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Dec-2-2008
Radcliffe, Ndereba Return to Star-Studded London Marathon
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
History's two fastest women over the classic marathon distance, Britain's Paula Radcliffe and Kenya's Catherine Ndereba, will return to the starting line of the Flora London Marathon next April after several year absences, part of a blockbuster field assembled by race director Dave Bedford for the 29th edition of his race.
Radcliffe, the holder of both the absolute and women's-only world records, 2:15:25 and 2:18:56, respectively, is also a three-time London champion. However, the 34 year-old athlete, who makes her home in Monte Carlo, has not run London since 2005 when she clocked 2:17:42, the third-fastest time in history.
"It's fantastic to be back at the Flora London Marathon," said Radcliffe through a media release. "I've missed the last three years through injuries and it was frustrating not to be fully fit for the Olympic Games this summer. But after my victory in New York last month, I'm hungry to win back my Flora London Marathon title and join Ingrid in the record books."
"Ingrid" is retired Norwegian star, Ingrid Kristiansen, who won London four times between 1984 and 1988.
Ndereba, 36, hasn't run London since 2003 when she finished second to Radcliffe in 2:19:55 in her only appearance at the race. Two times the world marathon champion and Olympic silver medalist, Ndereba has also won the Boston Marathon four times and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon twice. Her 2:18:47 personal best, formerly the world record set in Chicago in 2001, makes her the second-fastest women's marathoner of all time.
Bedford's field also includes defending London champion and 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors champion, Irina Mikitenko. The soft-spoken German star won both the London and Berlin Marathons in 2008, and her 2:19:19 winning time in Berlin (with the assistance of male pacemakers) makes her the second-fastest European woman of all time. Olympic gold medalist Constantina Dita is the other big European star.
The race's other top Africans include 2006/2007 World Marathon Majors champion Gete Wami of Ethiopia, and her compatriot Berhane Adere, who holds the Ethiopian record of 2:20:42. Kenyan Martha Komu, fifth in the Beijing Olympic Marathon, is also in the field.
China's Zhou Chunxiu, the Olympic bronze medalist who ran away from the field to win London in 2007, is the top Asian athlete in the field and is definitely a threat to win London again.
"The array of former champions, record holders, world and Olympic champions means London will be treated to a spectacular demonstration of marathon running on 26th April," Bedford declared.
The Flora London Marathon is the second stop in 2009 of the World Marathon Majors series, a points competition incorporating the commercial marathons in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York City, plus the IAAF World Championships and Olympic Games Marathons in the years those races occur. Mikitenko leads the 2008/2009 series with 50 points, reflecting her victories at Berlin and London this year (each victory is worth 25 points). Russian Alevtina Biktimirova is tied for second place with Dita with 30 points, while Radcliffe is in a three-way tie for fourth with Ethiopia's Dire Tune and Russia's Lidiya Grigoryeva. The series champion will be crowned after the 2008 ING New York City Marathon next November and will be presented with a check for USD 500,000.
Here is the full women's elite field for the Flora London Marathon with personal best times:
Irina Mikitenko, GER 2:19:19
Paula Radcliffe, GBR 2:15:25
Catherine Ndereba, KEN 2:18:47
Zhou Chunxiu, CHN 2:19:51
Berhane Adere, ETH 2:20:42
Lyudmila Petrova (40+), 2:21:29
Constantina Dita, ROU 2:21:30
Svetlana Zakharova, RUS 2:21:31
Gete Wami, ETH 2:21:34
Mara Yamauchi, GBR 2:25:03
Martha Komu, KEN 2:25:33
Inga Abitova, RUS 2:33:55
Kate O'Neill, USA 2:34:04
Liliya Shobukova, RUS Debut
Jo Pavey, GBR Debut
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