Kenyans Chebet and Ongori fastest man and woman

Wilson Chebet has won the 31st ABN AMRO Rotterdam Marathon in a summery atmosphere. The Kenyan athlete finished in the world's best time of the season 2.05.27. Chebet remained six seconds ahead of his friend and compatriot Vincent Kipruto. Only four times before has the difference between the winner and the runner-up been smaller on the Coolsingel. Koen Raymaekers came eighth (2.13.41).

Women

In the women's category debutante Philes Ongori triumphed in 2.24.20. Chebet's compatriot was seven seconds faster than Hilda Kibet in the final stage of the race. With her performance, Hilda, who is of Kenyan origin, earned herself a nomination for the Olympic Games in London in 2012. Never before has a Dutch athlete run as fast in Rotterdam as Kibet.

Chebet enjoyed

Wilson Chebet (25) visibly enjoyed the victory in his second marathon. After 41 kilometres he ran away from Kipruto, the only remaining rival. "I was so tired, but I gave it my all and it worked. I am proud of this victory,'' he said. Kipruto, who like Chebet, comes from Eldoret, had to be content with the thought that he ran a marathon under 2.07 (02.05.33) for the third time.

Chebet is a Rotterdam 'discovery'. He twice ran a half marathon in Rotterdam and in 2009 served as a pacer - for no less than 32 kilometres. He lost that record to Sammy Kitwara who made a big impression in the 31st edition as pacer up to 35 kilometres.

Pacers

Super pacer Kitwara and five other Kenyans acted as a running green "windshield" for the "magnificent seven", the seven top athletes with the best personal record to their names. With the promising debutant Michael Kipyego in tow, they left on a mission that brought the winner to a finish that was under the course record of 02.04.27 (Duncan Kibet, 2009).

The weather conditions seemed to be ideal for that achievement. At the start, which was in keeping with tradition preceded by 'You'll Never Walk Alone' by Lee Towers, the temperature was 12 degrees Celsius at 11 o'clock, with wind-force 3 and a humidity level of 55. The temperature rose to 15 degrees in two hours, but the wind blew harder than anticipated.

Race director Eric Brommert: "A marathon is a marathon, unexpected things always happen. Kipyego fell after ten kilometres at a drinks stand for example. After thirty kilometres Getu Feleke had trouble with his ankle, and as a result he eventually had to abandon the race. Gilbert Kirwas had been ill during the last few days. And Eliud Kiptanu had to look for a Dixi (a toilet cabin) after 17 and 22 kilometres. That he still finished fourth, is incredible."

Two pacers fell away after fifteen kilometres, when the leading group was fourteen seconds under Haile Gebrselassie's world record schedule. And the pace anxiously fluctuated. At the halfway point the 'lead' on Gebrselassie had disappeared and thereafter all hopes of a record of 02.03.59 steadily disappeared from view.

The winner

It remained an exciting race, where Chebet and Kipruto first dealt with Ethiopian Chele Dechase (ultimately third in 02.08.47) and Feleke before the friends 'danced' to the finish line side by side. Chebet won the duel and became the thirteenth consecutive Kenyan winner in Rotterdam. He was also the sixteenth winner to win with a personal best.
With his 02.05.27, he achieved the eighth best time ever to have been run on the Coolsingel and he climbed the all time world rankings of athletes to 16th position. "I am a happy man," noted Chebet.

Koen Raymaekers

Koen Raymaekers (31) had hoped for more. His ranking, eighth, was fine, but his time was disappointing. The Dutch top marathon runner wanted to win an Olympic nomination in 02.10.00. The temperature, the wind, the pacers who, for him, ran just a little too slow and left a little too early - the conditions were not there for him to achieve that time. "At the halfway point I was 45 seconds behind on my schedule, by then my chance had gone."

After about 22 kilometres Raymaekers still tried to accelerate. He was with his last pacer then. The pacer was only able to run alongside him instead of ahead of him. "That cost me too much energy. It was my own choice, but it did not work out well. After 32 to 33 kilometres most of my energy was gone. I suffered from stiff legs. But I don't want to blame the pacer. I was just not good enough today," he admitted frankly. "I'll make a new attempt in October in Eindhoven or Amsterdam."

Hilda Kibet

Hilda Kibet (30) did succeeded in her objective. She made a strong impression with her personal best of 2.24.27 and needs only to keep to form at the half marathon in order to be able to participate in the Games in London. Kibet, engaged to athlete Hugo van den Broek, remained in Rotterdam, just 44 seconds away from the Dutch record of her aunt Lornah Kiplagat.

"Every year I go forward, thanks to the experience that I build. I'm on the right track. This was my fourth marathon and it was better than the other times, especially the final kilometres. I have trained well and I felt good. I'm happy and very satisfied," said Kibet, after hearing the winner Philes Ongori's (24) story with tears in her eyes.

The African lightweight (47 kilograms) said after her glorious debut, that she had written her target time (2.24.59) on a note before the race. She won in 02.24.20. "My brother had told me that I could run my first marathon under 2.25. He died last year in March during a run. I had a dream of him and thought of him during the entire race. "The tears were in her eyes.

Spectators

The sympathetic spectators on the Coolsingel did not see those tears. They amused themselves with the return of the athletes, bought flowers, balloons and special T-shirts for finishers. Or in a summery mood they drank in one of open air coffe shops. While in the last half hour Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb shook hands with almost every runner who passed the finish line.  "No, I don't have blisters on my hands, just a lot of sweat," he said, laughing.

In the morning he had opened the marathon day in the public room of the Town Hall with a very serious tone. During a speech to attendees Aboutaleb asked for "a moments silence to be observed" in connection with the tragedy that took place a day earlier in a mall in Alphen aan den Rijn. Marathon chairman Jos van der Vegt, also referred to it in his speech.

With Jacob van der Goot from sponsors ABN AMRO, Mayor Aboutaleb fired the cannon that set the participants (12 647 entries) in motion for a marathon that was memorable in many ways.