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The latest series of the Abbott World Marathon Majors came to a thrilling conclusion at the Tokyo Marathon at the end of February when Kenyan runners Eliud Kipchoge and Mary Keitany were named Series IX champions.
For the world’s best endurance runners, the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) competition represents the pinnacle of global marathon racing. The series takes place at the best big-city marathons in the world, with Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Tokyo hosting AbbottWMM events. Olympic and World Championship races also form part of the contest in years when they take place.
At the end of each series, male and female winners are crowned on the basis of their two best performances across the competition. The winner of each race is awarded 25 points, with the runner-up gaining 16, the third-placed runner nine, the fourth-placed runner four and the fifth-placed runner one point.
A prize of $500,000 is awarded to the male and female winner of each series, adding plenty of incentive for athletes to use the contest to prepare for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and 2017 World Championships in London.
THE MEN’S SERIES IX
Kipchoge topped the AbbottWMM Series IX league table after winning last year’s Virgin Money London Marathon and BMW Berlin Marathon to score a maximum 50 points, well ahead of his Kenyan team-mate Dickson Chumba and Ethiopians Feyisa Lilesa and Lelisa Desisa, who all tied for second place on 34 points.
The 31-year-old 2003 world 5000m champion and 2008 Olympic 5000m silver medallist owned the two fastest times on the 2015 world list with his swift 2:04:00 lifetime best in the German capital and 2:04:42 from his London win.
With 34 points apiece, Kenya’s Dickson Chumba and Ethiopian duo, Feyisa Lilesa and Lelisa Desisa demonstrated the great depth of strength of the Series IX AbbottWMM entrants.
Last year’s Chicago winner, Chumba, also finished third in Tokyo in both the 2015 and 2016 events, and the 29-year-old has a fine 2:04:32 best from the 2014 season for 14th on the all-time rankings.
Lilesa, meanwhile, has impressive consistency having captured the 2016 Tokyo Marathon crown with a time of 2:06:56 and placed third in Berlin in just a second slower. The 26-year-old 2011 World Championship marathon bronze medallist has a 2:04:52 lifetime best from his runner-up position in Chicago in 2012.
Desisa, who was World Championship marathon silver medallist in 2013, was the victor at the 2015 Boston Marathon and third in New York. The 26-year-old has a 2:04:45 best from winning Dubai in 2013.
THE WOMEN’S SERIES IX
Mary Keitany’s 41-point finishing score was shared by two other women – Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba and Kenya’s Helah Kiprop – but in accordance with the AbbottWMM tie-break procedure, the series race directors met as a group immediately after the conclusion of the 2016 Tokyo Marathon and voted unanimously for Keitany to be crowned the series champion. The decision was based on the strength of the race fields she competed against, as determined by the number of total points earned by the competitors of the top three women in the respective races.
Thirty-four-year-old Keitany, who also won Series VI, boasts a superb 2:18:37 personal best from the 2012 London Marathon, which propelled her to the world all-time number two spot. Her best time in 2015 of 2:23:40 was set in the British capital.
Dibaba, 22, won the 2015 Tokyo title in 2:23:15 and finished third in Chicago – she has a 2:22:30 best from the 2014 season.
World silver medallist Kiprop, meanwhile, set a 2:21:27 lifetime best in winning the 2016 Tokyo Marathon crown – 12 months on from her second-place finish in the Japanese capital. The 30-year-old smashed her best by over two-and-a-half minutes in the process.
SERIES IX RACES
Boston Marathon
Regularly held on Patriots’ Day – which is the third Monday of April – the 2015 Boston Marathon was won by Ethiopian runner Lelisa Desisa and Caroline Rotich from Kenya.
At the 119th running of the event, Desisa finished in a time of 2:09:17, over half a minute clear of his Ethiopian team-mate and world silver medallist Yemane Adhane Tsegay, who clocked a time of 2:09:48. Kenya’s Wilson Chebet finished third in a time of 2:10:22.
Rotich, meanwhile, won a hard-fought victory over Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba – who went on to capture the World Championship title in Beijing four months later – clocking 2:24:55 to her rival’s 2:24:59. Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia finished closely behind in third with 2:25:09.
Virgin Money London Marathon
With a record 37,675 finishers, the 35th edition of the race witnessed classy wins for two London debutants and an emotional competitive farewell for Great Britain’s world marathon record holder, Paula Radcliffe.
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge – the world all-time number eight – claimed the first of his two AbbottWMM titles in 2015 with a surprise victory over one of the best men’s fields ever assembled, when he finished in 2:04:42.
