Chumba fades to third in Tokyo season-opener
Uganda’s World and Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich leads Kenya’s Dickson Chumba in February 22, 2015 Tokyo Marathon in Japan. Kiprotich wound up second in the race followed by Chumba. AFP PHOTO |
What you need to know:
- Endeshaw Negesse and Birhane Dibaba clinched the men’s and women’s titles at the season-opening race of the six-marathon series but both fell short of the course record times.
- Chumba looked comfortable until the 40-kilometre mark when Negesse cruised past and accelerated towards the Tokyo Big Sight finish to win in two hours and six minutes, some 18 seconds outside Chumba’s course record of 2:05.42 set here last year.
- Uganda’s World and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich reaped handsomely from his decision to keep up with Negesse, also waltzing past a withering Chumba to post a personal best and Ugandan national record 2:06.33 for second place with Chumba soldiering on to third, a second behind Kiprotich in 2:06.34.
Pre-race favourite Dickson Chumba failed to shake off the effects of a bout of malaria, fading to third place as Ethiopians took an early lead in the World Marathon Majors series with a double victory at yesterday’s Tokyo Marathon.
Endeshaw Negesse and Birhane Dibaba clinched the men’s and women’s titles at the season-opening race of the six-marathon series but both fell short of the course record times.
Chumba looked comfortable until the 40-kilometre mark when Negesse cruised past and accelerated towards the Tokyo Big Sight finish to win in two hours and six minutes, some 18 seconds outside Chumba’s course record of 2:05.42 set here last year.
Uganda’s World and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich reaped handsomely from his decision to keep up with Negesse, also waltzing past a withering Chumba to post a personal best and Ugandan national record 2:06.33 for second place with Chumba soldiering on to third, a second behind Kiprotich in 2:06.34.
Kiprotich’s previous personal best was 2:07.20 posted way back in 2011 in the Netherlands.
HER WAY
The women’s race was done and dusted much earlier with the deceptive Dibaba shaking off the effects of jet-lag following her late arrival to cajole her way to victory in 2:23.15, also outside the course record of 2:22.23 struck here last year by compatriot Tirfi Tsegay.
“It was a lot colder this year, more than last year,” Chumba who ran a personal best time of 2:04.32 for third place at last year’s Chicago Marathon said.
“I suffered from malaria in training back home in Kapsabet and when I got to the 30km mark, I started feeling lousy. I had problems with my stomach too and even threw up at some point – I realized that the malaria hadn’t completely gone out of my system,” he regretted, disappointed by the morning’s proceedings.
The atrociously chilly conditions also claimed seasoned marathoner and former Majors winner Tsegay Kebede of Ethiopia at the 35km mark near the iconic Ginza intersection with the former London Marathon champion having to contend with eighth place.
Kenya’s 2012 Tokyo champion Mike Kipyego pulled out at the 12km mark just after the Imperial Palace with what appeared to be a hip injury.
