Monday, May 10, 1999
Kenyan outclasses men's field
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
In his native Kenya, Elly Rono is a pretty decent runner, not top 10, not even top 20. But put him with a field of mostly Americans, and Rono will run away from the field.
That was the case Sunday in the Flying Pig Marathon. Rono, 29, was not challenged after the six-mile mark and won in 2:21:15.
Rono, who came to the U.S. to study and compete at Southern Indiana University, was confident going in.
“I knew I had the fastest time (in the field),” he said. “It was a relaxing pace for me. The course was great — up and down and flat — the hills didn't bother me at all.”
Rono did not register until Saturday night. He had contacted race officials as early as Wednesday about possibly running. But he was still recovering from a race last weekend.
By the time he committed it was too late for organizers to even get him a hotel room.
The race quickly developed into a duel between Rono and another foreign athlete. Jun Rudolf, a native of the Czech Republic living in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., made an early move with Rono.
“I knew I couldn't keep up with them,” said Andy Jones, the pre-race favorite. “I was pushing to keep up at three miles.
“But in the first mile I could tell I was in big trouble. He (Rono) was effortless.”
Jones, 37, took fourth in 2:30:53.
Jones, a Canadian who moved to Cincinnati two years ago, thought the $1,500 might bring in someone like Rono.
“I knew the money would attract someone,” Jones said. “There are a lot of hungry runners out there. The 100th-best Kenyan would be the third-best American.”
Rono made his move on the hills up to Eden Park.
“He was very strong on the hills,” Rudolf said. “I couldn't keep up.”
Rono's running resume made him the favorite as soon he decided to drive over from Evansville. He graduated from Southern Indiana on Saturday with a degree in mathematics. Rono's run a 2:16 marathon.
He won the NCAA Division II cross country title in 1997, and 5,000- and 10,000-meter titles on the track in 1998. So he knew if he could put together a decent effort, he'd win the $1,500 first prize.
He called running his hobby, but he can make a decent living racing in second-tier races in the U.S.
In Kenya, it isn't so easy. Rono finished 37th in Kenyan Olympic trials for the marathon.
“There are a lot of good runners,” he said.
Flying Pig Page
