Bogotá, Colombia July 29, 2012

Peter Kirui  of Kenya, the 2011 Kenyan Champion at 10000m, was too strong and too fast for the competition today in the 13th edition of the Media Maratón de Bogotá.  Running solo from 11 km he crossed in1:02:26, just 6 seconds outside the record set by  countryman Geoffrey Mutai last year.

Gladys Cherono, 2012 African Championships 5000m and 10000m gold medalist, easily captured the women's title in 1:13:27 - seven seconds faster than last year's winner, but outside the 8-year-old course record of 1:10:39.

The Media Maratón de Bogotá, the only IAAF Gold Label Road Race in South America, attracted over 14,000 entrants this year. And another 30,000 registered in the accompanying 10K (including Colombia's President, Juan Manuel Santos), for a grand race day total of over 44,000. 

Men's Race

The race favorites, Sammy Kitwara, Wilson Chebet, Isaac Macharia, Victor Kipchirchir and Peter Kirui, all of Kenya, plus Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia, quickly separated themselves from the others., with Chebet and Kipchirchir doing much of the early leading.  

But by 10K, Kirui, the 2012 Peachtree Road Race10K and New York Half Marathon Champion, had hit the front and was pushing the pace so that only Lilesa was able to stay with him.

Approaching 11K there are a series of quick, sharp turns on the course, and Kirui powered through these to drop his Ethiopian rival and open a significant lead.  From there it was Kirui against the clock, and the course record seemed possible right up until the end.

Lilesa kept Kirui in his sights and was able to secure second place in 1:03:18 with Chebet pulling away from countrymen Kipcirchir, Machari and Kiwara to take third in 1:04:19 and lead a Kenyan sweep of places  3 through 6.  

Yemane Tsegay, the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon Champion, followed in 7th, then the first South American, Jhon Cusi of Peru in 8th, his countryman Constantino Leon in 9th and the first Colombian finisher,  Javier Guarin in 10th. 

Women's Race

The small group of elite women started at 9:23 AM, seven minutes in front of the men.  Kenyans Gladys Cherono and Helah Kiprop along with Ethiopian Abebech Afework took the lead from the start, and opened a big gap on the rest of the field

The in-form Cherono, whose half marathon best of 1:08:18 was set just three months ago in the Prague Half Marathon, was pushing at the front. By 14K Kiprop had to let go, leaving the Kenyan and Ethiopian women battling at the front together for 2 more kilometers before Cherono surged one more time and opened a gap that would grow to a minute and 22 seconds over the final third of the race.

Cherono's winning time was 1:13:27 to Afework's 1:14:49 in 2nd and Kiprop holding on to take 3rd in 1:15:56.

First South American Jemena Misayauri of Peru took 4th in 1:18:16, her best finish ever in Bogota, with Rose Jebet of Kenya 5th in 1:18:36 and the first Colombian, Leydi Tobon taking 6th in 1:18:43.

Men

1.  Peter Kirui  KEN             1:02:26

2.  Feyisa Lelisa  ETH              1:03:18

3.  Wilson Chebet  KEN             1:04:19

4.  Victor Kipchirchir  KEN       1:04:48

5.  Isaac Macharia  KEN            1:05:02

6.  Sammy Kitwara  KEN           1:05:13

7.  Yemane Tsegay  ETH            1:06:00

8.  John Cusi  PER              1:06:06

9.  Constantino Leon  PER         1:06:09

10. Javier Guarin  COL              1:07:02

Women

1.  Gladys Cherono  KEN           1:13:27

2.  Abebech Afework ETH         1:14:49

3.  Helah Kiprop  KEN              1:15:56

4.  Jemena.Misauri  PER            1:18:16

5.  Rose Jebet  KEN              1:18:36

6.  Leydi Tobon  COL               1:18:43

7.  Neriah Asiba  KEN               1:18:51

8.  Angie Orjuela  COL              1:20:22

9.  Yolanda Fernandez  COL      1:20:44

10  Ludmila Petrova  RUS          1:22:45