ATHLETICS: That a Kenyan won yesterday's adidas Dublin Marathon was no surprise, except for his name - Frederick Cherono. Just two years ago Cherono was a hard-working farmer in the Kapsait region of the Rift Valley and like many Kenyans his only experience of running was to and from school.
Inspired by his brother Henry, he took up running seriously and now aged 23 has produced his first marathon victory - and collected a handsome €15,000 prize. His winning time of two hours, 14 minutes and 25 seconds again fell short of Jerry Kiernan's 20-year-old course record but still left several more experienced Kenyans trailing, and could have been significantly faster had the early miles not been so conservative.
Blessed with a perfect day for marathon running the race did produce a new women's course record when Lidia Vassilevskaia of Russia came home in 2:32.56 (for another €15,000), and well inside the 2:34.34 set by Kenya's Esther Kiplagat in 1999.
Cherono wasn't a complete unknown and had previously run 2:18 to finish second in the Athens marathon but yesterday's four-minute personal best was a remarkable improvement for an athlete who has only been training seriously for two years.
"I'd heard about Dublin and that it was a nice place to run," he said. "But the money will go to my parents to help with the farming back in Kenya. For me I want to win a bigger marathon next like Boston, and then run the Olympics in Athens 2004."
Despite the ideal conditions the elite athletes started cautiously and an 11-man group was still bunched together at halfway, passed in an unhurried 69.30. At 16 miles the tempo had quickened and passing over the Liffey to the city's north side at 20 miles the lead group was down to four. Cherono was in front, along with last year's winner Zacharia Mpolokeng of South Africa and two other Kenyans, Geofrey Kinyua and Luka Cherono (the latter no relation to Frederick).
Coming out of the Phoenix Park and on to Blackhorse Avenue the two Cheronos started motoring. Entering O'Connell Street, Cherono was clear of his namesake and came home with 30 seconds to spare on Luka. Mpolokeng held on for third, with Kinyua in fourth and last year's runner-up, Gina Van Geyte of Belgium, taking sixth.
The race for the first Irish finisher comfortably went to Gary Crossan, although approaching the line he looked far from comfortable. A hamstring cramp as he entered the final straight on Merrion Square forced the Donegal athlete into a walk over the last 75 metres, but his 10th place finish and time of 2:20.16 quickly turned his grimace into a smile.
Like the overall winner, Crossan knocked four minutes off his best, set when winning the National Marathon title earlier this year, and it also rounds off the perfect season where the 31-year-old has also won the National half-marathon title.
"I felt the course was way better than last year, when I finished 21st," he said. "I didn't know what pace I was on at halfway, but I'm delighted with that time and hopefully I can go even faster."
Crossan, though, wasn't getting carried away, and asked if he could approach the 2:15 standard necessary for a major championship marathon, he replied: "Well, I don't know. I'll try to break 2:20 first."
Dundrum's Conor Holt had led the Irish interest for several miles before dropping back, and former National champion Pauric McKinney was the second Irishman home in 2:26.41 in 12th place, followed in succession by David Brady, Cathal O'Connell and Paul Deegan.
For Vassilevskaia, the women's winner, the 26.2-mile loop around the city appeared to have taken little effort. Like Cherono, she recovered remarkably quickly and has also set her ambition on the Olympic marathon. "It was hard to be running alone for so long," said the 29-year-old, "and the course was not so flat. But the money is nice, and I will put it towards my training."
Kenya had to settle for second best on this occasion with Anne Jelagat Kibor next home in 2:34.44, and Poland's Grazyna Syrek in third (2:35.09). The top Irish finisher was the experienced Ann Lennon from Mayo, who took ninth in 2:46.18.
The wheelchair race was another exhibition from Scotland's Kenny Herriot, who repeated last year's victory in the speedier time of 1:52.48. It was the sixth marathon in the last three months for the enthusiastic Herriot, who already this year improved the Scottish record to 1:41.27.
Not all the elite athletes, however, had the smoothest of rides. Kenya's Joel Limo was the early leader despite arriving in Dublin without prior warning, but faded drastically to 24th position. And Morocco's Mohammed El Hattab, one of the pre-race favourites, missed his connecting flight from Paris and arrived in Dublin two hours after the race had started.
DUBLIN MARATHON - MEN: 1 F Cherono (Kenya) 2:14.25, 2 L Cherono (Kenya) 2:14.55, 3 Z Mpolokeng (South Africa) 2:15:43, 4 G Kinyua (Kenya) 2:16.01, 5 L Kimutai (Kenya) 2:16.13, 6 G Van Geyte (Belgium) 2:17.00, 7 I Kipyego (Kenya) 2:17.28, 8 E Tukhbatullin (Russia) 2:18.02, 9 B Ngculana (South Africa) 2:18.49, 10 G Crossan (Ireland) 2:20.16; WHEELCHAIR: 1 K Herriot (Scotland) 1:52.48, 2 J Corbett (Banbridge) 2:10.44 WOMEN: 1 L Vassilevskaia (Russia) 2:32.56, 2 A Jelagat Kibor (Kenya) 2:34.44, 3 G Syrek (Poland) 2:35.09, 4 A Zhilyayeva (Russia) 2:36.32, 5 S Harrison (Great Britain) 2:38.52, 6 S Crombie-Hicks (Great Britain) 2:40.53, 7 T Thomson (Scotland) 2:42.30, 8 K Shuttleworth (South Africa) 2:45.31, 9 A Lennon (Ireland) 2:46.18, 10 J Gront (Poland) 2:47.31.
