AFP
GLASGOW, JULY 27
AUSTRALIAN Michael Shelley produced a stunning final 8km to trump a favoured east African field and claim gold in the men’s marathon at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday.
Shelley, who finished 16th in the London Olympics, clocked a personal best of 2hr 11min 15sec on the largely flat course around the streets of Glasgow, to better his silver-medal showing in Delhi four years ago.
Kenya’s Stephen Chemlany, a pacemaker for compatriot Patrick Makau’s world record run in the Berlin marathon last year when he went on to finish fourth in a personal best of 2:06.24, claimed silver in 2:11.58.
Uganda’s Abraham Kiplimo, training partner of absent world and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich, took bronze at 1:08 and was the dictator of the early pace.
After a sedate opening 10km, Kiplimo upped the pace, glancing over his shoulder and accelerating away, taking with him teammates Philip Kiplimo and Munyo Mutai, and Tanzania’s Fabiano Naasi.
The sole Kenyan to stick with the breakaway group was defending champion John Eriku Kelai, although Chemlany worked his way back to the lead peloton shortly after.
Shelley and teammate Liam Adams also struggled to stick with the increased workrate.
After going through the 20km mark in 1:01.47, the third Kenyan, Erick Ndiema, refound the main group.
But then there was drama as Abraham Kiplimo veered across for a watering station, slipped and fell.
His teammates slowed the pace to allow him back into action, Mutai even keeping hold of his water bottle for him to have a drink.
After the surges of Kiplimo, now content to sit at the back after his tumble, it was clear no one wanted to set a pace, with the Ugandan team attack stripped of its impetus.
Accordingly, at the 1:17 mark, Shelley and Adams, along with Rwanda’s Dieudonne Disi, had managed to reel in the lead pack.
As the race entered the business end, a welcome injection of pace did finally come through Naasi, Kelai and Mutai.
A seven-strong pack swept through 35km in 1:49.05, with Disi, Ndiema and Adams struggling.
Chemlany then pulled away with Mutai and Abraham Kiplimo, Shelley fighting in fourth ahead of Kelai.
Kiplimo then faded as Chemlany made his move at 1:56, but Shelley matched him, Mutai also fading.
Shelley then upped the ante, clocking 14:47 between the 35-40km markers, and moved gradually away from the Kenyan, whose personal best of 2:06.24 was the fastest time in the field.
The Australian held his nerve, heading around the final corner with a huge smile and fist pumping for the first gold medal of the track and field programme in Glasgow.
