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Kenyan runners sweep the board
Kenyan runners ruled the Jakarta Marathon again this year, despite the torrid heat, sweeping up all the medals in both the menâs and womenâs 42-kilometer categories
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enyan runners ruled the Jakarta Marathon again this year, despite the torrid heat, sweeping up all the medals in both the men's and women's 42-kilometer categories.
At least 14,000 runners ' both local and foreign ' participated in the second Jakarta Marathon on Sunday, running in various categories namely the full 42-kilometer marathon, 21-km half marathon, 10K (10 km) and 5K (5 km).
Julius Seurei, who won the Sydney Marathon in 2009, finished first in the men's full marathon, which set off from the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta. Seurei covered the distance in two hours, 14 minutes and 51 seconds to win the men's title.
Seurei's compatriots Kennedy Liken Kipro and Yusuf Sowgoka took second and third places with times of 2:16:47 and 2:23:10, respectively, followed by Nixon Kipkoech Machicim and Itillary Kipchircih Kiwutai, who took fourth and fifth with times of 2:25:50 and 2:30:27.
Nyansikera Winfridah led the Kenyan trio, who dominated the women's race with a time of 2:40:25, followed by Mercy Jemutai and Elizabeth Jenuyut Chemweko with times of 2:43:17 and 2:43:44, respectively.
The first winners took home Rp 250 million (US$ 20,714.22) in prize money each as well as additional prizes from sponsors.
Talking to The Jakarta Post after receiving his prize on stage, Seurei acknowledged that the heat and humidity had been his biggest challenge in Sunday's race.
'I drank a lot. I drank probably 5 liters of water [during the race],' he said.
The women's race winner Winfridah shared the sentiment.
'Today was very hot. I had to slow down and drink a lot to cope with the heat. I drank at every water station, otherwise I would lose a lot,' said Winfridah, who also won the Bali Marathon in 2012.
The challenge was not exclusive to elite foreign runners.
Local athlete Agus Prayogo cited the hot weather as the biggest challenge during his first marathon .
'I soaked myself and drank at every water station,' Agus said, adding that he had undergone a series of intensive training over the past two months for the race, and it paid off.
Agus, a gold medalist at the 2009 SEA Games, finished first in the Indonesian men's 42-km category and snatched Rp 115 million in prize money for his achievement.
His first experience participating in the category has encouraged Agus to join the marathon in the SEA Games next year, slated to be held in Singapore.
Agus won two gold medals in the 10,000-meter and 5,000-m categories during the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, but failed to repeat the success in the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar.
He praised the event, which also included the maratoonz ' a children's sprint.
'The maratoonz can be the event to nurture young talent, It is only a matter of time. We can see how run-race events have become a new trend [in Indonesia] at the moment. I hope this trend continues so our athletes can improve their performance and eventually will be able to compete with elite Kenyan runners,' he said.
Off the running track, 20 stages hosting a variety of cultural and pop performances, along with dozens of sponsors' booths offering games and door prizes enlivened the annual event, designed to promote Jakarta as a tourism destination. The event management was arguably better than last year, with no significant hurdles. The committee also managed to keep the area clear of garbage.
A 5K runner, Irawati, stuck around after finishing the race. 'A lot of door prizes were given away. It's fun,' she said.
