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| Merga to take on three-time race winner Cheruiyot in Houston Marathon |
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| Saturday, 10 January 2009 | |
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Merga's performance in China (2:10:21) was part of an impressive year of running for the 28-year-old from Nekemte, Ethiopia. Most recently, Merga clocked a personal best and a course record of 59:15 in winning the New Delhi Half Marathon on 9 November 2008. Prior to the Games, he ran a PB of 2:06:38 to finish sixth at the London Marathon in April, to become the second fastest Ethiopian marathoner of all-time, only World record holder Haile Gebrselassie has run faster. The course record in Houston of 2:10:04 was set in 1989 by Richard Kaitany (KEN), and is Merga’s aim. "We witnessed a sensational, record-setting run from one of the best runners in the world at the 2008 Chevron Houston Marathon, and we could see a repeat performance in 2009," said Race Director Brant Kotch. "Ethiopia's Dire Tune set a women's course record by more than three minutes last January, and Merga possesses the ability to do the same to the men's mark." Joining Merga in Houston will be three-time Chevron Houston Marathon winner and David Cheruiyot of Kenya. Cheruiyot won back-to-back marathons in 2005 and 2006 and added his third Houston title in 2008. Kasime Adillo (ETH), second in Houston in 2008 in 2:12:47, Yuri Abramov (RUS), Kenneth Mungara (KEN), winner of the 2008 Toronto and Prague marathons, and Andrew Smith (CAN) also are scheduled to compete. The women’s race starting field is headed by another Ethiopian Teyiba Erkesso (ETH). Erkesso, 25, who ran a PB of 51:44 at the 2007 Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, will be running her debut marathon and is expected to challenge Houston's 2:24:40 course record set by her compatriot, Tune, in 2008. Others in the race include Amane Gobena (ETH), Lioudmila Kortchaguina (CAN) and Albina Gallyamova (RUS). Kortchaguina is a three-time Canadian marathon champion and owner of a 2:29:42 PR from the Ottawa Marathon in 2006. She placed seventh in the half marathon in her previous trip to Houston two years ago. Gallyamova will return to Houston as one of the sport's top masters (40 and over) competitors. She took fourth overall and was the top masters finisher in 2:37:50 at the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon. Gallyamova, 44, also finished fifth at the 2008 Country Music Marathon in Nashville in 2:40:23, which was good for first among masters. She won the open title in Houston in 2003 in 2:42:37. ( IAAF) |
Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga, the fourth place finisher in the Beijing Olympic Marathon finisher will race at the Chevron Houston Marathon on 18 January. | < Prev | Next > |
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