The men's race at the Chevron Houston Marathon over the last 35 years has typically been fairly close.
The last four years, the margin of victory has been less than a minute.
This year, though, Ethiopia's Feyisa Tusse posted the seventh largest margin of victory with his two-minute and 17-second win over Russia's Mikhail Khobotov.
The top seven margins of victory are as follows:
8:30 - 1976 - Jeff Wells over Rice teammate John Lodwick
8:29 - 2001 - Christopher Ciamarra over Orange, Texas native James Lawrence
5:49 - 1978 - Ron Tabb over David Odom
3:00 - 1973 - Juan Garza over Austin's Dennis Manske
2:48 - 1993 - Frank Bjorkli over Sean Wade
2:29 - 2000 - Stephen Ndungu over Sammy Maritim
2:17 - 2007 - Feyisa Tusse over Mikhail Khobotov
Conversely, the women's edition of the marathon has typically been a rout.
Only eight (8) women's margins of victory have been less than a minute with the closest being the 1980 finish where Vanessa Vajdos outsprinted training partner Donna Burge to the finish line and defeated her by a second.
The eight closest finishes in the women's marathon are as follows:
0:01 - 1980 - Vanessa Vajdos over Donna Burge
0:04 - 1981 - Patti Lyons Catalano over Laurie Binder
0:09 - 1983 - Ingrid Kristiansen over Laurie Binder
0:22 - 1994 - Alevtina Noaumova over Tatiana Pozdnyajkova
0:30 - 1996 - Adriana Fernandez over Loma Guadalupe
0:31 - 2006 - Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova over Nicole Stevenson
0:43 - 2001 - Tatiana Pozdnyakova over Zinaida Semenova
0:56 - 1985 - Silvia Ruegger over Jacqueline Gareau
Monday, January 15, 2007
Americans Post Faster Marathons Time Too
Michael Reneau's 8th place time on Sunday of 2:17:46 was the fastest by an American since David Mora's 2:15:05, 7th place finish in 1995. (Mora's time was the 8th fastest time by an American that year.)
Jenna Boren's 5th place finishing time of 2:42:39 was the second fastest time by an American women since 1999. The fastest American time in the last 14 editions of the Houston Marathon belongs to Kelly Keane (2:32:37).
Jenna Boren's 5th place finishing time of 2:42:39 was the second fastest time by an American women since 1999. The fastest American time in the last 14 editions of the Houston Marathon belongs to Kelly Keane (2:32:37).
Sunday, January 14, 2007
David Monti's Race Results Weekly Recap
HOUSTON (14-Jan) -- Ryan Hall, the 24 year-old former Stanford star from Big Bear Lake, Calif., toppled one of the most time-honored records in all of U.S. road running today. Emerging from the foggy dawn here, he scooted away early from a strong field at the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon and blew away Mark Curp's 21 year-old U.S. half-marathon record by an astonishing 72 seconds. With his 59:43 clocking, Hall also surpassed German Silva's North American record of 1:00:28 set back in 1994, and became the fastest half-marathoner ever not born in Africa (on a well-measured course which was not excessively downhill).*
For the remainder of this copyrighted story from Race Results Weekly, please click here.
For the remainder of this copyrighted story from Race Results Weekly, please click here.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Wheelchair Athletes Watching Weather Too
Four-time defending Aramco Houston Half Marathon wheelchair champion Ramiro Bermudez is just as concerned about Sunday's weather as those who will be able to run the event.
Perhaps more so.
Bermudez, as well as 2005 women's winner Holly Koester from the Cleveland, Ohio area, both explained that the wet weather will keep the wheel slick and make it more difficult for the wheelers to grab the wheel and push it through.
I asked Bermudez why there weren't as many wheelchair athletes competing here as there used to be and he indicated that, at this time of the year, many wheelers are playing basketball.
Koester just hopes that she can beat her winning 3:23:37 time. In 2005, the 47-year-old was the women's first winner since 1999. There were no female wheelchair marathoners a year ago.
