By Michelle Westgate
It was a close race from start to finish between top women athletes Paula Radcliffe and Gete Wami in Sunday’s annual New York Marathon. Radcliffe, of Great Britain, maintained her lead throughout the course, with Wami, of Ethiopia, close behind. Radcliffe pulled ahead in the last few minutes of the race to cross the finish line 23 seconds before Wami.
Radcliffe finished the Marathon at a time of 2:23:09, beating her previous New York Marathon record by one second. It has been two years since she ran her last marathon, and she joined this marathon only a month before the date of the race. Radcliffe began monitored training during her pregnancy, and after the birth of her daughter in January, she concentrated on recuperating for the marathon. On Nov. 5, she went on to win the race for the second time.
Even in second place, Wami was the winner of the World Marathon Majors women’s title, earning her a prize of $500,000.
The elite men’s race was a close finish between Martin Lel, of Kenya, and Abderrahim Goumri, of Morocco. Lel finished at 2:09:04, just eight seconds before Goumri, at 2:09:16.
Both Lel and Goumri competed in the 2007 Flora London Marathon earlier this year with similar results. This is Goumri’s third attempt at a world-class marathon, and he is expected to be seen at many more in the future.
In the wheelchair division, women’s course record holder Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland finished first at 1:52:38. The defending men’s champion Kurt Fearnley of Australia won the men’s division at 1:33:58.
As is demonstrated by the wheelchair division, the marathon is open to all runners-not just those who compete professionally.
Many runners were motivated by a dedication to a charity or a loved one for whom they were attempting to raise money. Over 39,000 runners participated in the event, many pushing through to the end with faces of determination, some with eyes full of tears, and others with arms raised in victory.
“They are the heart of the marathon” said Paul Ortolano, events director for the New York Road Runners, an organization dedicated to promoting long-distance running. He explained that there are many people out there who will strive to make a better life for themselves and others. “They are why I do this.”
Marathon runner George Woodburn, from the Isle of Wight in Great Britain, was running for Mr. Men and Little Miss, a charity to help children with leukemia. He tripped and fell early in the race, but managed to get back up and finish. “The crowd was great. They were very supportive,” Woodburn said.
After he fell, the crowds cheered for Woodburn as he got up and re-entered the race. “It was difficult to get started again after that, but the people were motivating” he said. He finished in approximately four hours and mentioned that there were plenty of cups of water and volunteers along the way.
“The great thing about the melting pot in New York City is the people who come out to cheer the runners throughout the city,” said Ortolano, who added that over 50 percent of the runners are from other countries. “When communities know the race is coming through their neighborhood, they are out there to make the event.”
Woodburn spoke highly of the support of the hundreds of people in attendance, who offered cheers and a clear message of encouragement. “Crossing the finish line was just the beginning,” Woodburn said. “I plan to be back in New York next year.”
Sunday’s marathon was divided into a men’s, women’s and wheelchair sections that started at different times. (Michelle Westgate)
Members of the wheelchair division of the race, which was dominated by record holder Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, the women’s leader who finished at 1 (Michelle Westgate)
Paula Radcliffe beat out the second-place runner in the women’s division, Gete Wami, by a slim margin of 23 seconds. Radcliffe finished in 2 (Michelle Westgate)