Running: Ethiopian wins in most-thrilling women's finish ever

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 03:11 PM

When they turned the corner from Hereford onto Boylston, Dire Tune started her kick. Too early? The 22-year-old Ethiopian brought speed and promise from Addis Ababa, but did she bring a heart big enough to hang on?

Alevtina Biktimirova fell a step behind. Then two. Then: new life. From her depths, the 25-year-old Russian caught Tune, and the two ran side-by-side toward the finish in a sprint unlike any other in the long history of this race. In front of a crowd going wild on this cool, sunny spring day, Tune finally, breathtakingly opened a gap, hitting the tape in 2:25:25 and falling to her knees in thanks. Biktimirova was on her heels till the end, finishing just two seconds back in 2:25:27.

It was the closest women's finish in the history of the race, surpassing Rita Jeptoo's 10-second victory over Jelena Prokopcuka in 2006. Jeptoo finished third here today, in 2:26:34, while Prokopcuka - looking for her first Boston win after finishing second the last two years - was fourth in 2:28:12. First American was Ashley Anklam of Minnesota, who placed 15th in 2:48:43.

Winning the masters division was 46-year-old Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova of Russia, 13th in 2:47:17, and defending her title in the women's push rim wheelchair division was Japan's Wakako Tsuchida, who won in 1:48:32.

For her efforts, Tune will take $150,000 back to Addis Ababa, while Biktimirova earned $75,000. Asked when she knew she had the victory, Dire Tune (pronounced Deer-ay Too-nay) said through a translator: "When I hit the finish line." She almost certainly was not exaggerating.

The women took off in the separate elite women's start at 9:35 a.m., with Joan Samuelson firing the starter's pistol a day after running the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon. Under overcast skies with a temperature of 50 degrees, it was a great day to run a marathon, unlike last year's onslaught of wind and rain. Still, no one seemed to be in any hurry, either to reach the finish or take charge of the race. At least six women took turns leading the 10-woman pack through halfway, reached in 1:14:45 after early miles that ranged from the sharp downhill of Mile 1 (5:23) to Miles 10 and 11 (both 5:57).

At first, Prokopcuka led the pack, but at the first fluid station she tucked in behind others. After last year - when she reluctantly led most of the way only to be passed by Lidiya Grigoryeva in the late stages - she appeared willing to bide her time. With two consecutive second-place finishes here, she felt prepared to do what it took to win. Magdaline Chemjor of Kenya first took over the pace duties, followed by Italy's Bruna Genovese and then Ethiopia's Askale Tafa Magarsa. Around the 10K mark, defending champion Lidiya Grigoryeva and late entrant Nuta Olaru of Romania decided to take charge of the group.

The revolving door of leaders continued until Mile 11, when Prokopcuka once again stepped to the fore. In Mile 16, thanks to her 5:10 surge, the pack whittled itself to five: Prokopcuka, Biktimirova, Tune, Jeptoo and Magarsa. Defending champ Grigoryeva was gone. It looked as if the Latvian might be ready to take charge for good, but just as suddenly she faded, first from the pack and then from the race. Prokupcuka, too, gone.

Biktimirova promptly pushed the pace, with Tune comfortably on her shoulder. A 4:46 Mile 18 put Jeptoo and Magarsa in arrears for good. "I didn't pay attention to who was running," said Biktimirova, who came here off a win last December in the Honolulu Marathon. "I felt a pack of four runners and then I felt just one behind me."

Led by Biktimirova, the pair made their way up Heartbreak Hill in a 5:23 mile. The Russian appeared to be grimacing, but still looked strong. Tune took one brief stab at assuming the lead but then quickly tucked back in behind, not yet ready to show her cards. "I want to win Boston," said Tune when she arrived here, and she obviously hadn't altered her goal. Coming around Cleveland Circle, the two ran side by side.

The challenge was on. Mile 22: 5:08. Mile 23: 5:12 Mile 24: 5:12. Neither woman would give ground. One would pull a step ahead, the other would negate it. Rounding the bend from Hereford onto Boylston, it was either woman's race, although Biktimirova said afterward through a translator that she knew Tune had the advantage at that point. "I just didn't have enough speed," she said.

With 400 meters to do, the women were still sprinting elbow to elbow and the Boylston Street crowd - which included the only previous Ethiopian woman to win this race, three-time winner Fatuma Roba - was going wild. It was 26.2 miles pared to a 400-meter dash. Finally, Tune eased away, taking one quick glance back. And Biktimirova knew she had no answer.

To those who follow the sport, Tune's victory was no shock despite her youth. She wasn't even 20 when she was chosen to compete for Ethiopia at the World Championships, and in 2006 she broke Ingrid Kristiansen's 23-year-old course record when she won the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2:26:52. She won again this January in an even-faster time, 2:24:20. She may have been lacking in years, but hardly in confidence. All week, she had a look about her of quiet readiness.

The quiet was broken on Boylston Street, where the cheers of the crowd still echo.