STANDARD CHARTERED MUMBAI MARATHON, INDIA – 21 JANUARY 2007

The men's race held to a steady pace, passing through halfway in just over 66 minutes with a large group still together. On the return journey the pace reamined steady but the rising heat of the morning and the increasing fatigue of the runners meant that the group thinned out to five before 30km. Pacemaker Simon Kasimili dropped out at 32km but he had launched the leading four firmly towards the finish line.

They strung out further up the main hill on the course at 35km, but the leading pair fought a close duel all the way along the 4km-long "Queen's Necklace" and even to within the final kilometre of the course. John Kelai had done most of the leading over the final stretch and his strength was such that he got away for a small but confident win.

In the women's race Leila Aman led through 15km ahead of Marashet Jimma. Aman had finished second and third in this race in previous years, but Jimma overtook her and by halfway was leading by about 40m, while Aman was among a chasing group of seven. All fell away in the second half, as the more cautious staters came through. Xia Yang Feng, running only her second marathon, judged the pace well and overhauled all the many runners who led her through the early stages. Letay Negash and Jennifer Chesinon had also started more slowly, and came through to fiinish second and third. Marashet Jimma held together best of those ambitious early leaders to take fourth.

MEN:
1  John KELAI                     KEN  2:12:27
2  Gashaw MALESE                  ETH  2:12:32
3  Tariku JUFAR                   ETH  2:12:49
4  Stanley LELEITO                KEN  2:14:21
5  Robert CHERUIYOT               KEN  2:14:49
6  Robert KIPYEGO                 KEN  2:14:59
7  Vincent KIPTOO                 KEN  2:15:08
8  Jacob MENGICH                  KEN  2:15:22
9  Michael NGASEKE                ZIM  2:16:07
10 Julius SEUREI                  KEN  2:17:05
 
WOMEN: 
1  Xia Yang FENG                  CHN  2:36:16
2  Letay NEGASH                   ETH  2:37:04
3  Jennifer CHESINON              KEN  2:38:13
4  Marashet JIMMA                 ETH  2:38:49
5  Irene MOGAKA                   KEN  2:41:12
6  Tegla LORUPE                   KEN  2:42:52
7  Wudnesh NEGA                   ETH  2:44:17
8  F FILONYUK                     UKR  2:44:27
9  Etenesh TADESSA                ETH  2:44:41
10 Banuela KATESIGWA              TAN  2:48:33
 
HALF MARATHON:
MEN:
1  Deep CHAND                     IND  1:08:03
2  Lone Bhairav SINGH             IND  1:08:25
3  Sachin SONOWANE                IND  1:08:27

WOMEN:
1  Madhuri GUMELE                 IND  1:19:54
2  Fabiola OPPLIGER               SUI  1:26:44
3  Bhagwati                       IND  1:27:49