Gebrselassie Adds New York City to His Empire
Ethiopian legend beat world-class field; blanket finish in women’s race
Reputations as big as Haile Gebrselassie’s can be hard to live up to. Today, the man known as “the Emperor” satisfied anyone’s expectations—perhaps even his own—by thoroughly and gracefully dominating the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE. In a much closer contest, Hilda Kibet of Kenya edged her countrywoman Catherine Ndereba, the defending champion, by a single second.
In weather far less oppressive than had been predicted, Gebrselassie ran with two-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman and World Marathon Majors Series leader Robert K. Cheruiyot of Kenya for seven miles in Central Park. As the trio left the park on Seventh Avenue, Gebrselassie answered a brief move by Abdirahman with a devastating counterattack, then widened his lead throughout the last six miles to win by one minute and five seconds and slash 1:58 from Tom Nyariki’s 2006 course record. His time of 59:24, achieved on a challenging course with a constantly undulating first half, has been bettered by only seven men in history (not including his own personal-best 58:55), and his win extended his undefeated record in half-marathons to eight-for-eight. Abdirahman, whose 1:00:29 was a personal best by 38 seconds, improved from third in 2006 to second today. Cheruiyot held on to round out the top three in 1:00:58; he was briefly hospitalized after reporting weakness and confusion. He was observed for one hour and released.
The women’s race was a much closer affair. A pack of six remained intact through the park loop, after which Ndereba, Kibet, and Mexican marathon record-holder Madai Perez established a slight lead, which they held until the nine-mile mark. As they turned south off 42nd Street onto the West Side Highway, Ndereba pushed the pace hard; the move dropped Perez, but Kibet hung on and attempted her own breakaway, which Ndereba covered.
Farther back, New Zealand’s Nina Rillstone set out after the disintegrating pack. As she moved into fourth, then third, Rillstone realized that she was gaining on the two leaders as well. “I think I can run with those girls,” she thought, and then proved it by making contact with about one mile left in the race. Fearing the Kenyans’ finishing speed, Rillstone let her momentum take her to the front. Ndereba and Kibet drew level with her as they entered the final 400 meters, and the three sprinted for the line. Kibet prevailed in 1:10:32, Ndereba followed in 1:10:33, and Rillstone clocked 1:10:35 to lower her own New Zealand national record by 14 seconds.
After the race, Kibet was asked when she knew she could win it. “When I crossed the line!” she replied. A competitive runner for only three years, she called this race “the biggest win of my career. It is my breakthrough, and it gives me confidence that I can do even better.”
“I am never disappointed,” said Ndereba. “The word is not in my vocabulary.” In the inaugural NYC Half-Marathon last year, she had edged Australia’s Benita Johnson in an even closer finish by three-tenths of a second.
Opinions of Gebrselassie’s fitness were consistent. “Geb’s in shape, said ING New York City Marathon 2004 champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, a bit rueful after his 11th-place 1:04:21. “I was jet-lagged. But I always survive. I’ll tell you one thing: When I’m back here for the marathon, I won’t run like I did today.”
Abdirahman shook his head and smiled, saying, “I tried, man. I’m very pleased.”
2004 U.S. Olympic marathoner Alan Culpepper, who finished fast to pass two Ethiopian runners for sixth (1:03:34), said, “This course favors people who don’t need an even pace…I saw those two guys just ahead of me, and I realized that they were right ahead of me last year, too! Luckily, the kick was there.”
Speaking at a post-race news conference, Gebrselassie thanked Abdirahman and Cheruiyot for keeping the early pace honest. “They made me work,” he said. This was believable even from Gebrselassie when one considers that the third mile was run in 4:19. “I pushed hard in Times Square, and Abdi said to me, ‘Just go.’”
He went—and was alone from then on, although he never looked back to gauge his lead. “I didn’t want anyone to see me looking,” he said. “They might have been coming!”
They weren’t.
Hilda Kibet surged in the last 200
meters to best defending champ Catherine Ndereba.
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