SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Ethiopian Shura Kitad nipped favored Eliud Kipchumba of Kenya at the finish line of the men’s race at the 40th running of the London Marathon Tuesday morning, and the women’s race went to Brigid Kosegi of Kenya, but 37-year-old Californian Sara Hall of the United States posted her own highlight with a sparkling come-from-behind second place.
On a damp, cold, rainy dreary day, Kitad stepped away from a 9-man jam down the stretch to slip past Kipchumba in 2:05.41, with Kipchumba, running with a blocked ear in the final minutes, about half-a-step behind in 2:05.42, and right there in third was Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma in 2:05.45 in one of the tightest-ever finishes of this marathon.
The girls ran first and encountered the nasty weather first. But Kosegi broke away from the pack at the halfway mark, ran in the cold, the wind and in between the falling raindrops, to place first in 2:18.58, off the world record of 2:16. 18, but under poor conditions.
Then there was the heroics of Hall, who dropped out of the US Olympic Marathon trials back in February after 22 miles. Now she traded in that disappointment for this stellar comeback run in 2:22.01, finishing four second ahead of world champion Ruth Chepngetich of Ethiopia, who ran 2:26.01.
Hall was ninth at the halfway mark in 1 hour, 27 minutes, but racing through these weather conditions and appearing very confident, she kept passing runners, and when she came up just a step behind Chepngetich, she seized the opportunity to take off into second place and never looking back as she finished with her hands held high and was congratulated by Kosegi, then Chepngetich.
“I was alone quite a bit of the race,” Hall said, “but I was motivated, and then I raced past Chepngetich on the last lap, and gave it my hall. I’m in shock to be honest, but overwhelmingly happy. I remember charging past (Ashete) Bekere and into third place before the 40k, and was about 40 seconds behind Chepngetich, but still seeing Kosegi, and so I sprinted with about 100 meters to go.”
It was the first time an American had a podium finish in London since the USA’s Deena Kastor won in 2006.
Another USA plus was Molly Seidel of Georgia running a personal-best 2:25.13 to finish seventh in only her second major marathon.
