Pat Butcher for the IAAF
It takes a tough guy to win the Alpha Bank Athens Classic Marathon, and they don’t come any tougher than Paul Lekuraa, who is back to defend the title he won last year.
It was an eleventh hour victory in all respects. After waiting for a delayed visa, Lekuraa rode an old motorbike to Nairobi airport in a thunderstorm, arrived late Saturday night in Athens, grabbed a couple of hours sleep before being bussed to the start in Marathon the following morning. Running with a migraine on one of the toughest courses in the world, the 35-year old, in only his second marathon hung tough to win a photo-finish, and break the course record by close to two minutes.
“I ran like a man,” recalled Lekuraa, that rare bird among Kenyan marathoners, a Maasai. “I know they say the Maasai normally don’t run, or don’t want to run,” said Lekuraa. “But I want to run. I want to provide for my children”. He and his wife, Rose have four children, aged from 12 to four.
Having arrived on Thursday this year, he could enjoy the relative comfort of three days’ preparation, but that won’t make the course any easier, the mid-race climb, from 10km to past 31km is the hardest in any major marathon. But given the history of the race, from Marathon to Athens, ie the original marathon course, and the provenance of the race’s name, the runners just have to get on with it.
“It is tough, it’s the hardest course I’ve ever run,” he reflected, “but it’s no problem, because it’s the same for everyone.” As usual, his toughest opponents will be his Kenyan colleagues. “Victor is strong, Victor Kigen,” he said, naming the man with whom he trains under the aegis of former marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat. “But you’re never sure who is the strongest in Kenya, because there are so many people training in so many different places.”
On paper, Pius Mutuku, with a best of 2.10.34, and Philemon Rotich, who ran his best, 2.10.26 in Rome earlier this year, must be favourites. But Lekuraa’s 2.12.42 on this course last year stands muster, and Kigen, who won Belgrade in 2.13.28 in April, sounded confident. Like Lekuraa, he has benefited from Tergat’s advice not to over-race.
“Sometimes, you can feel under pressure, from family and managers, to race more,” said Kigen, “but I’ve learned you shouldn’t have too many races. I think I can run under 2.10. I’ve come here to win.”
Following the victory of Tagami Mai last year, another Japanese, Akemi Ozaki is favourite for the women’s race. She improved her personal best to 2.27.23 in Sapporo in October, and is undaunted by racing again two months later. Her training parallels Kigen’s racing philosophy because, unlike many of her compatriots, who will train up to 50 kilometres a day, Ozaki says, “No more than 30km, it’s important for your health not to over train. Running a marathon itself is training.”
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