In the runner-up position, Kenya’s former marathon world record holder and defending champion, Wilson Kipsang – the Olympic bronze medallist and AbbottWMM Series VIII champion – clocked 2:04:47, while his Kenyan compatriot Dennis Kimetto, the world record holder (2:02:57 set at the Berlin Marathon in 2014) was third in 2:05:50.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigist Tufa finished in 2:23:22 to score the biggest win of her career with a narrow victory over the established Mary Keitany (2:23:40) and 2014 Berlin winner Tirfi Tsegaye of Ethiopia, who clocked 2:23:41.
IAAF World Championship marathon
Series IX of the AbbottWMM also included the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August 2015, with Eritrea’s Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (2:12:28) and Mare Dibaba (2:27:35) taking the gold medal spoils in the Chinese capital.
In the silver medal positions were Ethiopia’s Yemane Adhane Tsegay (2:13:08) and Kenya’s Helah Kiprop (2:27:36 – only a second adrift of the winner), while Uganda’s Solomon Mutai (2:13:30) and Kenyan-Bahraini Eunice Jepkirui (2:27:39) claimed the bronze medals.
BMW Berlin Marathon
Having developed a reputation for being a fast course in recent years – five men’s world records have been set in the German capital since 2007 – the 2015 BMW Berlin Marathon did not disappoint in September as Eliud Kipchoge stormed clear for a superb 2:04:00 lifetime best win – five months on from his London victory.
Over a minute behind, his Kenyan team-mate Eliud Kiptanui – fifth in the 2011 World Championship marathon – clocked 2:05:21, as Ethiopia’s 2011 world marathon bronze medallist Feyisa Lilesa finished third with 2:06:57.
Kenya’s 2014 world half marathon champion and 2013 world 10,000m runner-up Gladys Cherono enjoyed her AbbottWMM race debut, crossing the line first in 2:19:25 as Ethiopian duo Aberu Kebede, the 2009 world bronze medallist, and Meseret Hailu, the 2012 world half marathon champion, finished second and third in 2:20:48 and 2:24:33 respectively.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In October 2015, the ‘Windy City’ saw Kenyan pair Dickson Chumba and Florence Kiplagat steal the show with strong performances.
Following his third place in Tokyo earlier in 2015, Chumba finished in 2:09:25 to ensure Kenya’s 2010 world half marathon bronze medallist Sammy Kitwara had to settle for the runner-up spot for the second consecutive year with his time of 2:09:50. Sammy Ndungu – also of Kenya – was third in 2:10:06.
Kiplagat, two-time Berlin Marathon winner and 2010 world half marathon champion, clocked 2:23:33 to improve one place on her 2014 position ahead of AbbottWMM debutant Yebrqual Melese (2:23:43) and 2014 Tokyo Marathon winner Birhane Dibaba (2:24:24), who also placed third in 2014.
TCS New York City Marathon
The world’s largest marathon, with more than 50,000 finishers in 2014, the ‘Big Apple’ race saw Kenyan pair Stanley Biwott and Mary Keitany take the honours in the 2015 event last November.
Enjoying his first marathon win since Paris in 2012, Biwott registered 2:10:34 ahead of his countryman Geoffrey Kamworor, the 2014 world half marathon champion, who finished in 2:10:48, and 2015 Boston Marathon victor Lelisa Desisa (2:12:10).
Keitany, meanwhile, defended her 2014 title with a 2:24:25 victory over 2009 world bronze medallist Aselefech Mergia of Ethiopia and last year’s London Marathon winner Tigist Tufa – who clocked 2:25:32 and 2:25:50 respectively.
Tokyo Marathon
In 2015, Ethiopian duo Endeshaw Negesse and Birhane Dibaba claimed the men’s and women’s titles, winning in 2:06:00 and 2:23:15 respectively, while at the 2016 event the honours went to Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa (2:06:56) and Helah Kiprop of Kenya (2:21:27).
Lilesa took charge with a mile to go to claim his first major marathon victory in a nine-year career ahead of Kenya’s Bernard Kipyego, 2009 world half marathon runner-up, who pipped his team-mate – a tiring Dickson Chumba, the victor in 2014 – on the line with 2:07:33 to his compatriot’s 2:07:34.
In the women’s race, Kiprop broke away from the field after the 35km mark to go one better than in 2015 in what represented a huge personal best breakthrough race.
The World Championship runner-up smashed the course record by almost a minute and crossed the Finish Line 24 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Amane Gobena – who also set a big lifetime best with 2:21:51.
Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya was third in 2:22:36.
Source: Virgin Money London Marathon