Bermudez, meanwhile, has improved his time in each of the past three years, from 1:16:41 in 2004 to 1:03:20 in 2005 to his best time of 59:54 in 2006. (His personal best half marathon of 54:37 came at the 3M Half Marathon in Austin in 2000.)
Perhaps more so.
Bermudez, as well as 2005 women's winner Holly Koester from the Cleveland, Ohio area, both explained that the wet weather will keep the wheel slick and make it more difficult for the wheelers to grab the wheel and push it through.
I asked Bermudez why there weren't as many wheelchair athletes competing here as there used to be and he indicated that, at this time of the year, many wheelers are playing basketball.
Koester just hopes that she can beat her winning 3:23:37 time. In 2005, the 47-year-old was the women's first winner since 1999. There were no female wheelchair marathoners a year ago.
Bermudez, meanwhile, has improved his time in each of the past three years, from 1:16:41 in 2004 to 1:03:20 in 2005 to his best time of 59:54 in 2006. (His personal best half marathon of 54:37 came at the 3M Half Marathon in Austin in 2000.)
Meb and Brian or Roger?
Aside from the time of day being a factor, who do you think drew the biggest crowd at this weekend's Chevron Houston Marathon expo?
Meb Keflezighi and Brian Sell or Roger Clemens?
While this year's opening event ceremony press conference, sans Mayor Bill White, was better attended than last year's, Meb and Brian couldn't compare with one of Houston's hometown favorites.
It was hands down, Roger Clemens.
Clemens was in attendance late Saturday morning to a phalanx of television cameras and a throng of running-a la baseball fans to be part of a presentation touting his partnership with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and its opening of Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine & Human Performance last Monday.
No breaking announcement, however, of whether he'll stay and pitch for the Astros or join two-time Andy Pettitte with the New York Yankees.
Meb Keflezighi and Brian Sell or Roger Clemens?
While this year's opening event ceremony press conference, sans Mayor Bill White, was better attended than last year's, Meb and Brian couldn't compare with one of Houston's hometown favorites.
It was hands down, Roger Clemens.
Clemens was in attendance late Saturday morning to a phalanx of television cameras and a throng of running-a la baseball fans to be part of a presentation touting his partnership with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and its opening of Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine & Human Performance last Monday.
No breaking announcement, however, of whether he'll stay and pitch for the Astros or join two-time Andy Pettitte with the New York Yankees.
David Cheriuyot Walks, Then Runs
One of the many individuals spending a good amount of time yesterday and today at the Chevron Houston Marathon Expo, presented by the Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine & Human Performance, was two-time defending champion David Cheriuyot.
Cheriuyot certainly wasn't listening to 2003 winner Sean Wade's advice to runners at a 5:00 p.m. Friday talk about staying off one's feet for as much as possible the day before the race.
Early Friday evening at the Expo, Cheriuyot was seen stopping at the booth of Fond Memories Graphics, Inc. from Pomona, New York.
Proprietor Marcel Galligani, who sells runners finisher's certificate plaques, bib frames and shadow boxes that contain a medal, bib number and picture, recognized Cheriuyot and made the Kenyan a deal -- "If you win again, come see me after the race and I'll give you one of the products."
This writer was walking up as last year's winner with a time of 2:12:02 was seen filling out one of the blue-and-white forms, "David Cheriuyot. Address. Kenya."
Galligani said today that he's never done a product for the winner of a major race.
If Cheriuyot becomes only the second three-time champion in the men's history of the race, joining Stephen Ndungu, we'll know that he made his prediction with the power of the pen - a red one, at that.
Cheriuyot certainly wasn't listening to 2003 winner Sean Wade's advice to runners at a 5:00 p.m. Friday talk about staying off one's feet for as much as possible the day before the race.
Early Friday evening at the Expo, Cheriuyot was seen stopping at the booth of Fond Memories Graphics, Inc. from Pomona, New York.
Proprietor Marcel Galligani, who sells runners finisher's certificate plaques, bib frames and shadow boxes that contain a medal, bib number and picture, recognized Cheriuyot and made the Kenyan a deal -- "If you win again, come see me after the race and I'll give you one of the products."
