$50,000 Zayed bonus tempts 10k winner to return

New York: UAE Healthy Kidney 10k winner Leonard Patrick Komon expects to return next year to try and win the $50,000 (Dh184,000) prize on offer for breaking the course record at the event’s 10th anniversary.

The Kenyan 10k world record holder lived up to his billing by winning Saturday’s race in Central Park here, but he missed out on the Zayed bonus for breaking his own course record – the 27 minutes 35 seconds he set when he won in 2011.

He led from start to finish and broke the tape in 27:58 on a humid New York morning, with Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro (28:02) taking second place from another Kenyan, Stephen Sambu, on the line.

The UAE-backed race is run in honour of former President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who received a kidney transplant in the US in 2000. The event was inaugurated in 2005 and to celebrate its 10th staging in 2014, the leader of this year’s UAE delegation – Lieutenant General Mohammad Hilal Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armed Forces Officers Club – announced on Saturday that the Zayed bonus would be increased from $30,000 to $50,000.

Komon expects to be in a position to challenge his course record next year, as at the weekend he was slowed up slightly because up until the last minute he wasn’t aware of some changes made to the course since his last visit. He was on target at the half-way stage, with a 5km split of 13:40, but a combination of the muggy conditions and the changes to the course meant he couldn’t keep up that pace.

“I lost a little bit because the course changed – it’s not like the one I won on before,” the 25-year-old said. “Going anti-clockwise is not normal, so today it was very hard for me to do that.

“But anyway I’m happy for the result. It was more difficult but I’m still happy. I was thinking [I might break the record] but it didn’t happen. I was thinking when I was coming that I was going to attempt it, but when I arrived here I heard the course had changed, so it made my ambitions fall away.

“I started to feel tired around the 8km mark. But I’m now familiar with the new course so next year I will be prepared to try and win the bonus.”

Runner-up Kipsiro said a poor start cost him the chance to challenge Komon for victory, but added he was pleased to beat Sambu after a titanic battle for second place.

“I was far, far back. These guys, at the start line, they moved very fast and I was 200m back,” Kipsiro said. “I was catching them slowly but it’s very difficult to catch up. And this guy [Sambu], I passed him and then he passed me back, he was tough.

“But I love this event, the race was really good. I was feeling good throughout the race so I’m happy.”

Arizona-based Sambu, 24, who only turned professional last November, showed impressive potential as he smashed his personal best to take third. Afterwards he praised his rivals for their performances.

“The race was tough. [Komon] got in front, I pushed and pushed but I could not keep up the pace so I had to withdraw and run on my own. In my mind I was saying that I have to go with him, but he was very strong, stronger than me,” he said.

“Then this guy [Kipsiro] came and he tried to pass, but I said ‘no, I can still keep going’ and then he beat me at the end, but it was a good run.”

Another runner showing off his potential was 19-year-old Kenyan Eliud Ngetich, who finished 11th in 29:16 in his first ever race outside of Africa. The youngster, who has moved to New York in a bid to make it as a professional runner, said: “I’m happy because this is my fastest time in the 10k. It was quite hilly and the conditions weren’t good for me – I don’t like running after it has rained. This was a good preparation as I’m getting ready to run my first marathon – I’m focusing on doing under 2 hours, 25 minutes.”

The race saw a total of 5,851 finishers, including plenty of Emiratis. Among the UAE runners taking part were Shaikh Zayed’s grandson Shaikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, and Shaikh Saqr Bin Saud Al Qasimi from the ruler’s family in Ras Al Khaimah, who is studying in the US.

Ethiopian Aziza Aliyu Abate took the women’s honours in 34:34 but she was left frustrated at being well short of her personal best.

“My time was not good because of the conditions. My personal best is 32:36, but it was tough here because of the rain and how slippery it was. I’ve run this race before but the course seemed a bit tougher this time.”