Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 20, 1993 TAG: 9304200043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BOSTON LENGTH: Medium
Instead, it was little-known Cosmas N'deti, a 23-year-old running only his second marathon. He swept into the lead about two miles from the finish and beat Kim Jae-Yong, the first elite Korean in the race in 43 years, by about 70 yards Monday, in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 33 seconds.
N'deti, 11th at the halfway point of the 26-mile, 385-yard race, made his big move over the second half of the race, when most marathoners generally wilt, particularly over the draining stretch of Heartbreak Hill. The chance of such a comeback appeared even slimmer Monday because of the unusual heat - 60 degrees at the start, 73 at the finish.
"In Kenya, I was training in very high mountains," N'deti said. "So I was feeling nice when I was climbing the hills here."
N'deti is one of only two Kenyans ever to fail a drug test. After finishing second at the 1988 World Junior Cross Country Championships at Auckland, New Zealand, he tested positive for a stimulant and was banned for three months.
N'deti, who made his marathon debut in December, finishing second at Honolulu, also said he was not bothered by the heat, which took its toll on many others.
While N'deti was scoring a major upset, there was little surprise in the women's field, as Olga Markova of Russia won for the second year in a row, in 2:25:27, the fastest in the world this year.
Markova, the leader almost throughout, became the first women's repeat winner since Rosa Mota of Portugal won in 1987-88.
This time, Markova was on a mission. After winning Boston last year in 2:23:43, the fastest in the world for 1992, she was not given a place on the Unified Team for the Olympics because she skipped the team's qualifier at Los Angeles and elected to run at Boston.
"I wanted to make a point," the smiling, satisfied Markova said after getting past Olympic gold medalist Valentina Egorova of Russia.
The 1984 Olympic champion, Joan Benoit Samuelson, also competed Monday, marking the first time two women's Olympic marathon gold medalists were in the same race.
Neither Egorova nor Samuelson, however, gave Markova her closest competition. The runner-up was Kim Jones of Spokane, Wash.
Jones, also the second-place finisher in 1991, was more than 4 1/2 minutes back, in 2:30.00.
"It was very warm out there," said Jones, the top-ranked U.S. women's marathoner in 1986, 1989 and 1991.
After early challenges to Markova and Poland's Wanda Panfil, 1991 winner and 1991 world champion, Egorova failed to finish among the top 15. So did Panfil.
The 35-year-old Samuelson wound up sixth in 2:35:43.
by CNB