ING NYC Marathon 2005 - As It Happens

Also:
New York Elite Athlete List
Pre-Race Interviews

The Elite Marathon is over - and it was fantastic. Less than 1/3 of a second separated the top two finishers - and it was as exciting as it sounds. We'll have further updates, interviews and images on Monday - so read the blow-by-blow below and come back for more coverage later.

The temperature for both the men's and women's start was reported as 54 degrees with 97% humidity. Not as bad as expected, and not too bad. There is fog in New York today, providing some cover from the sun for the runners. The temperature at the finish was 62 degrees and 65% humidity - in the end the warm day never happened.

The Men's Race | The Women's Race

Current Status of the race:

Men's Race

Mile 1 in 5:20 - the pack is much to large to say anything at this point - two Americans are in the lead, Meb Keflezighi and Abdi Abdirahman.

Mile 2 (10:00), Mile 3 (14:54), 5K (15:14) there are 17 runners in the lead pack, and they are eight seconds ahead of the time from 2004, the previous year.

Mile 4 (19:31), Mile 5 (24:20), Mile 6 (29:12), 10K (30:18) - All of the favorites are still in the race - the runners are together... They are exactly on the same pace as the record year 2001.

Mile 7 (34:07), the pack still seems to contain 17 runners. No changes this early in the race.

Mile 8 (39:07), Mile 9 (44:13), 15K (45:50) - still 17 runners... Mile 10 (49:11), Mile 11 (54:17). The pace, which started fast has calmed down.

20K (1:01:27), Mile 13 (1:04:20), Mile 14 (1:09:29). The pack still holds 17 runners, but some interesting things are happening as the pack is breaking apart and reforming. Alberico Di Cecco, with a 2:08:02 best this year and a 2:11:40 fifth place experience in New York in 2003 has started the break. The other runners are watching and not letting him go - he is too dangerous.

Mile 15 (1:14:39) - onto the bridge. Mile 16 (1:19:37) - on the bridge. The pack has now dropped to seven runners, Di Cecco's strategy has split the pack apart. With Di Cecco are Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Hendrick Ramaala, Hailu Negussie, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdiraman and Paul Tergat.

Mile 17 (1:23:59) - off the bridge, Hendrick Ramaala has put in a surge coming off the bridge and the pack has totally split... Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot is holding on and Meb Keflizighi is just behind. The rest of the pack is spread out.

Mile 18 (1:28:41) - The lead pack has reformed with four runners - Hendrick Ramaala, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Meb Keflizighi and Paul Tergat. The rest of the pack has fallen far behind - now more than thirty seconds back.

Mile 19 (1:33:47), Mile 20 (1:38:40). The men's race continues with the four men. Meb is leading the pack - this is his style and means that he remains strong.

Mile 20 (1:38:40), Mile 21 (1:43:39), Mile 22 (1:48:47) - the four men are running together. Keflezighi leads, with Ramaala on his shoulder, Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Tergat just there as well. None is ready to make their final move.

Mile 23 (1:53:59) and into Mile 24... Paul Tergat is now setting the pace and Kipkoech Chruiyot has been dropped. At the waterstop at 24-1/2 where Ramaala made his decisive break by skipping the waterstop, Tergat and Ramaala both skip the fluids, while Keflizighi does take water and while behind has not lost any distance. Tergat is setting the pace.

Mile 24 (1:58:54) - Tergat has been setting the pace, but Ramaala is putting in some surges. Meb is holding on, looking like he is fighting to hold on, but at this moment, he is...

Mile 25 (2:03:41) - The story is the same. The race now looks like it will be between Hendrik Ramaala and Paul Tergat. Keflezighi is just a step or two behind watching, but one can tell that Keflizighi will not be top two.

The final mile... Keflizighi has dropped well back, he is worrying only about third place. Up Central Park South, it is Ramaala and Tergat. Ramaala keeps looking behind, he seems worried about second place at this point. Tergat moves ahead by a second or two - this should be it.

Into Central Park, two-tenths of a mile to go - Ramaala looks at his watch, whatever he sees inspires him to make a surge and he is ahead of Tergat. Tergat responds - this is now an all-out sprint for the finish - this is incredible, we can't tell who will win.

The Finish: Tergat edges out Ramaala in the closest finish in New York City Marathon history and Ramaala collapses as he crosses the finish line. Preliminary results show both at 2:09:31, but Tergat is awarded 2:09:30 as the times are updated - this was an amazing race. Meb Keflizighi holds on for third place in 2:09:57 and Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot takes fourth in 2:11:00. Abdi Abdiraman finishes in fifth place, 2:11:24 - a great performance for this American in his second marathon.

The Award:
Paul Tergat, 2:09:30 - $125,000
Hendrick Ramaala, 2:09:31 - $70,000
Meb Keflizighi, 2:09:57 - $85,000 (incl. US bonus)
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, 2:11:00 - $25,000
Abdi Abdiraman, 2:11:24 - $35,000 (incl. US bonus)

Women's Race

The women's race began as scheduled at 9:35AM ET, thirty-five minutes before the men's and open race. Immediately 12 women broke away to create the lead pack. Included in the pack were the favorites and the pacers. The first mile was hit in 6:06 - not too fast, but this is early and it is an uphill mile. The pack is led by one of the pacemakers, Liz Yelling.

