The World Marathon Majors (WMM) series 2006-7 is set for a dramatic finale. Following victory in the real,- Berlin Marathon, Gete Wami has taken the lead. The Ethiopian won in 2:23:17 in ideal conditions on a tremendous day for distance running, watched by around one million spectators. That took Gete Wami to 65 points and dropped Jelena Prokupcuka of Latvia down to second on 55 points. Third is Chunxiu Zhou (China, 40 points), silver medallist at the World championships in Osaka and winner of the Flora London Marathon this year.
The WMM series resumes next Sunday with The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. This is followed by the final showdown at the ING New York City Marathon on November 4, the last race in the series for the 2006-7 series. That's where Jelena Prokupcuka and Gete Wami will race each other. The Ethiopian is aiming for the women's share of the WMM jackpot by going to the start line again after such a short interval, an attempt unprecedented at top level. The man and woman who score most points over the two year series share one million dollars between them. �"Gete ran a really strong race today, we can look forward to a spectacular finale in the ING New York City Marathon," said Mark Milde, race director for the BMW Berlin Marathon.
Haile Gebrselassie has moved into second place in the men's rankings for the WMM series 2006-7. After his magnificent world record in the real,- Berlin Marathon (2:04:26) the Ethiopian has 50 points. His victory in Berlin a year ago earned him 25 points. However, Robert Cheruiyot (Kenya, 75 points) seems to be as good as home and dry as winner of the first WMM series.
The picture is very different for the WMM series for 2007-8. In these rankings, Haile Gebrselassie has moved up with the Kenyan's Robert Cheruiyot, Martin Lel and Luke Kibet as joint leaders they are all on 25 points. Abel Kirui of Kenya, second in the real,- Berlin Marathon in 2:06:51, is fifth in the 2007-8 WMM series (15 points) while Salim Kipsang (Kenya) third in Berlin in 2:07:29, is in equal ninth place (10 points).
Gete Wami has also gone into the lead in the WMM series for 2007-8. She shares the lead with Chunxiu Zhou on 40 points. For the first time a German female runner has scored WMM points thanks to Irina Mikitenko. In an impressive debut at the distance in the real,- Berlin Marathon, Irina Mikitenko finished second in 2:24:51. That earned her 15 points in the WMM series for 2007-8 and a share of fifth place. Helena Kiprop, (Kenya, 2:26:27), third runner home in Berlin, is in seventh place with 10 points.
The WWM series overlap each year so there will be annual winners from now on.
The updated 2006-07 and 2007-08 leaderboards follow.
2006-07 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS
MEN
1. Robert K. Cheruiyot, KEN, 75 points
2. Haile Gebrselassie, ETH, 50 points
3. Martin Lel, KEN, 40 points
4. Felix Limo, KEN, 35 points
5. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 25 points
5. Marilson Gomes dos Santos, BRA, 25 points
5. Luke Kibet, KEN, 25 points
8. Benjamin Maiyo, KEN, 15 points
8. James Kwambai, KEN, 15 points
8. Abderrahim Goumri, ETH, 15 points
8. Gudisa Shentema, ETH, 15 points
8. Abel Kirui, KEN, 15 points
8. Daniel Njenga, KEN, 15 points
8. Mubarak Hassan Shami, QAT, 15 points
