Thousands of runners from across the world pounded the streets in the May Day sun to complete the gruelling 26.2-mile route around the city. The 30th annual marathon saw a record 21,000 competitors taking part in the race, including more than 12,000 relay runners, 2,500 walkers and 1,700 fun-runners.
29 year-old Jacob Chesire of Kenya produced a master-class in marathon running to destroy the opposition in yesterday’s 30th Deep RiverRock Belfast Marathon.
His winning time of 2 hours 14 mins 56 secs was not only some four minutes ahead of the runner-up but, more importantly, finally shattered Marty Deane’s long-standing 1985 record by a huge 55 second margin. His victory was all the more remarkable given that it was achieved against a background of chaotic travel arrangements which resulted in Jacob losing two nights’ sleep before the race.
Prior to the race, 44 year-old triple marathon winner John Mutai had expressed quiet confidence that he might just snatch a fourth victory. His training had been going well and he had specifically targeted Belfast because of his previous successes and the friendly reception which he has always received here.
However, when the hooter sounded at the City Hall for the start of the race, Mutai and the other main contenders quickly discovered that they would immediately have to match Chesire’s world class pace of five minutes per mile.
The Kenyan had effectively thrown down the gauntlet from the outset and, for a long time, he churned out what many seasoned onlookers considered was a suicidal pace given the tough hilly Belfast course. In addition, while it was dry and sunny, a fresh wind on exposed sections was not conducive to fast times.
A supercharged Chesire ignored these problems and stormed through the City centre seven mile mark in under thirty-five minutes which was a full fifty seconds ahead of Mutai. He was accompanied by pace-maker Matt Pierson who stuck carefully to the 2 hrs 15 mins planned time which would beat the old record. Next came pre-race favourite Andriy Toptun who was ahead of twice Belfast winner Tommy Hughes and the ever-consistent Delfin Pimental.
Chesire reached ten miles in 50 mins and the half-way point on the tough Antrim Road section in an eye-catching 66 mins 26 secs. At this stage, some observers predicted disaster for the Kenyan in the second half of the race as his pace translated to a world-class sub- 2:13 finish time.
Second-place Mutai was now some 2 minutes in arrears, with Toptun now an isolated third with City of Derry’s Diarmuid Grant impressive in his inaugural marathon ahead of Hughes.
The windy conditions in the isolated Duncrue section at 20 miles tested the leader to the limit in a race where he was on his own for the entire distance. However, as befits someone who has run under 2:11, he came through this challenge unscathed and, while slowing, he still seemed to draw on the huge crowd support in the closing Ormeau/ Ravenhill section.
At the finish, a smiling Chesire raised his arms in victory and had enough energy left to immediately converse with the inevitable media scrum. The appreciation from the crowd was also particularly intense when it was discovered that the winner had had to endure two consecutive sleepless nights at Nairobi and Heathrow airports because of a cancellation and a missed connection. Chesire then spent all of Sunday in Belfast catching up on his sleep. His agent admitted he was sound asleep in his hotel one hour before the 9 a.m. marathon start!
Like all great athletes, Jacob said he was confident he would win if the weather was fine. He said he had felt strong throughout and did not find the wind a major factor. He was very pleased with the result, considering all his pre-race problems. He now plans to pick up an autumn marathon, possibly Chicago where he did not think a 2:09 performance was out of the question. No one will argue with the merits of this aim, given this superb achievement in Belfast.
John Mutai finished in 2:19:55 for his second runner-up spot in consecutive years. He said his run was okay but he felt frustrated by the fact that he was unable to see the winner for most of the race.
The Ukrainian Toptun took third in 2:21:33, with the Portuguese runner Davide Figeirdo fourth in 2:32:09. The determined Tommy Hughes defied his 50-plus age category to take an impressive fifth in 2:33:16. ahead of City of Derry’s Diarmuid Grant who ran 2:35:32.
Result – River Rock Belfast City Marathon: 1 Jacob Chesire (Kenya) 2 hrs, 14 mins, 56 secs; 2 John Mutai (Kenya) 2:19.55; 3 Andriy Topton (Ukraine) 2:21.33.
Official results available in Results section.
