VALENCIA, SPAIN, December 04 — Amane Beriso stole the show at the 42nd Trinidad Alfonso Valencia Marathon, surging away from fellow Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in the 37th kilometer to finish in 2:14:58, becoming the third fastest woman in history.
Gidey would finish 2nd in a debut-record 2:16:49, with a record 7 runners finishing under 2:19 and best-mark-for-place times set in 2nd through 12th. The race clearly stamped Valencia one of the world’s fastest venues.
Despite the incredible depth of the field, heading into the race almost all of the focus was on Gidey’s 26M debut and hopes to add the marathon to her collection of WRs over 5000, 10,000 and half-marathon.
Guided by a trio of pacers Gidey began the race a bit cautiously, running 2:16:08 pace through an opening 16:08 5K, then began to ratchet down the tempo, splitting 32:03 at 10K and 48:03 — a 2:15:10 projection — at 15K.
The favorite and her pacers then pushed harder, cranking out a steady stream of kilos faster than the 3:10.6 pace of Brigid Kosgei’s 2:04:04 WR run at Chicago ’19. Halfway was reached in 67:18, 25K in 1:19:37 (2:14:23), and 30K in 1:35:24 (2:14:11).
Gidey, clad in a white NN singlet and arm sleeves ran ever so smoothly and seemingly in complete control, trailing a trio of orange-clad pacers and ensconced in a gaggle of men looking for TV time.
Such was the gaggle, that the black-clad Beriso, 31, was barely noticeable, that is until she pulled alongside Gidey after passing halfway. In ’16, she had run a 2:20:48 debut in Dubai, but spent much of her subsequent years hampered by injuries. This year, she has been injury-free and training in coach Gemedu Dedefo’s group that included Berlin champ Tigist Assefa.
Beriso began the year with a very credible high-altitude effort of 2:25:05 to win the Mexico City race, paring more than 8:00 off the course record and demonstrating something well under 2:20 low-altitude fitness. So encouraged was Dedufo that he instructed her to follow Gidey’s 2:14 pace.
Beriso and Gidey ran side by side amidst a phalanx of male pacers and racers and with a 3:10 for kilo 33 the projected pace reached 2:14:10. While the pace stagnated, hovering just above the record, the racing was on and with each kilometer it was Beriso who now looked in control as Gidey ran with a worried frown.
The duo passed 35K in 1:51:21 (2:14:14 pace),…
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