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Apr-15-2005
FOR RUTTO AND CHERIGAT, A CHALLENGING WEEKEND
by Bob Ramsak
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
Competing an ocean apart, training partners Evans Rutto and Timothy Cherigat
have put a difficult chore on their plates this weekend: defending titles at
two of the world's most prestigious marathons.
For Rutto, the challenge is in Sunday's Flora London Marathon as part of one
of the strongest fields ever assembled; for Cherigat, it's the more
difficult BAA Boston Marathon course on Monday where a strong field will
also gather.
In London's 24 editions, only Mexico's Dionicio Ceron has successfully
defended the title in the men's race, with three consecutive wins beginning
in 1994. In Boston, the last to defend was course record holder Cosmas
Ndeti, who won his first of three straight in 1993. Since 1960, only five
men have successfully defended their titles at the world's oldest
annually-contested marathon.
"I feel good about London," said the 27-year-old Rutto who won last year in
2:06:19, despite the chill, wind and rain and a tumble in the 23rd mile.
"But there is a very strong field at the start."
Rutto is one of three former champions running on Sunday -- two-time winner
Abdelkader El Mouaziz (2001) and three-time champion Antonio Pinto are the
others-- along with Olympic champion Stefano Baldini and world record holder
Paul Tergat.
"It would be nice if I could defend my title, and I want to run a good time.
I don't know if it will be possible to run a personal best," a 2:05:50
clocking from his debut in Chicago in 2003, the fastest-ever by a debutante.
"But it depends on many things: the tactics, the weather, the pace making
and how I feel on Sunday morning."
"I am conscious that I am coming to Boston as the defending champion," said
Cherigat, whose 2:10:37 effort last year came under hot conditions virtually
opposite of those Rutto faced in London. "And of course it is my aim to win
again. I really like Boston and its difficult course." Last year, Cherigat
led for most of the race's final seven miles.
Unlike London, where a revision of the all-time performance lists has become
expected, Boston is simply about winning.
"Everyone tries to beat me, so I am not running for a certain time, I run to
win. Sometimes you have got a certain time that is important, maybe even a
personal best. But then you may only be second because somebody ran faster
than you. So I will not look at the time. I just want to be first at the
finish line."
The Boston line-up includes four men who have career bests of under 2:08:
Kenyans Robert Cheboror (2:06:23), Wilson Onsare (2:06:47), Benjamin Kosgei
Kimutai (2:07:26) and Mohamed Ouaadi (2:07:55) of France. 2003 winner Robert
Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya is the most recent addition to the field.
"It is a strong field and I will not think too much about tactical things,
but I am fully prepared," Cherigat said. "The race will be decided on Monday
between noon and probably 2.08 pm. You have to be flexible in the race."
Rutto has contested three marathons and won them all. With his two wins at
the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and last year's performance in London, his
career average is an astounding 2:06:08. Cherigat, one year Rutto's senior,
hasn't been as dominant as his training partner. He's won two of his six
marathons since 2001. Five of those six races came at Boston and New York,
so he hasn't been nearly as fast. His personal best, 2:09:34, came at San
Sebastián, Spain in 2002, his only marathon outside of the United States. In
his last race, Cherigat finished third at the ING New York City Marathon in
November, behind Hendrik Ramaala and Meb Keflezighi. He clocked 2:10:00. The
pair, both coached by Dieter Hogan, did their final prep work with a
two-month stint in Iten, Kenya, before sharpening up the past three weeks in
Boulder, Colorado.
With a high powered field in London, Rutto added that this year's 25th
anniversary in London may not only be about fast times.
"It might become a tactical race," he said. "There are too many strong guys
in the race, who will watch each other. Among them are some of the best
runners in the world, like Paul Tergat, John Korir or Stefano Baldini - it
is like a world championship or an Olympic race. Everybody has a lot of
experience," he concluded, "and so it won't be easy to win."
Sunday morning's men's race in London begins at 9:45; in Boston, the men
begin at noon.
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