SWTM Elite race: what happened?

[cgraham]

Looking at the winning times, it's quite a bit slower than last year, and just about everyone had a 3-5 minute or so positive split.

I was out watching/cheering at the 23/38km spot (until my son got too bored and demanded we head to Word on the Street). It didn't seem too windy or hot or anything.

Any idea what happened?

[Doonst]

From the Waterfront 2008 thread, Smitty wrote:

"Watched the leaders finish the marathon at Richmond St. A bit of a mix up as the leader followed the motorcycles off the course. The second place guy kinda stopped, confused where buddy was heading. They both quickly got back on pace with a couple hundred metres left. I didn't catch the bib nos. so I don't know if it cost the guy the race!"

[Smitty]

The mix up at Richmond St. probably cost them a few seconds. All though it may have cost the race for the leader, they were only 3 metres apart.

[rundmc]

It looks like they went out at 2:09 pace chasing the additional prize money for a new course record, and couldn't hold it. It happens. If the 10k split is accurate, then they went out really fast in 30:19, at 2:07 pace, and paid for it a little bit. Mungara and Kiprotich only lost about 90 seconds over the second half.

[BJH]

The report in the paper says that there was a strong wind in the second half. There was a women's course record set.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/507870

Record pace at waterfront marathon

Ethiopian Mulu Seboka posts fastest time in women's race's history
Sep 28, 2008 12:52 PM
Be the first to comment on this article...
MORGAN CAMPBELL
SPORTS REPORTER

Before running here, Ethiopian marathoner Mulu Seboka had heard of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon’s growing reputation for great weather and a fast course.

This morning the 22-year-old covered that course faster than anyone ever has, winning the Marathon in a course-record 2:29:05. Her time is more than four minutes faster than the record established last year by Asha Gigi, a fellow Ethiopian and this year’s third-place finisher.

Olena Shurkho of the Ukraine finished second in the women’s race.

Organizers had hoped to see another course record in the men’s race, where last year Jobn Kelai of Kenya finished in 2:09:30, the fastest marathon ever run in Canada.

But this year Kelai finished fifth, while Kenyan compatriot Kenneth Mungara won in 2:11:0.9.

The runners covered the first half of the race on record pace but slowed down as the wind picked up.

"At around 30 kilometres the wind was so strong we couldn’t keep the time," said second-place finisher Peter Kiprotich.

About 3,100 runners registered for this morning’s marathon.

The the top Canadian finishers were Suzanne Evans, who finished 9th in the women’s race, and Dylan Wykes, who placed 11th among men.

[fe.RMT]

The report in the paper says that there was a strong wind in the second half. There was a women's course record set.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/507870

Record pace at waterfront marathon

Ethiopian Mulu Seboka posts fastest time in women's race's history
Sep 28, 2008 12:52 PM
Be the first to comment on this article...
MORGAN CAMPBELL
SPORTS REPORTER

Before running here, Ethiopian marathoner Mulu Seboka had heard of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon’s growing reputation for great weather and a fast course.

This morning the 22-year-old covered that course faster than anyone ever has, winning the Marathon in a course-record 2:29:05. Her time is more than four minutes faster than the record established last year by Asha Gigi, a fellow Ethiopian and this year’s third-place finisher.

Olena Shurkho of the Ukraine finished second in the women’s race.

Organizers had hoped to see another course record in the men’s race, where last year Jobn Kelai of Kenya finished in 2:09:30, the fastest marathon ever run in Canada.

But this year Kelai finished fifth, while Kenyan compatriot Kenneth Mungara won in 2:11:0.9.

The runners covered the first half of the race on record pace but slowed down as the wind picked up.

"At around 30 kilometres the wind was so strong we couldn’t keep the time," said second-place finisher Peter Kiprotich.

About 3,100 runners registered for this morning’s marathon.

The the top Canadian finishers were Suzanne Evans, who finished 9th in the women’s race, and Dylan Wykes, who placed 11th among men.

Wow, I thought it might have had something to do with the snarled traffic

[Jwolf]

Kelai had said before that he expected the leaders would wanted to set a sub-2:09 pace. Sounds like he just didn't have it this year.