The report has been reshuffled to place it from start to finish. This is the race as it happened.
The marathon gets underway on a warm evening in Athens, with race favourite Paula Radcliffe, Great Britain, to the fore of the pack immediately. A hard and gruelling event is on the cards, as the heat and course are certainly to play their role in the outcome of this event.
Radcliffe dons a hat like many of the other competitors and 6 minutes into the race, there is no sweltering pace to match the conditions. The lead pack is enormous, however the pack of at least 20, has already separated itself from the rest of the field. Unbelievably the 3 Spanish runners feel more content to have dropped right off the front pack and concentrate running their own race.
The Tomb of the Athenian Warriors passes and so too does 5K in 17:09 .. 5K into the race and Radcliffe’s head begins to ‘bob’, by all accounts this is not a good sign so early into this marathon. Moroccan athlete, 2816, goes to the front to maintain a pace that will place pressure on the others, Radcliffe moves in directly behind her. The Moroccan accepts some olive leaves and places it within her top, “anyone for superstition”. We notice Radcliffe spitting, another ‘not good sign’. There is no doubt that the heat is going to play a major role on the outcome of things today, even Catherine Ndereba, winner of the Paris World Champs marathon in 2003, is covered in a film of sweat. The normally aggressive front-running Romanians have fallen to the back of the pack and are not playing a role in the setting of the pace today. 23:58 into the race and the Moroccan stops suddenly and then continues her run occasionally clutching at her side. Radcliffe continues the role of pacesetter and this field is feeling the conditions. In my opinion, Maragaret Okoyo of Kenya, looks the best so far and it is only 26 minutes into the race. The front pack consists only of 12 athletes now and they are dropping like flies. To be brutally honest, those falling off so early in the race would be best served saving their best efforts for another day. 28 minutes into the race and Okoyo moves in behind Radcliffe, to track the Brit’s progress.
Ndereba is tucked in at the rear of the pack and is one of the ‘hot dozen’ 31 minutes into the race. All 3 Kenyans and all 3 Japanese runners are present, as well as 1 Ethiopian and surprisingly 2 Romanians. Serb/Montenegro athlete, Jevtic and Chinese athlete Chunxia make up the lead pack. 10K passes 34:14, a fairly equal split for the first two 5K’s. A waterpoint looms and Radcliffe makes sure she gets her brew, this is most important on a day as such, throw in a cup of water over the head and hopefully she will be fine. And a runner goes down through the congested water point.
39 minutes into the race and Radcliffe looks to be working a little harder, this may be due to the change in terrain as there are some mean hills thrown in for good measure. 41.23 into the race and the lead pack is now 10, with the Kenyan Alice Chelngat and the Chinese athlete, Zhou Chunxia off the back. Asha Gigi of Ethiopia, 45 minutes into the race is seen hurling on the side of the road, this heat is harsh. Tiny Japanese athelete, Noguchi, takes up the role of pacemaker as they approach a water table donned with their special brews, their is a definite rise in the terrain as it gradually climbs towards 21K. Radcliffe returns to the front and is content to continue her role as leader and pre-race favourite. 55 minutes into the race and the terrain is testing. This is the first marathon where Radcliffe will experience such a terrain, whereas it is very familiar territory for both Ndereba and Okayo.
15K passed in 52:11, a 17:46
60 minutes passes and Radcliffe is still at the head of the field. Water stations are being well utilised today and hopefully conditions will begin to cool for the women as they approach halfway in this race.
63 minutes into the race and Ndereba is stalking at the back of the pack, which still consists of the 3 Japanese runners, Mizuki Noguchi, Reiko Tosa and Naoko Sakamoto, who have one of the most stringent selection policies in the marathon world, however it seems to be showing its strength. The 2 Romanians, Constantina Tomescu and Nuta Olaru play the sitting role.
72 minutes into the race and it is Noguchi who is applying pressure on the incline and it is the 2 Kenyans who are the first to falter, Radcliffe noticing this lapse is quick to maintain the pressure so that there is no easy ride for those sitting in the bus. Ndereba begins to claw her way back, with Okayo losing 30 meters.
Halfway passed in 74:03
Ndereba is back in the pack and she is a well seasoned runner, who has loads of experience and her strength is downhill and that is still to come. Okayo is still trying to get back into the pack.
79 minutes into the race and Alemu applies the pressure, and Tomescu is the first to feel the pressure as she drops off the pack sliding behind Okyao, who has lost further touch with the group. Radcliffe again goes to the front to assure that the pace still troubles her rivals. Ndereba still lurks at the rear, this time not allowing herself to lose contact.
84 minutes into the race and both Romanian athletes are now out of the pack, with Okayo no longer within striking distance of the leaders.
88 minutes into the race and Okayo, IMO, is no longer a threat on the leaders as 25Km passes in 1:28:05 with Noguchi the leader and the Kenyan 28 seconds in arrears. If Okayo comes back from this, then she is Superwoman is disguise, without the cape.
91 minutes into the race and Noguchi applies the pressure, taking Alemu with her and Radcliffe slides off the front, this is a vicious attack and the pack is broken, except for the Ethiopian.
99 minutes into the race and Noguchi is gone, however Ndereba is working from 3rd spot to catch Noguchi and with the downhill still to come, this may still be ‘Catherine the Great’ ‘s race. The gap is 15 seconds back to Alemu.
1Hr 45:02 – 30K into the race and the tiny Japanese athlete is stretching her legs on the downhill. Radcliffe has moved past Ndereba and has Alemu in her sights, as she tries to get back to the front. This race is not yet over.
Inexplicably the lead vehicle with photographers slows the tiny Japanese athlete down. This is a crime, a diabolical disgrace.
1Hr 50 into the race and Radcliffe has moved into 2nd place, having to work hard to close the gap on the lone front runner from the ‘land of the rising sun’. Ndereba cruises onto the back of the Brit’s pace on the downhill then passing Radcliffe with ease.
1Hr 54 into the race and the one doing the chasing now is the Kenyan.
1Hr 57 into the race and the gap is 30 seconds to Ndereba and further 14 seconds to Radcliffe, who is fighting to get back on terms. Unfortunately, imo, the course will suit Ndereba more now, if Radcliffe can win it from here, it will be an awesome performance.
35K in 2:02:04 with Ndereba in 2:02:32 and Radcliffe in 2:03:04
Radcliffe is out at the 36Km .. the best she can do is come back and win the 10 000m.
2Hr11 into the race with downhill to come and Ndereba is closing, it is only 14 seconds now
2Hr15 this is now Ndereba’s race, should she take this, she will place herself amongst the greats of the distance. Noguchi is faltering on the downhill.
39K and that may have been Ndereba’s last chance as the course climbs slightly now and this should favour the Japanese athlete, it may be too late for Catherine.
2Hr 18 into the race and Noguchi is fighting to take the Gold home for Japan, this has been a great fight by the tiny athlete, she has given it her all and passing through 40K in 2Hr19 she still maintains the same gap of 14 seconds.
2Hr 20 into the race and it is the USA’s Deena Kastor who is making a late charge for a top 3 finish. 2Hr 23 Kastor is within striking distance of Bronze and should realise her dream. Alemu can’t respond as the American is flying.
Noguchi wins in 2:26:20 with Ndereba 2nd and Kastor an ecstatic 3rd.
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