Through 5K in 17:14. The pack has decreased to 9 runners, including two pacemakers (Yelling and Hilda Kibet). In the pack are Jelena Prokopcuka, Derartu Tulu, Gete Wami, Salina Kosgei, Lornah Kiplagat, Bruna Genovese and Susan Chepkemei... Two Ethipiopians, Four Kenyans (including the pacemaker), one Italian and the other pacemaker from Great Britain. All look strong and are letting the pacemakers do the work.

Mile 4 (22:07), Mile 5 (27:31) - the pack remeans intact with nine runners - all look comfortable. We must say that Lornah Kiplagat looks especially comfortable.

10K (34:15). The pack of nine is continuing at the same pace that created Margaret Okayo's course record (2:24:21) in 2003. We'll see how the race continues.

Mile 7 (38:34), Mile 8 (44:09), Mile 9 (49:55), 15K (51:41). The pack has retained its size of nine runners. This is well behind the pace from the previous year - these women are now running a conservative race.

Mile 10 (55:19), Mile 11 (1:01:09), Mile 12 (1:06:39), 20K (1:09:09). This pace is two minutes slower than 2004 - when th pack contained just four runners. Two of those runners from last year, Susan Chepkemei and Lornah Kiplagat remain in this year's pack. The slower pace should favor Kiplagat.

Mile 13 (1:12:19). Mile 14 (1:17:59) The pace is too slow! Two runners (Ludmila Petrova and Lidiya Grigoryeva) from the second pack have now joined the front pack. In a sport that usually sees these packs shed runners, the lead pack is growing. This is kind of unprecedented... It's still early, we're waiting for this to turn into a real race - with this many runners still in the pack it could be exciting.

Mile 15 (1:23:42). The pack is down to ten - Liz Yelling, a pacesetter, has left, and soon we should see the remaining pacesetter, Hilda Kibet, drop out. There are nine women in this lead women's pack - we don't see this often. No trouble moving over the 59th street bridge - a hill on this course - we'll see what happens when the women get to First Avenue.

Mile 16 (1:29:32), Mile 17 (1:34:56), Mile 18 (1:40:20). Lornah Kiplagat was leading the pack, trying to increase the pace, and then Ludmila Petrova has moved to the front trying to demonstrate that she may be in control. The pack has lost its pacesetter. Still in this pack are Susan Chepkemei, who has been second twice in New York (2001, 2004); Ludmila Petrova, having won this race in 2000); 3 runners in their first attempt at New York: Bruna Genovese, Derartu Tulu, Salina Kosgei; and Lidiya Gigorveva, Jelena Prokopcuka in her debut at NYC.

Mile 19 (1:45:42), Mile 20 (1:51:18), Mile 21 (1:56:36) - the race is getting exciting. Susan Chepkemei started a surge and she has been successful. Derartu Tulu has held on. Salina Kosgei trails in third. It looks like the race is over for the rest...

Mile 22 (2:01:54), Mile 23 (14) - Susan Chepkemei continues to surge and put distance on her competitors. Tulu is now three or four seconds back. Just past 23 miles, Chepkemei passes by the water table and continues to put additional distance on her competitors. But just minutes later, she is throwing up and slowing... From behind, Prokopcuka is gaining and passing into second place.

Mile 23 (2:07:14), Mile 24 (2:12:50) - Chepkemei has recovered, but Prokopcuka has caught with her. They are running step to step. Prokopcuka looks especially strong. Having lost this race by just three seconds last year, Chepkemei must know under no circumstances can she let Prokopcuka get away.

Mile 25 (2:18:12) - the two women are running side by side... But at 25-1/2 miles in, Prokopcuka is building a lead - she looks unstoppable.

The finish: Jelena Prokpopcuka has won the 2005 ING NYC Marathon in 2:24:42. Susan Chepkemei finishes second in 2:24:55. Derartu Tulu takes third in 2:25:21 and Salina Kosgei finished fourth iin 2:25:30. First American is Jen Rhines in 2:37:08.

The prize: In the largest prize award for women's marathoning: Prokpopcuka will take home $160,000. Chepkemei, thirteen seconds back will take home $95,000. Derartu Tulu earns $65,000 and Kosgei wins $50,000.

Blow by blow coverage of the ING NYC Marathon 2005 races:

Post-Race Writeups
NYC Marathon 2005: The Men's Race
NYC Marathon 2005: The Women's Race

As It Happened:
2005 ING NYC Marathon Live Race Coverage

Pre-Race Coverage
Marathon Elite Lists and Overview
Pre-Race Interviews with top competitors
A special interview with Grete Waitz

Also, Complete Results of the 2005 ING NYC Marathon