The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has announced a strong Ethiopian contingent for their event on September 26, ready to challenge Kenyan male supremacy. Kenyan men have triumphed for the past five years in a row on the waterfront course. Chala Lemi and Gashaw Melese Asfaw, who were second and third in last year’s race, are both confirmed to return. They were passed in the later stages by Kenneth Mungara, who had to run the fastest marathon on Canadian soil to beat them [2:08:32]. They will be joined by Teshome Gelana and Zembaba Yigeze who ran 1-2 in Houston in January.The Ethiopians are determined to turn the tables and secure a men’s victory in Toronto, despite the earlier announcement of Mungara’s return, and his attempt to make it three consecutive victories in his favourite city. Mungara will be joined by countryman Daniel Rono and four other Kenyans who have run under 2:10 in the past 12 months. Last September, the 23-year-old Lemi finished just 17 seconds back in a PB of 2:08:49. It was his first sub-2:09 performance. Coached by Haji Adilo in Addis, Lemi says his training has gone well: “I’m ready for Toronto, to come back and this year go one better!”
But it’s Teshome Gelana who actually goes to the start line as pre-race favourite at 5-2 odds, following his impressive victory in Houston in January in 2:07:37. Houston was a major breakthrough performance for the 25-year-old Teshome, following a 2:12:03 last Fall in Warsaw and a 2:11:50 in Reims and a 2:13 in Turin, both in 2008. “I am ready for Toronto and will race to win,” said Gelana
In Houston, Gelana’s training partner, 26-year-old Zimbaba Yigeze, also set a new PB of 2:08:27. He then followed that up with a seventh-place finish in Paris in April in 2:08:48.
“We are very excited about the strength of the Ethiopian men’s group this year, and the prospect of a thrilling battle with their Kenyan archrivals,” said race director Alan Brookes. “Hopefully they will push each other to a new Canadian all-comers record. Not only do we have three outstanding young marathoners in Gelana, Lemi and Yigeze, but we have the invaluable experience of Gashaw Melese who really helped make last year’s race.”
When the last pacemaker slipped and fell just before 30K in last year’s contest, and the pace began to slow, Melese took control and started to push. Lemi went with him. The two worked together until Melese began to slip back after 35K. Mungara then came through to first pick off the fading veteran and then get by Lemi approaching 38K. Melese, who will celebrate his 32nd birthday the day before the race, provides a wealth of international experience at the top level. Besides winning Paris in 2006 in his PB of 2:08:03, he placed seventh in the torrid Beijing Olympic marathon, has finished sixth in Boston the last two years in a row, and won Shanghai in 2008 and 2009.
To claim victory and the special laurel wreath being brought from Marathon, Greece, as part of the 2,500th Anniversary celebrations of the marathon, the Ethiopian pack will have to get by Mungara, Rono, Jafred Chirchir (2:09:15, 1st in Milan this Spring), Nixon Machichim (2:09:08, 3rd in Rome in March), David Njagi (2:09:44 1st in Valencia in February), and David Tarus (2:09:24 in Eindhoven last Fall). Daniel Rono was the 2006 champion at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront, then lost a thrilling sprint to the line in 2007 to John Kelai, as Kelai broke the 31-year old, previous Canadian All-comers mark with his 2:09:30 win. Disappointed, Rono went onto run 2:06:58 in Rotterdam, then place 3rd in New York and 2nd at Boston ‘09.
As a sub-plot, already-announced Canadians Eric Gillis, Reid Coolsaet and Matt Loiselle will provide an important race within the race. Gillis made his marathon debut in Houston running a cautiously impressive 2:13:52. His training partner at Guelph’s Speed River Track Club, served notice at last month’s Parkersburg Sentinel Half-Marathon where he ran second on a very tough, hilly course in 63:47, with Gillis two minutes back in sixth. Both will be aiming for a qualifying time for the London 2012 Olympic marathon, with the standards expected to be published by Athletics Canada on September 23, with the qualifying window to begin September 1, 2010. They are also hoping to come close to Jerome Drayton’s 1975 Canadian national record of 2:10:09, with a $35,000 bonus on offer from Scotiabank. The Canadians are likely to be pushed by Mexico’s top marathoner, Alejandro Suarez. Like Gillis, Suarez represented his country in the 10,000m at the Beijing Olympics. He is also hoping to challenge the 2:10 mark after his 10th-place finish in Boston in April in 2:12:33.
For a complete start list, check out the “STWM2010 Pick the Champions Contest” on the race website. It’s free to enter, and you can make as many entries as you like. You simply have to select the top 3 men and women finishers in the correct order. The prize: a trip for two to your favourite Canada Running Series event in 2011, in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal. http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/pickthechamps_bios.htm
There are still some places available to enter the marathon or half-marathon. For those unable to travel to Toronto Waterfront, there will be a “live” webcast carried on the race website and also on Flotrack.org, beginning at 7:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 26.
www.stwm.ca
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