08:17. Yuki Kawauchi came in third as the highest Japanese finisher with 2:08:37, qualifying for the Aug. 27-Sept. 4 world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea, after meeting the 2:09:30 men's criteria.
Fueled by a fast pace in the early going, Kawauchi shaved more than four seconds off his personal record which he clocked in Tokyo last year.
Pre-race Japanese favorite Arata Fujiwara, second in Tokyo a year ago, faded at the 25-kilometer mark, ending up a distant 42nd in 2:29:21.
The women's race, won by Tatiana Aryasova of Russia in 2:27:29, did not serve as a qualifier for the worlds. Noriko Higuchi was runner-up with 2:28:49 in her marathon debut.
Aryasova and Higuchi's times were the second and third fastest, respectively, in the race's brief history.
Another Russian, Tatiana Petrova, finished third at 2:28.56, followed by former Osaka Ladies Marathon champion Yoko Shibui in fourth with a time of 2:29:03.
The Tokyo Marathon, blessed by great weather with a temperature of 14.5 C and 58 percent humidity, drew a world marathon record of 336,000 applications as 36,445 runners participated.
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Hailu Mekonnen came through for Ethiopia in the absence of compatriot and living legend Haile Gebrselassie, winning the men's Tokyo Marathon in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds on Sunday.
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| Hailu Mekonnen |
World marathon record holder Gebrselassie had pulled out from the fifth running of the Tokyo Marathon on Thursday after bruising both knees in a freak training injury.
Mekonnen, who has improved his time in each of the four marathons he has run, said he wanted to make up for Gebrselassie's withdrawal in trying to keep the race as exciting as possible.
"Haile is an incredible athlete who can be beaten by no one," said the 30-year-old Mekonnen, who chipped two seconds off his previous personal best set last October in Amsterdam.
"It's sad and disappointing Haile could not participate. There's no question he would have made the Tokyo Marathon a much better race. I tried to make up for him not being here by running the best race I could possibly run.
"The Tokyo Marathon is one of the biggest races in the world and I'm very happy to have won it."
Kenyan Paul Biwott took second at 2:08:17. Yuki Kawauchi came in third as the highest Japanese finisher with 2:08:37, qualifying for the Aug. 27-Sept. 4 world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea, after meeting the 2:09:30 men's criteria.
Fueled by a fast pace in the early going, Kawauchi shaved more than four seconds off his personal record which he clocked in Tokyo last year.
Pre-race Japanese favorite Arata Fujiwara, second in Tokyo a year ago, faded at the 25-kilometer mark, ending up a distant 42nd in 2:29:21.
The women's race, won by Tatiana Aryasova of Russia in 2:27:29, did not serve as a qualifier for the worlds. Noriko Higuchi was runner-up with 2:28:49 in her marathon debut.
Aryasova and Higuchi's times were the second and third fastest, respectively, in the race's brief history.
Another Russian, Tatiana Petrova, finished third at 2:28.56, followed by former Osaka Ladies Marathon champion Yoko Shibui in fourth with a time of 2:29:03.
The Tokyo Marathon, blessed by great weather with a temperature of 14.5 C and 58 percent humidity, drew a world marathon record of 336,000 applications as 36,445 runners participated.
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