15. Hendrick Ramaala, RSA, 11 points
16. Meb Keflezighi, USA, 10 points
16. Kurao Umeki, JPN, 10 points
16. Salim Kipsang, KEN, 10 points
16. Jimmy Muindi, KEN, 10 points
16. Paul Tergat, KEN, 10 points
16. Viktor Röthlin, SUI, 10 points
22. Brian Sell, USA, 5 points
22. James Koskei, KEN, 5 points
22. Khalid Khannouchi, USA, 5 points
22. Jaouad Gharib, MAR, 5 points
22. Terefe Yae, ETH, 5 points
22. Philip Manyim, KEN, 5 points
22. Abdi Adirahman, USA, 5 points
22. Daniel Yego, KEN, 5 points
22. Yared Asmerom, ERI, 5 points
31. Alan Culpepper, USA, 1 point
31. Teferi Wodajo, ETH, 1 point
31. Stefano Baldini, ITA, 1 point
31. Ahmed Ezzobayry, FRA, 1 point
31. Mesefin Adimasu, ETH, 1 point
31. Robert Cheboror, KEN, 1 point
31. Rodgers Rop, KEN, 1 point
31. Tsuyoshi Ogata, JPN, 1 point
WOMEN
1. Gete Wami, ETH, 65 points
1. Jelena Prokopcuka, LAT, 55 points
3. Chunxiu Zhou, CHN, 40 points
4. Rita Jeptoo, KEN, 35 points
4. Catherine Ndereba, KEN, 35 points
6. Berhane Adere, ETH, 30 points
7. Deena Kastor, USA, 26 points
7. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 26 points
9. Salina Kosgei, KEN, 20 points
9. Reiko Tosa, JPN, 20 points
11. Galina Bogolomova, RUS, 16 points
12. Ludmila Petrova, RUS, 15 points
12. Irina Mikitenko, GER, 15 points
12. Madai Perez, MEX, 15 points
12. Tatiana Hladyr, UKR, 15 points
16. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROM, 11 points
17. Susan Chepkemei, KEN, 10 points
16. Monica Drybulska, POL, 10 points
16. Helen Kirop, KEN, 10 points
16. Benita Johnson, AUS, 10 points
20. Bruna Genovese, ITA, 5 points
20. Asha Gigi, ETH, 5 points
20. Irina Timofeyeva, RUS, 5 points
20. Zhou Xiaolin, CHN, 5 points
24. Kiyoko Shimahara, JPN, 1 point
24. Lornah Kiplagat, NED, 1 point
24. Marcia Narlock, BRA 1, point
24. Naoko Sakamoto, JPN, 1 point
24. Lidia Simon, ROM, 1 point
2007-08 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS
MEN
1.Robert K. Cheruiyot, KEN, 25 points
1. Martin Lel, KEN, 25 points
1. Haile Gebrselassie, ETH, 25 points
1. Luke Kibet, KEN, 25 points
5. James Kwambai, KEN, 15 points
5. Abderrahim Goumri, MAR 15 points
5. Abel Kirui, KEN, 15 points
5. Mubarak Hassan Shami, QAT, 15 points
9. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 10 points
9. Felix Limo, KEN, 10 points
9. Salim Kipsang, KEN, 10 points
9. Viktor Röthlin, SUI, 10 points
13. James Koskei, KEN, 5 points
13. Jaouad Gharib, MAR, 5 points
13. Philip Manyim, KEN, 5 points
13. Yared Asmerom, ERI, 5 points
17. Teferi Wodajo, ETH, 1 point
17. Hendrick Ramaala, RSA, 1 point
17. Mesefin Adimasu, ETH, 1 point
17. Tsuyoshi Ogata, JPN, 1 point
WOMEN
1. Gete Wami, ETH, 40 points
1. Chunxiu Zhou, CHN, 40 points
3. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 25 points
3. Catherine Ndereba, KEN, 25 points
5. Jelena Procopcuka, LAT, 15 points
5. Irina Mikitenko, GER, 15 points
7. Madai Perez, MEX, 10 points
7. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROM, 10 points
7. Helen Kirop, KEN, 10 points
7. Reiko Tosa, JPN, 10 points
11. Rita Jeptoo, KEN, 5 points
11. Salina Kosgei, KEN, 5 points
11. Irina Timofeyeva, RUS, 5 points
11. Zhou Xiaolin, CHN, 5 points
15. Deena Kastor, USA, 1 point
15. Lornah Kiplagat, NED, 1 point
15. Naoko Sakamoto, JPN, 1 point
15. Lidia Simon, ROM, 1 point
