Flora London Marathon opens 2008 World Marathon Majors race calendar

The 2008 World Marathon Majors (WMM) racing calendar opened today with exciting performances by both the men’s and women’s professional fields at the Flora London Marathon. Kenyan Martin Lel extended his lead for the 2007-08 series championship as he set a London course record in 2:05:15 while German Irina Mikitenko made history of her own by winning her first marathon in only her second appearance in the distance.

Points earned by the top five men and top five women finishers in London have created significant shifts in the standings for the 2007-08 crowns. Five 2008 races remain including next week’s Boston Marathon followed by the Olympic Marathons this August in Beijing. At the conclusion of the two-year series this fall, the male and female point leaders will each be awarded $500,000.

Lel’s first-place finish (25 points) has put considerable distance between him and the rest of the contenders as the Kenyan now has earned 75 points in three consecutive WMM wins at London (2007 and 2008) and New York (2007). In second place on the 2007-08 leaderboard is Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) with 30 points following a third-place finish today.

2006-07 WMM women’s champion Gete Wami extended her lead in the 07-08 series with a total 65 points following today’s third-place finish behind Mikitenko and Svetlana Zakharova (RUS). Mikitenko’s 25 first-place points vaulted her into a tie for second in the 2007-08 series with China’s Zhou Chunxiu as each woman has accumulated 40 total points.

Today’s top five male and female finishers also established the 2008-09 WMM leaderboard which officially opened its two-year series today.

The updated 2007-08 and 2008-09 leaderboards follow. Athletes who earned points in today’s Flora London Marathon are bolded.

2007-08 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD

MEN
1. Martin Lel (KEN), 65 pts.
2. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 40 pts.
3. Robert Cheruiyot (KEN), 30 pts.
4. Luke Kibet (KEN), 25 pts.
4. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 25 pts.
4. Patrick Ivuti (KEN), 25 pts.
7. Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 20 pts.
8. James Kwambai (KEN), 16 pts.
9. Sammy Wanjiru (KEN), 15 pts.
9. Mubarak Hassan Shami (ETH), 15 pts.
9. Abel Kirui (KEN), 15 pts.
12. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 11 pts.
13. Stephen Kiogora (KEN), 10 pts.
13. Felix Limo (KEN), 10 pts.
13. Victor Rothlin (SUI), 10 pts.
13. Salim Kipsang (KEN), 10 pts.
13. Daniel Njenga (KEN), 10 pts.
13. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 5 pts.
19. Stefano Baldini (ITA), 5 pts.
19. James Kosgei (KEN), 5 pts.
19. Yared Asmerom (ERI), 5 pts.
19. Philip Manyim (KEN), 5 pts.
23. Teferi Wodajo (ETH), 1 pt.
23. Ryan Hall (USA), 1 pt.
23. Tsuyoshi Ogata (JPN), 1 pt.
23. Mesfin Adimasu (ETH), 1 pt.
23. Benjamin Maiyo (KEN), 1 pt.

WOMEN
1. Gete Wami (ETH), 65 pts.
2. Irina Mikitenko (GER), 40 pts.
2. Chunxiu Zhou (CHN), 40 pts.
4. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS), 30 pts.
5. Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 26 pts.
6. Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 25 pts.
6. Berhane Adere (ETH), 25 pts.
6. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), 25 pts.
9. Adriana Pirtea (ROU), 15 pts.
9. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS), 15 pts.
11. Kate O’Neill (USA), 10 pts.
11. Madai Perez (MEX), 10 pts.
11. Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROU), 10 pts.
11. Reiko Tosa (JPN), 10 pts.
11. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 10 pts.
16. Zhu Xiaolin (CHN), 5 pts.
16. Irina Timofeyeva (RUS), 5 pts.
16. Liz Yelling (GBR), 5 pts.
16. Rita Jeptoo (KEN), 5 pts.
20. Naoko Sakamoto (JPN), 1 pt.
20. Lornah Kiplagat (NED), 1 pt.
20. Lidia Simon (ROU), 1 pt.
20. Benita Johnson (AUS), 1 pt.
20. Deena Kastor (USA), 1 pt.
20. Ludmila Petrova (RUS), 1 pt.

2008-09 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD

MEN
1. Martin Lel (KEN), 25 pts.
2. Samuel Wanjiru (KEN), 15 pts.
3. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 10 pts.
4. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 5 pts.
5. Ryan Hall (USA), 1 pt.

WOMEN
1. Irina Mikitenko (GER), 25 pts.
2. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS), 15 pts.
3. Gete Wami (ETH), 10 pts.
4. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 5 pts.
5. Ludmila Petrova (RUS), 1 pt.

The WMM Series leader boards have a new look after the race in London. You can get the full leaderboard and additional information about the World Marathon Major races on www.worldmarathonmajors.com.

WMM series points are collected for top five finishes with 25 points for first, 15 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth and 1 for fifth. The WMM series features a $1 million purse with $500,000 for the men’s and women’s champions.

This year’s WMM series continues with the BAA Boston Marathon next week, on Monday, April 21. It then will be staged for the first time at the Olympic Games men’s and women’s marathons in Beijing on August 17 and August 24 respectively followed by the fall season beginning at the real- BERLIN-MARATHON, September 28, Bank of America Chicago Marathon , October 12 and the series finale at the ING New York City Marathon, November 2.