Kenya’s Mutai breaks race record
BOSTON » Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest 26.2 miles in history to win the Boston Marathon yesterday. Then his claim to a world record was swallowed up by the hills.
Not the inclines of Heartbreak Hill that have doomed so many runners before him.
It was the downhill part of the race that makes his time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ineligible for an official world record. In short: IAAF rules have deemed the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world — long considered one of the most difficult, too — to be too easy.
"You don’t look at world records. You just go," Mutai said. "If you are strong, you push it. But if you put it in your head, you can’t make it."
Mutai outsprinted Moses Mosop down Boylston Street to win by 4 seconds as the two Kenyans both beat Haile Gebrselassie’s sanctioned world record of 2:03:59. Four men, including third-place finisher Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia and American Ryan Hall, broke the course record of 2:05:52 set just last year by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot.
Ryan first from HawaiiAlan Ryan of Laupahoehoe was the top Hawaii finisher at yesterday’s Boston Marathon, finishing the 26.2-mile event in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 58 seconds. Don't miss out on what's happening!Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser's and Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
Ryan, 40, was 509th overall, the 473rd male and 58th in his age group. The top female finisher from Hawaii was Honolulu’s Kristina Ingvarsson in 3:13:24. The 36-year-old was 3,603rd overall and the 340th woman. Fifty-three Hawaii residents finished the race. ———
Star-Advertiser staff |
"These guys obviously showed us what’s possible for the marathon," said Hall, whose 2:04:58 is the fastest ever run by an American. "I was out there running, and I was thinking to myself, ‘I can’t believe this is happening right now. I’m running a 2:04 pace, and I can’t even see the leaders.’ It was unreal."
The IAAF must certify a world record, and it is unlikely to approve Mutai’s feat. The international governing body’s Rule 206 requires courses to start and finish near the same point in order to discourage downhill, wind-aided runs and the artificially fast times they can produce. (Boston has a net decline of 459 feet, though the course is dominated by hills going up and down.)
"We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today," said Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, after Mutai ran almost a full minute faster than the sanctioned world record. "We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that’s good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them."
IAAF officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Although the organization’s rules clearly disqualify the Boston course from a world record, it does list Cheruiyot’s time in last year’s race among the best times of 2010. Joan Benoit’s 2:22:53 was considered a women’s record in 1983, though that was before the IAAF refined its rules.
Mutai will receive a $50,000 bonus for the world best and another $25,000 for the course record to go with the $150,000 he and women’s winner Caroline Kilel earned for the win. "This gentleman did both things, and we are honored to have played a part in his doing it," Grilk said.
BOSTON MARATHONYesterday Hawaii men’s finishers Women’s overall Hawaii’s female finishers |
