Uganda’s Kiprotich upsets Kenyans, 3 Canadians in top 30

With a few quick steps around mile 23, Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich surged to a surprise gold medal in the Olympic marathon, Sunday morning in London.

Kiprotich won in 2:08:01, followed by Kenya’s Abel Kirui in 2:08:27. Another Kenyan, Wilson Kipsang won bronze in 2:09:37.

It was also a good day for the Canadians. Canada hasn’t had three runners to cheer at an Olympic marathon since 1996, and the threesome made sure they were in good position to finish strong.

Dylan Wykes and Eric Gillis ran the first 10K in 31:29, around 70th place in the field of 105, while Reid Coolsaet was only slightly ahead at 31:25.

Canadians played it safe

The conservative opening half meant they wouldn’t challenge Jerome Drayton’s Canadian record of 2:10:09, but they put themselves in a good position to move steadily up through the field in the final 15K.

Wykes was the top Canadian, finishing 20th in 2:15:26. Gillis closed hard, placing 22nd in 2:16:00, while Coolsaet was 27th in 2:16:29.

“It was brutal, I tried to be conservative and then run people down,” Wykes said. “In the second half, I passed 10 to 15 guys. [To finish] 20th, I’m happy.”

Coolsaet was the first Canadian to the half-marathon mark, splitting in 1:06:16, in 42nd  place at that point. Wykes split in 1:06:36, while Gillis was 1:06:55 at 21.1K.

London’s twists and turns forced runners to keep their pace in check, but the heat played a role too. Temperatures were in the mid-20s by the end of the race, with some noticeable humidity. The top Kenyans and Ethiopians, all with personal bests under 2:05, never threatened Sammy Wanjiru’s Olympic record of 2:06:32.

“I was having trouble keeping stuff down, I bonked,” said Coolsaet, who was the top Canadian at the 2009 Berlin world championships, where he finished 25th. “I moved up until 23K, but then I just started moving back.”

Coolsaet also said he threw up after the race. Gillis, meanwhile, was pushing hard in the final few kilometres. “My plan was to go out slower and pick people off in the latter stages of the race,” Gillis said. “I’m happy with my final placing.”

Running community full of praise

As Canadians gathered around TV sets like never before to watch a marathon, the reaction has been positive to performances of Wykes, Gillis and Coolsaet.

“Great composure by our guys,” Tweeted Speed River coach Dave Scott-Thomas. “Three in the 20’s is brilliant! Rough temps and course, today.”

“Great gutsy runs! Superb to see @CDNOlympicTeam back in the @Olympics Marathon,” Tweeted CBC’s Scott Russell.

Fellow Olympians were also impressed by the effort, with Adam Van Koeverden tweeting, “Wow. Super impressed by @DylanWykes @nishrunner and @ReidCoolsaet!! Three Canadians in the top 27 in the Olympic Marathon. Incredible!!”

Coolsaet and Gillis hadn’t run a marathon since getting under the Canadian qualifying time of 2:11:29 in the 2011 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last October, but for Wykes the journey to the start line was a bit more complicated.

After missing the standard in Toronto, Wykes pulled out of his race at Japan’s Lake Biwa marathon in March after just 25K, suffering from stomach issues. He then regrouped, secretly, for a run at the standard in Rotterdam in April. His time of 2:10:47 put him second on the Canadian all-time rankings.

“I’m happy,” Wykes said, though he added he would have liked to place slightly higher than 20th.

Key contenders dropped out

At the front, many observers expected a six-way battle between Kenyans Kirui, Kipsang and Emmanuel Mutai, and Ethiopians Ayele Abshero, Getu Feleke, and Dino Sefir.

As is the case with marathons, it never panned out as expected. None of the Ethiopians reached the finish line.

Mutai was off the pace by 20K and left the Kenyan hopes in hands of Kirui and Kipsang.

Feleke and Sefir dropped out early, but Abshero continued to hold down fourth until fading badly at 35K. He pulled out of the race shortly after it appeared that the medals were out of reach.

Kipsang, meanwhile, may have made a foolish move, pushing the pace alone from 15K onwards. At times, he had a gap of 15 to 20 seconds. Kirui and the Ugandan Kiprotich stayed in pursuit and the three ran most of the last 15K together. There was a point in the final 10K when the Kenyans appeared to put some distance on Kiprotich, but the Ugandan struck back with his gold-medal-winning surge at mile 23.

American Meb Keflezighi, who took a turn at the front in the first 10K, ran steadily near the contenders, taking fourth in 2:11:06. The other two Americans, Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman, dropped out before 20K with injuries.