Tola, Makau, Abdirahman, Ramaala, and Gharib join New York Half-Marathon field

New York, USA - Some of the world’s best long-distance runners, including defending champion Tadese Tola of Ethiopia, two-time IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships silver medalist Patrick Makau of Kenya, three-time 10,000m Olympian Abdi Abdirahman of the United States, ING New York City Marathon 2004 winner Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, and 2008 Olympic marathon silver medalist and two-time World Marathon champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, will duel on the streets of Manhattan at the NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday, 16 August, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Previously announced for the fourth annual 13.1-mile race was top American marathoner and 2008 Olympian Ryan Hall, 26, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, who will make his NYC Half-Marathon debut.

“This is a glittering lineup of the world’s best emerging stars like Tola, Makau, and Hall, side by side with ageless veterans like Ramaala, Abdi, and Gharib,” said Wittenberg. “It should be a fast and furious race through the streets of Manhattan.”

A trio of the sport’s all-time greats—defending champion and two-time Olympic medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor of the U.S., and half-marathon world record-holder Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands—headline the women’s field.

Tola, 21, edged Kenya’s Patrick Makau in the final meters to win by one second in last year’s NYC Half-Marathon, finishing in 1:00:58. Tola will make his first trip to New York since running the fastest 10K ever recorded in Central Park at the 2009 Healthy Kidney 10K in a time of 27:48.

Makau, 24, held on to finish second at the Healthy Kidney 10K in 28:28, nine seconds slower than his winning performance the previous year. Earlier this year, Makau ran the second-fastest half-marathon ever (58:52) at the Ras Al Khaimah Half-Marathon and made his marathon debut at the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon in April, finishing fourth in a time of 2:06:14.

Abdirahman, 32, of Tucson, AZ, will return to New York after running the Healthy Kidney 10K, where he finished 11th in 29:02 coming off of a knee injury. A four-time USA champion at 10,000 meters, he qualified for his third Olympic team by winning the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field and finished 15th in the event (27:52.53) at the Beijing Olympic Games. Abdirahman made his third appearance at the ING New York City Marathon last November and finished in sixth place (2:14:17).

The only man to ever win two World Championships marathon titles, Gharib, 37, of Morocco, who finished third at the London Marathon earlier this year in a Moroccan record time of 2:05:27, and four-time Olympian Ramaala, 37, who holds several South African records, including 59:20 for the half-marathon, will also compete.

Athletes will be vying for a prize purse of more than $70,000, with the men’s and women’s winners each receiving $10,000.

A one-hour same-day highlights show of the race will air from 11:35 p.m. until 12:35 a.m. on WABC-TV, Channel 7, in New York City.

Ethiopia selects strong track and marathon delegation for Berlin

The Ethiopian Federation have entered their squad of middle and long distance runners for the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany (15 – 23 August).

Defending World champions Meseret Defar, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Kenenisa Bekele plus African 10,000m record holder Meselech Melkamu have each been selected for the 5000m and 10,000m distances in Berlin but the team will not declare who will actually run in each race until the championships themselves.

Ethiopia can have four runners competing in the men’s 10,000m and women’s 5000m and 10,000m given that they have the defending champion in these races, and currently have also selected a reserve for each of these disciplines with the exception of the men’s 10,000m where only four athletes have been entered.

MEN

1500m: Derese Mekonnen, Henok Legesse, Mekonnen Gebremedhin
3000m SC: Yacob Jarso, Roba Gary, Legesse Lemiso
5000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Imane Merga, Ali Abdosh, Bekana Daba
10,000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Abebe Dinkessa
Marathon: Tsegaye Kebede, Deriba Merga, Yemane Tsegaye, Deressa Chemdessa, Dejene Berhanu, Getachew Terfe

WOMEN

1500m: Gelete Burka, Meskerem Assefa, Kalkidan Gezhagne
3000m Steeplechase: Zemzem Ahmed, Sofia Assefa, Korahubesh Itaa
5000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Meselech Melkamu, Meseret Defar, Sentayehu Ejigu, Genzebe Dibaba
10,000m: Meselech Melkamu, Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar, Wude Ayalew, Aberu Kebede
Marathon: Teyiba Erkesso, Bezunesh Bekele, Atsede Bayissa, Asselefech Mergia, Dire Tune

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba wins women’s 5000m in London

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba runs on her way to winning the women’s 5000m race during the London Grand Prix athletics tournament at Crystal Palace in London July 25, 2009. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez (BRITAIN)

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba recovers after winning the women’s 5000m race during the London Grand Prix athletics tournament at Crystal Palace in London July 25, 2009.

