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Humidity keeps race times slower than expected in Ottawa
2005-05-29
With high humidity keeping the ING Ottawa Marathon race times slower
than expected, David Cheruyiot of Kenya won the men’s event in 2.14.20,
and Lidia Vassilievskaya of Russia, the women’s in 2.31.53. Grace
Momanyi proved the star of the National Capital Race Weekend in Canada.
Momanyi, 24, of Kenya pulverised the record in the women’s section of
the two 10k races, sponsored by MDS Nordion. Asmae Leghzaoui of Morocco
was the big favourite, and after she, Momanyi and defending champion,
Aster Demissie of Ethiopia had tracked surprisingly close to the men
during the opening kilometres, it was the Moroccan who broke away to
lead the women’s race at 5k in 15.28, with Momanyi on 15.40. The Kenyan
made an effort to close in the next kilometre, but the gap stayed the
same until the last kilometre, when a sustained final effort by Momanyi
took her past Leghzaoui with just 200 metres to run.
Momanyi swept to victory in 31.24, smashing the 16 year old course
record of Albertina Dias or Portugal by 47 seconds. Leghzaoui was
second in 31.28, and a second Kenyan, Teresa Wanjiku passed Demissie,
but was a distant third in 32.33. Momanyi, who is based in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, said, “We were running with the men until 2k, then Asmae
broke away.
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