BOclassic: Marathon runner Tamirat Tola steals the show from the favorites

Actually, third place in the World Cross Country Championships and last year's winner Muktar Edris as well as the former world champion and three-time BOclassic winner Image Merga wanted to fight for victory again. A spectacular final spurt was practically a foregone conclusion. But one person had something against it: Tamirat Tola. The 24-year-old (6th in the World Cross Country Championships, best marathon time of 2:06.17 hours) set the pace from the start. In the fifth lap Tola shook off the rest of the world, in the 6th lap Merga and in the 7th and penultimate lap of the 10km run also Edris. Tola ultimately won by 16,7 seconds. This is the largest lead since Salvatore Antibo in 1988. In 28:28 minutes, Tola missed Philemon Hanneck's course record from 1991 by 26 seconds. Merga still secured third place. Behind obstacle specialist Jairus Brich (4th like in 2013), last year's surprise third-place finisher, Zane Robertson from New Zealand, came in fifth place. Briton Ross Millington was the best European in sixth place. Number 1 among the Italians was Said El Otmani. The South Tyroleans Markus Ploner and Peter Lanziner took 17th and 24th place. The women's 5km run was strange. Not so much because of the podium places, which all went to African runners, but because of a double final sprint. Netsanet Gudeta from Ethiopia and last year's winner Janet Kisa from Kenya sprinted for victory after just the third lap and then stopped before they were asked to continue running. Gudeta then won in the second attempt, ensuring that both winners came from Ethiopia for the first time. In 15:57 minutes, Gudeta, third in the World Cross Country Championships, beat second-placed Kisa by five seconds. Third place went to another Kenyan, Viola Kiwibot. Immediately behind, the best European was the British Elinor Kirk ahead of the Italian Margherita Magnani. Local hero Silvia Weissteiner, now a marathon runner, took ninth place this time. In 41 years, runners from Africa celebrated 41 victories at the BOclassic (men and women). Europe holds at 38, Asia at one win.

620 participants in the Ladurner fun run, 184 in the youth run

Before the elite race, the Ladurner fun run and the Raiffeisen youth race also took place, in which over 800 runners took part. Petra Pircher from Val Venosta won the women's fun run in 18.52 minutes, eight seconds ahead of the 22-year-old triathlete Lisa Schanung from Brixen. Among the men, 18-year-old Ahmed Ouhda was the fastest in 15.32 minutes. The best South Tyrolean was David Andersag from ASC Berg in 6th place.

In the youth categories, the young South Tyrolean runners celebrated three day victories with Sophia Zingerle, Katja Pattis and Sophia Valeria Stratman.

In the handbikers, Roland Ruepp from Val Venosta came out on top ahead of Robert Kaufmann from Bozen and Christoph Depaoli from Kalter.

Results Boclassic - Bolzano New Year's Eve Run December 31, 2015 Elite men (10 km) 1. Tamirat Tola (ETH) 28.28 minutes 2. Muktar Edris (ETH) +0.16 3. Imane Merga (ETH) +0.28 4. Jairus Birech (KEN) +0.29 5. Zane Robertson (NZL) +0.31 6. Ross Millington (GBR) +0.54 7. Thomas Longosiwa (KEN) +0.57 8. Abraham Tadesse (SVI) + 1.22 9. Said El Otmani (ITA) +1.28 10. Ahmed El Mazoury (ITA) +1.32 17. Markus Ploner (ITA/ASV Vipiteno) +2.17 24. Peter Lanziner (ITA/Quercia Trentingrana) +3.09 Elite women (5 km) 1. Netsanet Gudeta (ETH) 15.57 2. Janet Kisa (KEN) +0.05 3. Viola Kibiwot (KEN) +0.10 4. Elinor Kirk (GBR) +0.34 5. Margherita Magnani (ITA) +0.39 6. Sonja Roman (SLO) +0.48 7. Jamie Van Lieshout (NED) +0.54 8. Diana Sujew (GER) +0.55 9. Silvia Weissteiner (ITA/Forest Guard) +0.59 10. Elle Vernon (GBR) +1.03

Ladurner men's fun run 1. Ahmed Ouhda (Atletica Alta Valseriana) 15.32 2. Florian Pasztor (GER/LG Stadtwerke Munich) +0.23 3. Robin Christian (AUT/LC Villach) +0.25 4. Mattia Guglielmi (Team KM Sport) +0.28 5. Giovanni Deromedi (Atletica Valli di Non e Sole) +0.34 6. David Andersag (ASC Berg) +0.41 Fun run for women in Ladur 1. Petra Pircher (Vinschgau racing club) 18.52 2. Lisa Schanung (Società Atletica Bellinzago) +0.08 3. Alice Cherciu (Corradini Excelsior Rubiera) +0.13 4. Christine Kirchlechner (South Tyrolean Running Club) +0.19 5. Joanna Bourke-Martignoni (SVI/CAG Farvagny Trilogy Sport) +0.27 6. Laura Mees (GER/Engelhorn Sports Team) +0.28

bike 1. Roland Ruepp (Schluderns) 13.04 2. Robert Kaufmann (Bozen) +0.19 3. Christoph Depaoli (Kaltern) +1.08

Winner youth races Raiffeisen U18 boys: 1. Daniel Turco (Bovolone Verona) U18 girls: 1. Sophia Zingerle (Mühlbach) U16 boys: 1. Rinor Hasani (Cavalese) U16 girls: 1. Elisa Ducoli (Breno Brescia) U14 boys: 1. Arif Iljazi (Occhiobello) U14 girls: 1. Katja Pattis (Tiers) U12 boys: 1. Mario Antolini (Tione di Trento) U12 girls: 1. Sophia Valeria Stratman (Sarntal)

All results in the PDF attachment!

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BOclassic: Marathon runner Tamirat Tola steals the show from the favorites

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