Fifa readmits Ethiopia federation

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has been readmitted to world football after elections for a new leadership were held on Saturday.
A three-man delegation from world football’s governing body, Fifa, said that they were “satisfied with the result”.

In-fighting at the EFF led to Ethiopia being thrown out of the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations last July.

Sahlu Gebrewold Gebremariam was voted in as president of the EFF, replacing Dr Ashebir Woldegiorgis, who resigned in May.

Sahlu was the only candidate for president in Saturday’s elections for a new executive, as the two other contestants pulled out the previous day.

He said that his priority is to heal the rift in the game in the country and to “facilitate a renaissance in Ethiopian football”.

There was a mood of relief at the meeting, and loud clapping when the head of the Fifa delegation handed over a Fifa flag to the newly-elected president of the EFF.

Kenenisa claims 4th win by beating American 1500m world champion

IAAF Golden League Paris 2009

PARIS - Kenenisa Bekele judged his head to head confrontation over 3000m with Bernard Lagat to perfection. The fourth lap of 59.7sec did the damage and destroyed the hopes of his American rival, allowing the Ethiopian to then gradually widen his advantage on the notoriously quick-finishing World 1500m and 5000m champion. With these tactics the Ethiopian, who holds the 5000m and 10,000m Olympic crowns and possesses a mean sprint of his own, never allowed Lagat to position himself for any attack.

With a mist of rain already in the stadium air Bekele hit the bell (6:29) with holding a good 20 metres or more advantage on his principal opponent and brought the race home in 7:28.64. Lagat had given the challenge everything he had, finishing in a personal best of 7:33.15. France’s Mourad Amdouni was third in a European season’s lead of 7:37.50.

"Conditions were difficult. It was very windy. It was difficult also for all the others, but when you are in front it's even more difficult," said Bekele.

With Lagat in the field, it was no surprise that Bekele wanted the pace to be extremely hot. The wind was as high as 20mpw at times on Friday in Paris. However, it was essential for Bekele that the pace be hot.

The race certainly lived up to the hype, but in the end, Kenenisa Bekele proved his greatness by getting the win over Lagat.

"It's my last race before the World Championships. I'm going back to Ethiopia to train," he added.

The other three contenders for the $1 million jackpot --Jamaica's Kerron Stewart (100m), American Sanya Richards (400m) and Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva (Pole Vault) -- all maintained their 100 percent records with relative ease.

Deresse Mekonnen and Gelete Burka Won at Grand Prix

Addis Ababa, July 8, 2009 - Young Ethiopian athletes Deresse Mekonnen and Gelete Burka found victory once again during the Athletissima Grand Prix in Switzerland IAAF reported.

The much- awaited race for the local crowd was the women’s 1500m which featured Lausanne heroine Maryam Yussuf Jamal from Bahrain and 2009 world leader Gelete Burka, who holds the two best performances of the year with sub-four minute times.

Gelete and Jamal engaged in a neck-and-neck battle in the final lap, according to the report.

Gelete prevailed thanks to a stronger kick through the final bend taking the win in 4:00.67 to Jamal’s 4:01.99 (seasonal best).

The 21 year old Ethiopian Deresse Mekonnen continues his impressive season.

After a 13:07.75 in his 5000m debut in Milan and his Dream Mile victory in Oslo with a PB of 3:48.95, the 1500metres World indoor champion clocked a PB 7:37.62 to win the 3000m beating former world champion and 5000m world leader (also this year's 3000m world leader) Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya (7:37.95) thanks to a devastating kick down the final straight.

“I could have run quicker in other conditions but I am very happy,” Deresse said. “I am really looking forward to taking up the challenge in Berlin.”

Source: ENA