News & Releases >> September 8 2008

Kelai-Jufar re-match highlights strong men's field for 9th annual Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, September 28th

TORONTO. September 8th. The promise of an excellent re-match between 31 year-old returning champion, John Kelai of Kenya, and 24 year old Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia, highlights the strongest-ever men's field for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, announced today for the 9th edition, to be run on September 28th.

Kelai is an athlete who knows how to win.

He created major excitement across Canada last year when he triumphed in a thrilling, come-from-behind, sprint to the line over fellow countryman Daniel Rono. His time of 2:09:30 was the fastest marathon ever on Canadian soil. It eclipsed the previous All-comers mark of 2:09:55 that had stood for 31 years since the Montreal Olympics in 1976 — run 4 months before Kelai was born. Kelai and Rono made Scotia Toronto Waterfront one of only four sub 2:10 marathons in North America in 2007 and helped propel the event into the top ranks of world marathons with the awarding of an IAAF Silver Label for 2008.

Since last Fall, Kelai has maintained his winning ways, running to victory in Mumbai for the second year in a row, in January. Again, he used his patented strong finish to defeat a young Tariku Jufar by a scant 5 seconds, 2:12:23 to 2:12:28. This was only 20 seconds off the course record at Mumbai and reminiscent of his thrilling, 6-second victory at Toronto Waterfront '07. Jufar then went on to record an impressive 2:08:11, for 3rd place in Hamburg in April. Daniel Rono was 2nd place again, in Rotterdam this Spring, but in a remarkable 2:06:58. Jufar now has the time, but no victories; Kelai clearly knows how to win. "I am training hard for Toronto Waterfront and will be ready to defend my title, and run a new PR [2:09:09, Eindhoven 2005]," says Kelai. It promises to be a fine duel.

Jufar training for STWM in Ethiopia, taken recently

Thanks to Scotiabank sponsorship, the Toronto Waterfront prize purse has been increased again for 2008, to $20,000 for first place, with money going down to 8th in the Open division. In addition, Scotiabank is also offering the extra $20,000 cash bonuses for new "fastest time on Canadian soil" records that were so alluring last year—now sub 2:09:30 for men and sub 2:26:01 for women. The men's bonus will be increased to $25,000 if the new mark is under 2:09:00. The total purse is just over $180,000, plus time bonuses.

The increased purse and growing reputation of the flat, fast, Waterfront course as a place where young up-and-comers can get a fast time, have attracted the event's deepest men's field to date. Besides Kelai, Kenya will be well represented by Peter Kiprotich, Jonathan Yego, Phillip Sanga, Kenneth Mungara, David Tarus and Samuel Ndereba. The 29-year old Kiprotich, from Iten, ran his PR of 2:08:49 last October in Frankfurt, placing third. Yego, just 30 years old, won Rome on a windy morning this March in his best time of 2:09:58—winning a good battle with Sanga who was 2nd in 2:10:02. The 27 year-old Tarus was 6th at Rome in a best of 2:11:18. Mungara also knows how to win, crossing the line first in Prague in May, after a 2:10:37 for 2nd at Tiberius in January. Samuel Ndereba, younger brother of Olympic silver medalist Catherine "The Great", has run only one previous marathon, a 2:17:04 for 9th in the "monsoon" that was Boston '07, where Robert K. Cheruiyot ran 2:14 for victory. Ndereba's 61:50 half PR, and good, build-up performances at Falmouth and The Crim this summer suggest he is ready to run in the sub-2:10 pack.

Besides Jufar, Ethiopia will also be represented by Amersisa Ketema; Tomas Abyu, now running for "Team England" in the International Team Challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront, is originally from Arsi, emigrating to Manchester in 1999. Ketema finally faded to 4th in Mumbai [2:13:29] in January, behind Kelai and Jufar, after staying with them until a decisive incline at 35k. Abyu is definitely running with something to prove in his new English vest. He had a huge breakthrough last autumn, when he ran 4th at the Great North Run on September 30th, in 62:50, behind Martin Lel, Sammy Wanjiri and Hendrick Ramaala; then went on to finish 2nd at Dublin in 2:10:37. "Tomas Tanks It! Abyu looks Beijing bound," shouted the front page of Athletics Weekly—only to discover that the course was not IAAF recognized and so could not be considered for selection. A bout of bronchitis just before London in April finished off Tomas' Olympic dreams.

"Of course I was disappointed after London…. But I'm only 29, and I knew there would be other opportunities. I think I'm capable of a sub 2:10 at Toronto Waterfront, with a 2:08 in the not-too-distant future".

