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NEW YORK - Two new champions on the podium in 2005 with Kenya's Paul Tergat and Latvia's Jelena Prokopcuka winning a major city marathon in the Big Apple.
Both athletes were involved in closely fought contests with their rivals battling them all the way to the line. None so close as the Men's contest, with defending champion, Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, being beaten in a sprint finish after a gallant and gutsy display. Tergat and Ramaala were accredited with the same time of 2:09:30.
For absolute bravery, Kenya's Susan Chepkemei, endured a simply ghastly experience puking up all her fluids after looking set for victory. Chepkemei dug deep in an attempt to fight Prokopcuka all the way to the line. The Latvian won in 2:24:41, after looking dead and buried earlier after one of the numerous Chepkemei surges. There was no doubt that Prokopcuka deserved her win, however there must have been many who would have been happy had the East African won.
In the Men's race, Ramaala ran an exceptionally vicious race surging to break the pack and once Tergat joined the trio in the front consisting of compatriot Robert Cheriyut and the USA's Meb Keflezighi, the South African athlete new it would be a tall order to secure another win in defense of the 2005 title.
By winning, Tergat added one of the Big 5 City Marathons to his single previous victory in Berlin in 2003, where he established the current World Record of 2:04:55.
Keflezighi finsihed 3rd in 2:09:56 to add to his 2nd place of 2004 and his Silver from Athens 2004, and if anything a win will certainly be on the cards in the future. On the Women's side, Ethiopia's Derartu Tulu took 3rd in a time of 2:25:21
more data to follow under New York Marathon 2005
source Time-to-Run
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