TALES AT THE TAPE; KENYA'S BOR WINS IN RECORD 2:09:25; BOGACHEVA RALLIES TO VICTORY IN L.A.Byline: Heather Gripp Daily News Staff Writer Simon Bor doesn't know what all the fuss was about. The 30-year-old Kenyan heard little about the course other than how difficult it was and how its hills made a respectable time nearly impossible. In his first attempt, Bor shattered shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. the L.A. Marathon course record of 2:10:19 by winning Sunday's 14th annual event in 2:09:25. Irina Bogacheva of Kirgizstan won the women's race in 2:30:32. ``Actually, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. how I saw the course, it was almost the same all the way through,'' Bor said. ``I don't see where the problem was. I had been meant to understand Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. was a hard course, so all the way when I was running, I was thinking or dreaming in my mind that it was a hard course. I can actually say the course was not very hard.'' Bor thrust his fists into the air and bounced around beyond the finish line with a huge smile on his face after his victory, but another man was just as happy about Bor's time. L.A. Marathon president Bill Burke desperately wanted a sub-2:10 finish. Because of the course's hills in the second half, which peak at 395 feet during mile 21, he contemplated re-routing the course. A flatter course would help provide times to put the race on par with elite marathons like Boston and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , but would require excluding areas that have become important to the atmosphere of the event that attracted an estimated 20,630 participants this year. ``Last night before I went to bed I said a prayer,'' Burke said. ``The prayer was, `God help me out with this course decision.' What he did was he sent me Simon Bor. That was a sign.'' Burke, who cried when Bor completed the race, said the course will remain the same. Mexico's Martin Mondragon set the previous record of 2:10:19 in 1988. Since then, only American Mark Plaatjes Mark Plaatjes (born June 2, 1961 in Johannesburg) was the marathon champion at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart. Born in South Africa under apartheid, Plaatjes won two national titles at the marathon and two at cross country[1]. in 1991 had finished below 2:11. Last year's field was promoted as one of the best, but Burke realized by mid-race he wouldn't get a record as runners continued to hold back. ``Simon Bor on the other hand, went out there and was like a fantasy for me,'' Burke said. ``At the halfway point when they had the projected time at 2:07, I thought our clocks were wrong.'' Bor took the lead in the sixth mile and was in front the rest of the way - with the exception of two miles near the middle of the race. A pack that included Bor and fellow Kenyans Christopher Cheboiboch, Simon Sawe and Joseph Kariuki broke away during the eighth mile. By the 15th mile, Bor and training partner Cheboiboch were the only ones left. The two continued running side by side for four miles. Cheboiboch, diagnosed with malaria malaria, infectious parasitic disease that can be either acute or chronic and is frequently recurrent. Malaria is common in Africa, Central and South America, the Mediterranean countries, Asia, and many of the Pacific islands. two weeks ago, grabbed his stomach and began to drop just before the 19-mile mark. James Bungei of Kenya passed Cheboiboch during the 23rd mile and went on to finish second (2:10:43) in his first marathon. Cheboiboch (2:13:49) took third. ``Simon Bor, he's also one of my heroes now,'' said Burke, putting the runner in the same category as Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, pasha of Egypt Muhammad Ali, 1769?–1849, pasha of Egypt after 1805. He was a common soldier who rose to leadership by his military skill and political acumen. . ``He took an 800-pound gorilla gorilla, an ape, Gorilla gorilla, native to the lowland and mountain forests of western and central equatorial Africa. It is the largest of the apes, the males reaching a height of 5 to 6 ft (150–190 cm) with a 9-ft (144–cm) arm spread. off my back and made me a free man. ``I'm the happiest guy. I'm happier than Simon. I couldn't believe it.'' Bor ran at a pace of 4:56 minutes per mile. His first marathon in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. - and third marathon overall - didn't match his personal best of 2:08:46, but provided his first victory. ``Maybe Los Angeles is where my good luck is at,'' said Bor, who receives a $25,000 bonus for breaking the 2:10 mark in addition to the $35,000 and a car awarded to first-place finishers. ``Maybe it was waiting for me here. ``It was my best effort in a marathon. You people have been talking about how hard the course is, so you have to compare the situations. I have to say it was the best performance for me.'' Moges Taye entered the race with the second-fastest personal best time but was never a factor. The Kenyan was at least 50 yards behind the lead pack by the third mile. He finished eighth. The women's side was also without one of its favorites at the end. Two-time defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre Lornah Kiplagat's hopes of becoming the first three-time winner were dashed as the Kenyan withdrew just before the 10th mile because of illness. Nadia Prasad Prasāda (Sanskrit: प्रसाद), prasād/prashad (Hindi), Prasāda in (Kannada), prasādam (Tamil), or prasadam , winner of the 1995 event, returned after three years away but failed to keep up with the lead pack. Bogacheva came out of nowhere to surge past Russia's Svetlana Zakharova in the 23rd mile. The 37-year-old led the rest of the way after Zakharova held a comfortable lead for more than 13 miles. Bogacheva said her plan was to come on strong in the second half of the race, so she wasn't worried about the gap opened by Zakharova. While Zakharova, 28, showed signs of fatigue in the final miles, Bogacheva remained in good form. Bogacheva finished second in the 1997 L.A. Marathon. ``The second time around is always better,'' she said through an interpreter A high-level programming language translator that translates and runs the program at the same time. It translates one program statement into machine language, executes it, and then proceeds to the next statement. . CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) HEART & SOLE There were plenty of both at the L.A. Marathon as Saul Mendoza won the men's wheelchair wheel·chair or wheel chair n. A chair mounted on large wheels for the use of a sick or disabled person. wheelchair, n division, and Simon Bor set a course record. (2--3--Color) Kenya's Simon Bor, left, had no trouble with L.A.'s hilly hill·y adj. hill·i·er, hill·i·est 1. Having many hills. 2. Similar to a hill; steep. hill course, winning in a race-record 2:09:25. Kirgizstan's Irina Bogacheva won the women's race in 2:30:32. John Lazar/Daily News |
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