"We're delighted to have John Kelai back, and such a strong field around him," said Race Director Alan Brookes. With so many good guys, it could be anybody's day. With Paul Kimugul and Charles Koech, we've really improved our pace-making in a major way. We hope this gives the athletes the chance to run some really fast times, have some thrilling battles, and set a new Canadian All-comers record!"

The 9th annual running of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, presented by adidas, and the 19th edition of the accompanying Half Marathon and 5K are expected to attract more than 13,000 participants from every Canadian province, more than 40 American states and 35 countries. Combined, they will raise more than $1 million for 63 smaller neighbourhood charities, and have an estimated economic impact on the city of $20 million.

For entries and information, go to www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com.

ATHLETES: Men	Bib #	PR	Recent Performances
KELAI, John [KEN]	1	2:09:09 [2005]	2:09:30 1st, CR, CAR, STWM07 2:09:09 PR 1st Eindhoven 2005
JUFAR, Tariku [ETH]	2	2:08:11 [2008]	2:08:11 3rd Hamburg 27/04/08 2:12:28 2nd [to Kelia] Mumbai 20/01/08
KIPROTICH, Peter KEN]	3	2:08:49 [2007]	2:08:49 4th Frankfurt 28/10/07 2:11:10 8th Hamburg 07
YEGO, Jonathan [KEN]	4	2:09:57 [2008]	2:09:58 1st Rome 16/03/08 2:12:16 1st Brussels '07
SANGA, Phillip [KEN]	5	2:10:02 [2008]	2:10:02 2nd Rome 16/03/08 2:13:44 2nd Madrid 22/04/07
MUNGARA, Kenneth [KEN]	6	2:10:13 [2007]	2:10:37 2nd Tiberius 10/01/08 2:11:06 1st Prague 11/05/08
ABYU, Tomas [ENG]	7	2:10:37 [2007]	2:10:37 2nd Dublin 29/10/07
KETEMA, Amersisa [ETH]	8	2:10:59 [2007]	2:12:02 10th Hamburg 27/04/08 2:13:37 4th Mumbai 20/01/08
TARUS, David [KEN]	9	2:11:18 [2008]	2:11:18 6th Rome 16/03/08
NDEREBA, Samuel [KEN]	10	2:17:04 [2007]	2:17:04 9th Boston 16/04/07
RUTO, Evans [KEN]	11	2:11:56 [2008]	2:11:56 6th Dusseldorf 4/05/08 2:17:06 7th Mumbai 20/01/08
MAJAJI, George [ZIM]	12	2:15:13 [2008]	2:16:08 15th Rome 2007 2:15:13 Rotterdam 13/04/08
RONO, Stanley Kiprotich [KEN]	13	2:22:09 [2008]	2:22:09 8th Monaco 30/03/08
ISEGWE, Christopher [TAN]	14	2:10:21 [2005]	2:10:21 2nd IAAF World Championships Marathon 2005 [silver medal]
ONSARE, Wilson [KEN]	15	2:06:47 [2003]	2:06:47 Paris 2003 2:13:47 13th Boston 17/04/06
RAVEN, Gareth [ENG]	17	2:18:49 [2004]	Team England
NORMINGTON, Matt [ENG]	18	2:20:52 [2007]	Team England
TUCKER, Pete [ENG]	19	2:23:12 [2008]	Team England
WYKES, Dylan [CAN]	20	2:15:16 [2008]	2:15:15 Rotterdam 13/04/08 Team Canada
McINNES, Matt [CAN]	21	2:16:59 [2008]	2:16:59 Ottawa 25/05/08 Team Canada
BEDLEY, Charles [CAN]	22	2:16:27 [2007]
DREW, Stephen [CAN]	24	2:18:11 [2008]	2:18:11 Ottawa 25/05/08
FINLAYSON, Jim [CAN]	25	2:18:21 [2005]
WARICK, Jason [CAN]	26	2:19:39 [2006]
HOWARD, Todd [CAN]	27	2:25:44 [2008]
GOSSELIN, James [CAN]	28	2:28:10 [2008]
BOOTH, Mike [CAN]	29	2:23:40 [2004]
NIELSON, James [CAN]	30	2:21:01 [2007]
ROMERO, Hugo [MEX]	31	2:16:18 [2007]	Team Mexico
REYES, Sergio [MEX]	32	2:19:41 [2008]	Team Mexico
ONSARE, Bernard [KEN]	33
GARNIER, Louis-Philippe [40+]	35
KIMUGUL, Paul	PACE
KOECH, Charles	PACE
CHEBON, William	PACE
ITATI, John	PACE
CHEBII, Reuben	PACE
PUKSTAS, Mindi	PACE
MBITHI, Joseph	PACE

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