This writer was walking up as last year's winner with a time of 2:12:02 was seen filling out one of the blue-and-white forms, "David Cheriuyot. Address. Kenya."
Galligani said today that he's never done a product for the winner of a major race.
If Cheriuyot becomes only the second three-time champion in the men's history of the race, joining Stephen Ndungu, we'll know that he made his prediction with the power of the pen - a red one, at that.
Notes
Annie Bersagel, who made the trip to Houston from Norway, is the top seed in the US Women's Half Marathon Championships.
"I haven't raced in a while," Bersagel said. "I've done a lot more training this fall, so we'll see how it goes this weekend. It's a wonderful field assembled for this weekend. It'll be a lot of fun."
Bersagel has plans to run her first marathon this April in Boston.
---
---
Meb vs. Sell? --- It may or may not play out like that, given the heavy hitters in the half marathon field. Keflezighi and Sell have ran in the same race once before, the 20K championships in New Haven in 2003. Keflezighi won the race, with Sell second.
"It wasn't competitive between us, at least not on my part," said Sell, who finished 21 seconds behind Keflezighi.
With this only being Keflezighi's third attempt at a half marathon, it'll be the first time the two have met at this distance.
"Brian has really made a name for himself," Keflezighi said. "He's really dedicated and he showed that by being here today."
Sell arrived at the press conference less than an hour after his plane landed.
---
Or is it Meb vs. Ryan Hall? --- One member of the press conference asked Meb if he'd be able to stay with Ryan Hall on Sunday. Hall set a new US 20K record at the World Championships in Hungary in Oct. 2006. His time of of 57:54 is equivalent to a low 61 in the half.
"Ryan's got the 20K record and he had a great year," Keflezighi said. "This field is pretty loaded."
Abdi Abdirahman had the previous 20K record of 58:42, set in 2005. Before that, Keflezighi had held the 20K record with a 58:57 in 2003.
"I haven't raced in a while," Bersagel said. "I've done a lot more training this fall, so we'll see how it goes this weekend. It's a wonderful field assembled for this weekend. It'll be a lot of fun."
Bersagel has plans to run her first marathon this April in Boston.
---
Results from 2006 US Women's Half Marathon championships.
1 Annie Bersagel 1:14:36Bolded names are runners competing here Sunday, according to elites list released on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
2 Jenny Crain 1:14:45
3 Zoila Gomez 1:15:30
4 Ann Alyanak 1:15:50
5 Dana Coons 1:16:58
6 Alvina Begay 1:17:04
7 Turena Johnson-Lane 1:17:22
8 Paige Higgins 1:19:02
9 Tere Stouffer 1:19:08
10 Christine Lundy 1:19:14
11 Melissa Todd 1:19:39
12 Michelle La Fleur 1:19:44
13 Suzanne Weeder Einspahr 1:20:21
14 Heather Hunt 1:21:42
15 Camille Herron 1:21:52
16 Sheena Dauer 1:21:52
---
Meb vs. Sell? --- It may or may not play out like that, given the heavy hitters in the half marathon field. Keflezighi and Sell have ran in the same race once before, the 20K championships in New Haven in 2003. Keflezighi won the race, with Sell second.
"It wasn't competitive between us, at least not on my part," said Sell, who finished 21 seconds behind Keflezighi.
With this only being Keflezighi's third attempt at a half marathon, it'll be the first time the two have met at this distance.
"Brian has really made a name for himself," Keflezighi said. "He's really dedicated and he showed that by being here today."
Sell arrived at the press conference less than an hour after his plane landed.
---
Or is it Meb vs. Ryan Hall? --- One member of the press conference asked Meb if he'd be able to stay with Ryan Hall on Sunday. Hall set a new US 20K record at the World Championships in Hungary in Oct. 2006. His time of of 57:54 is equivalent to a low 61 in the half.
"Ryan's got the 20K record and he had a great year," Keflezighi said. "This field is pretty loaded."
Abdi Abdirahman had the previous 20K record of 58:42, set in 2005. Before that, Keflezighi had held the 20K record with a 58:57 in 2003.
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