Posted: February 23, 2007

Athletics: US$1.5million up for grabs as the finale of The Greatest Race on Earth draws near

23 February 2007, Hong Kong - The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on 4 March 2007 will provide an exciting climax to The Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) 2006/07 team relay series. Snaking between skyscrapers before skirting the world famous Hong Kong Victoria harbour, the marathon is a fitting tribute and finale to what, with over 30 countries competing, is fast becoming known as the ”World Cup of Marathons”. GROE is a relay of four marathons in the cities of Nairobi, Singapore, Mumbai and Hong Kong. The series sees athletes take on some of the world's most challenging running conditions – including altitude, heat, humidity and steep inclines. Athletes compete in teams of four, running one marathon each, working together to strive for the fastest cumulative time. The prize pool on offer, US$1.5 million, is the largest in world athletics. Going into the final leg in Hong Kong, it remains incredibly tight at the front of the field with only a matter of seconds separating the top two teams in the Main Team Challenge. The first placed team will win US$400,000, whilst second place will secure US$195,000. With a cumulative time so far of 6 hours 51 minutes, the leading team Marathon Centre Kericho are a mere 44 seconds ahead of rivals Kericho. Third-placed team Akaki are just two minutes further back, with Pace Sports Management a further minute down. Kericho have a strong final leg runner in Kenyan Steven Loruo Kamar, who last year set his personal best of 2:10:46 in winning the Xiamen Marathon. Kamar said: “I am looking to finish in the top three in the Hong Kong Marathon, in an attempt to secure first place for our team overall. I enjoy running in GROE as it means sharing emotions with my team-mates, and I want to do my best for them.” Leaders Marathon Centre Kericho’s runner Paul Kiprono has a best time of 2:12:47, two minutes slower than Kamar, so the race could well go all the way to the wire. Meanwhile, third-placed Akaki will be hoping to pose a threat to the top two teams as their athlete Chumba Patrick Kimeli is the fastest athlete in the field (2:09:45). Kimeli said: “Participation in GROE means a lot of responsibility for me because I’m the last runner of the team and I can not make any mistakes.” Comfortably leading the Women’s Team Challenge are Cyclone team, almost 18 minutes clear of second-placed Run For Peace. Third-placed Grazy Girls are just two minutes further down, and China Team round off the top four. China Team runner Liu Min is the fastest female athlete in the GROE field in Hong Kong, with the personal best of 2:23:37 she recorded in winning the 2001 Beijing Marathon. This also earned her a place in the top 100 female marathon times list. Along with Tegla Loroupe and Salina Kosgei, who won in Singapore, she is one of the iconic athletes to compete in this year’s GROE series. Mary Ptikany of second-placed Run For Peace is aware of the pressure, not just of running as part of a team but also of running in the concluding marathon. “To run for a team is more difficult than to run on your own. You are responsible for all the other runners in your team so you have to try your very best,” she said. “Crossing the line in Hong Kong will not just mean finishing the marathon, but also my team’s completion of the GROE series.” It is similarly close between the top three in the Nations Challenge, with Kenya leading Zimbabwe by just over one and a half minutes. Uganda are close behind, trailing Kenya by only four minutes. Zimbabwe’s Philip Bandawe has a personal best of 2:15:47, three minutes faster than Kenyan Edward Kiprotich Muge’s 2:18:00, paving the way for another nail-biting finish as the three teams seek to be awarded the solid Gold Baton trophy. With a chance to grab victory in the final leg of the series, Bandawe is philosophical in his approach to the marathon: “To succeed you need to be courageous, positive in your preparation, and consistent in every training session. Finally you must not lose hope, even when the race gets tough.” Pakistan’s Naseer Ahmed is the fastest runner within the Nations Challenge field in Hong Kong, recording a personal best of 2:14:11 in Rawalpindi in 2003, an all-comers record. Pakistan are currently third in the region of South Asia, trailing India and Sri Lanka. In the other regional competitions, Indonesia (South East Asia), Taiwan (North East Asia), Australia (Europe & Oceania), Kenya (Africa) and Mexico (Americas) are all looking to defend their leads.