Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth 2005/6 Series World Marathon reaches finale in Hong Kong

The finish line is in sight for competitors in the Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth 2005/6 Series. Teams and individuals have run 126 kilometres and flown thousands of miles so far to compete in three of the world’s most exotic cities. Now they are getting ready for one last battle as they bid to win what has been dubbed the World Cup of Marathons.

The final leg in Hong Kong will see yet another talented field of runners assemble at the start line. With several teams and individuals separated by only the tightest of margins after the first three legs of the race, the Hong Kong Marathon will finally settle how the largest prize pool in world athletics, US$1.575 million, will be shared out.

The Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth, a relay of four challenging marathons across four cities in Nairobi, Singapore, Mumbai and Hong Kong, sees athletes run in some of the world's most difficult conditions, battling altitude, heat, humidity and uphill courses. The Greatest Race, now into its second series, started in Nairobi in October 2005. It moved on to Singapore in December 2005, followed by Mumbai last month, and will come to an exciting conclusion in Hong Kong.

The 2005/6 Series has attracted 578 runners, twice the number from the first series. There are various categories that athletes can enter into, perhaps the most exciting of which is the Nations Challenge. It has attracted 27 National Athletics Associations to submit teams of four runners, one to run in each marathon, in this relay race across continents.

In the Nations Challenge, after a blistering run by their athlete in the Mumbai Marathon, Kenya now lead Zimbabwe at the top of the leaderboard by eight minutes. Teams are also divided into regions – Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, North East Asia and Europe & Oceania - creating fascinating rivalries between competing nations. Currently in the lead in their respective categories after the first three marathon legs, are Kenya, India, Indonesia, Taiwan and UK. These countries are hoping their athletes will be able to fend off competition from their rivals in the Hong Kong Marathon and win their Regional Challenges.

The Main Team Challenge is open to any team of four runners – professional and amateur alike. Among the favourites in the Main Team Challenge will be the Kenyan Moses Masai, running for the current leading team, Run For Peace Fun. The in-form Masai won the 2005 Karstadt Ruhrmarathon in Germany in a personal best time 02:10:17. He looks set to do battle with compatriot Noah Bor, running for the Kapsabet-Gianni team. Bor, 28, has an impressive track record and recorded his personal best of 2:08:48 in Rome in 2003. Also near the front of the field should be Moges Taye of the Akaki–Gianni team, who represented Ethiopia in the 2000 Olympics and has a personal best of 2:09:19. 

The new US$175,000 bonus prize pool for women has widened participation and has encouraged more female athletes to join the competition. Current leaders Global Mbio – Women will be represented by Birra Tadelech, who with a personal best of 2:31 will be confident of defending their 15 minute advantage over second placed Pema P Services. Tadelech should be wary though of Team China, currently in fifth place, whose athlete Dai Yanyan won in Hong Kong last year and beat her nearest challenger by an incredible ten minutes. With a personal best of 2:24, she will certainly be hard to beat in Hong Kong. Also one to watch will be the emerging talent of 20 year-old Ethiopian Dire Tune of the Haji Adilo Team, who are currently fourth. Last year, Tune competed in the IAAF World Championships marathon in Helsinki and recorded her personal best of 2:30:48 in Los Angeles.

The stakes are also high in the Individual Challenge where strong, dedicated athletes run all four marathons (a total of 168km) as an individual. Amazingly, after three races, the top two contenders, Meshack Kirwa and Emmanuel Kosgei are separated by just 18 seconds. A nail-biting finish is undoubtedly in store to decide who will win the US$100,000 first prize.

As well as featuring elite runners, the Individual Challenge includes some non-professional athletes, whose determination and focus on doing well encapsulates the true spirit of The Greatest Race On Earth. One such runner set to complete the superlative achievement of finishing all four marathons is Mary Murphy, a civil servant from Cork, Ireland. Mary is running for a charity that is particularly close to her heart, and is generously covering all of her expenses herself. “My sister has multiple sclerosis and lives in a residential care home, so I am raising much-needed funds for them. It’s the least I feel I can do to help,” said Mary.

And leading by example for Standard Chartered Bank is its Group Executive Director, Mike DeNoma. It was Mike who in fact conceived the idea of The Greatest Race On Earth, and he is so passionate about it that he too is running all four marathons in the Individual Challenge.

"We believe at Standard Chartered that actions speak louder than words – and that has been proven this season with The Greatest Race becoming even bigger and better,” said Mike. “This season there are more teams from more countries, running faster times. We saw straightaway in Nairobi that the bar has been raised this series, with an amazing 138 runners running inside of the two hours 30 minutes mark. Then in Singapore, the top Greatest Race runner won the overall marathon and broke the course record. And in Mumbai, the top three male runners and the top female runner shattered the previous course records."

"As well as attracting proven world-class athletes from around the globe to compete, we are drawing the stars of the future. The Greatest Race is proving to be an excellent platform for up-and-coming runners to break into the international athletic arena," he added. “Many are expected to go on to challenge for World and Olympic honours in years to come.”

Mike was inspired by blind athlete Henry Wanyoike, a multiple world record holder and three-time gold medal winner at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. Mike observed Henry competing with a guide at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in 2003, and his reliance on another runner prompted him to initiate The Greatest Race on Earth the following year.

"Henry's reliance on someone else sparked the team aspect of The Greatest Race on Earth. It takes great teamwork, courage, determination and commitment to participate in a race like this," said Mike.

One of The Greatest Race's biggest fans is marathon world record holder Paul Tergat. He believes the creation of a team event will lead to a fresh wave of interest in the marathon from up-and-coming athletes. "The Greatest Race on Earth is an exciting new concept, which brings a breath of fresh air into the world of marathon running," said Paul.

"I love the fact that teamwork will be crucial to winning the competition. Running as part of a team will give individuals huge motivation to achieve record times. It will pull them through difficult parts of their race and inspire them to high levels of achievement."

Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Hong Kong on 12 February, bringing the city to a standstill. The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and has earned a reputation for being one of the toughest in the world. The cosmopolitan city’s harbour-side course is uphill most of the way.

The course starts in the historic Kowloon district and takes runners between skyscrapers, over bridges, through a tunnel and onto a punishing five kilometre climb to the finishing line on the opposite side of the harbour.

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