The 25th annual Columbus Marathon drew over 6,500 runners, walkers and wheelcrair athletes to the downtown streets of Columbus. Athletes could start the walk at 7 a.m. or be part of the relay or full marathon as they started at the intersection by the Ohio State House at 8:00 a.m. The race headed east out Broad Street to the Governor Mansion in Bexley. The runners would then head west to return downtown at the ten-mile mark before looping around historic German Village. The marathoners would again pass the State House just after the half waypoint. The athletes then headed north on High Street and ran by the Ohio State University campus before returning to the Short North area and finishing at the Nationwide Arena.

Kenya's Eliud Kering pulled away from the pack just before the two mile mark and would widen his lead to forty seconds by the 7 mile mark. A the runners returned downtown. Kering hit the halfway point in 1:08:59 as a pack of six runners reached the half waypoint in 1:09:55. Kering would slow a little as he headed into the wind but hung on to win the 25th running of the Columbus Marathon in 2:18:39. Redford, Michigan's Paul Aufdemberge and Columbus' Jim Jurcevich separated themselves from the pack after the 14 mile mark.


Aufdemberge running in his 17th marathon at the age of 39 would set a personal best as he went on to claim runner up honors in 2:20:03. Jurcevich who participated in the U.S. Men's Marathon Trials earlier this year and had finished second in the last two Columbus Marathons captured the bronze in 2:22:30. Cleveland's Nathan Norris (2:27:07) and Troy's Donn Craig (2:29:20 ) rounded out the top five men.

Kenya's Emily Chepkomi and Russia's Tatiatan Belevol battled the first half of the race before Chepkomi, who was running in her first marathon, would pull away to cruise to a 2:38:39 victory. Belovol (2:43:38) held on for runner up honors. Wadsworth's Melissa Rittenhouse who ran in the Women's U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials in the spring run a strong race to take home the bronze in 2:44:39. Columbus' Krista Place (2:52:39) and Canada's Karen Kelly (2:58:56) finished next.

The 25th Anniversary Columbus Marathon is presented by Nationwide and
featured a field of more than 6,700 runners, 2,000 volunteers and 100,000
spectators. The Columbus Marathon is a nationally and internationally
renowned marathon and is consistently ranked as one of America's top 20
marathons by Runner's World. It has also been ranked by USA Today as one ofthe top 10 fall marathons. For more information please visit:
http://www.columbusmarathon.com or call (614) 421-RUNN.

More results and pictures from the race later on: http://www.runohio.com

Top 10 Men

Eliud Kering 2:18:39
Paul Aufdemberge 2:20:03
Jim Jurcevich 2:22:30
Nathan Norris 2:27:07
Donn Craig 2:29:20
Chris Rogers 2:31:21
Aaron Hoover 2:32:09
Robert Peters 2:33:09
John Chirgwin 2:34:00
Paul Howath 2:34:31

Top 10 Women

Emily Chepkomi 2:38:39
Tatiana Belovol 2:43:38
Melissa Rittenhouse 2:44:39
Krista Place 2:52:39
Karen Cowling 2:58:56
Erin Kelly 2:58:58
Emily Farrell 2:59:00
Jaime Dansa 3:00:23
Sarah Walker 3:00:48
Melissa Converse 3:01:25

Top Men Wheeelchair

Krige Schabort 1:32:10
Adam Bleakney 1:37:17
Tyler Byers 1:42:50
Chad Johnson 1:55:16

Top Women Wheelchair

Mirian Nibley 2:02:18
Holly Koester 3:06:22

http://www.runohio.com