Summer 2015 Program in Italy
Our athletes have done great this season and we are looking forward to an exciting summer of races in Italy with our annual group of international elites from Olympia visiting the various regional and provincial running events
TRIPOLI 2015 Winners of Tripoli International Half Marathon May 10th 2015
See the news bar for details! A new women's record was set
Beirut, Lebanon NOVEMBER 10, 2013
BENJAMIN SEREM (2nd) - REBECCA TALLAM (3rd)
William Kipsang won to end a six-year Ethiopian winning streak in Beirut , He broke away from the leading group shortly after halfway and went through 30km in 1:33:56 with a 19-second lead over the five-man chasing group. By 35km his lead had grown to 39 seconds with Kenya's Benjamin Serem (OLYMPIA- ATC) and Sammy Malakwen, along with Ethiopia's Gemechu Lemma still together around 250m behind Serem then started to chase but could not quite reel him in. Race favourite Kedir Fekadu, who won last year in 2:12:57, was part of the chasing group at 30km but soon afterwards the Ethiopian started to struggle and he finished a disappointing seventh.
Women race was dominated by the two Ethiopian runners who took the lead after 8 km and leaving the group of the women behind. Only Rebecca Tallam (OLIMPIA-ATC) tried to react and she tried to stay close to the first two Ethiopians but she could not close the gap. Rebecca run alone all the race and she achieved to cross the finish line in 3rd position. Temperatures reached an unseasonably warm 23°C and the course records were never threatened.
MEN:
1. William KIPSANG - KEN 2:13:34
2. Benjamin SEREM - KEN 2:13:45 (OLIMPIA-ATC)
3. Gemechu LEMMA - ETH 2:14:17
4. Sammy MALAKWEN - KEN 2:14:47
5. Stephen CHEPKOPOL - KEN 2:15:56
6. Birhanu GEDEFA - ETH 2:16:10
7. Kedir FIKADU - ETH 2:17:07
8. Khalid LABLAQ - MAR 2:17:57
WOMEN:
1. Rehime Kedir ROBEL - ETH 2:33:29
2. Shuko Genemo WOTE - ETH 2:36:47
3. Rebecca Jerotich TALLAM - KEN 2:41:07 (OLIMPIA-ATC)
4. Ayantu DAKEBO - ETH 2:42:03 (OLIMPIA-ATC)
5. Rahel Kebede SHIFEREW - ETH 2:47:25
6. Mihiret Anamo ANTONIO - ETH 2:50:28
7. Nicole ELIAS - LIB 3:23:01
8. Shannon MCNAMARA-SMITH - USA 3:23:50
10 NOVEMBER 2013: MARATHON DES ALPES MARITIMES NICE-CANNES, FRANCE
First to cross the finish line on the Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes were Ethiopia's Abdisa Sori among the men and Salina Jebet for the women.
A strongly gusting wind slowed runners in the second half.
In the women race, Jebet, the race favorite, won by a minute. Second was Genet Teka from Ethiopia and third GLADYS KWAMBAI (OLYMPIA –ATC) from Kenya who was at her debut in the marathon distance.
Gladys was very upset because she was ready to run a faster time but the strong wind made this goal impossible.
MEN:
1. Abdisa SORI - ETH 2:13:58
2. Edeo TELO - ETH 2:13:58
3. Wosen ZELEKE - ETH 2:14:13
4. Titus KURGAT - KEN 2:16:00
5. Hadera ASAY - ETH 2:18:01
6. Jacob KITUR - KEN 2:18:12
7. Tsgabu GEBREMARIAM - ETH 2:18:18
8. Yared SHAREW - ETH 2:19:28
9. Alelign MEHARY - ETH 2:27:45
10. Francois HOLZERNY - FRA 2:30:51
WOMEN:
1. Salina JEBET - KEN 2:41:34
2. Genet TEKA - ETH 2:42:32
3. Gladys KWAMBAI - KEN 2:44:12
4. Immaculate CHEMUTAI - KEN 2:48:48
5. Matilda JEPCHIRCHIR - KEN 2:53:13
6. Celine BOUSREZ - FRA 2:53:45
7. Sylvie QUITTOT - FRA 2:57:43
8. Tiina PURANEN - FIN 2:58:21
9. Ingrid LOPERGOLO - SWE 2:59:34
10. Elina JUNNILA - FIN 2:59:44
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Lel and Jeptoo beat the heat in Lisbon. Albert Matebor (Olympia-ATC team) second place.
Matebor, Lel and Masai
on the podium in Rock'N'Roll Lisbon
Half 2012
Lisbon, Portugal – Running in very warm conditions, Martin Lel and Priscah Jeptoo won today’s Rock 'N' Roll Portugal Half Marathon in Lisbon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
Lel, a former World Half Marathon Champion before making his name over the full Marathon distance, clocked 1:01:28 while his Kenyan compatriot, Olympic Marathon silver medallist Jeptoo, clocked 1:10:32.
The temperature was 19 C. at 09:00 and rose to 26 C. by noon, seriously impacting the race tempo.
In the first half of the men’s race (29:13 at 10 km), only the first eight athletes prevailed in the lead group with major changes produced after 15 kilometers, where six were running together, crossing the marker in 43:54. Lel, a three-time winner at the London Marathon, made his decisive break at 20 kilometers, taking the lead and adding to it over the closing kilometer.
In the final kilometer, despite the slowest split (3:03) he managed to cross the line ten seconds ahead of Albert Matebor (3rd, 2011 Frankfurt Marathon 2:05:26), who finished with a 1:01:39.
Lel was a bit disappointed after the race, he said, "Because of the hot weather."
"This course is marvelous, totally flat, we can achieve great performances here, but this wasn’t that day. I thought the other runners made it harder for me, but all of them didn’t understand the weather very well."
Another Kenyan, Titus Masai (5th in 2012 Lisbon Half Marathon last spring, 3rd is Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, finished third in 1:01:49.
A surprising Kenyan, Cybrian Kotut, was fourth in 1:02:25 while Tariku Bekele, the 2012 10,000m Olympic bronze medallist, disappointed the crowd with a sixth place showing in his debut over the distance, as did former winner Silas Sang who was a distant seventh.
Leading Results –
MEN -
1. Martin Lel KEN 1.01.28
2. Albert Matebor KEN 1.01.38 (Olympia-ATC)
3. Titus Masai KEN 1.01.49
4. Cybrian Kotut KEN 1.02.25
5. Cuthbert Nyasango ZIM 1.02.26
6. Tariku Bekele ETI 1.02.59
7. Silas Sang KEN 1.04.21
8. Jacob Kintra ETH 1.04.30
WOMEN -
1. Priscah Jeptoo KEN 1.10.32
2. Margaret Muriuki KEN 1.11.28
3. Ana Dulce Felix POR 1.12.12
4. Mizuki Noguchi JPN 1.12.20
5. Leonor Carneiro POR 1.13.49
6. Sara Moreira POR 1.15.43
7. Sandra Teixeira POR 1.19.18
8. Anália Rosa POR 1.19.25
GOLD COAST, Australia July 1-2012
ALEMAYEHU SHUMYE TAFERE WON THE GOLD COAST AIRPORT MARATHON 2012
Alemayehu Shumye crossing the
finish Line
Another impressive result from our Top runner Alemayehu Shumye.
On July 1 “Alex” won the race with a very impressive time of 2:10:35, the 4th fastest time ever run in this marathon event. Alemayehu ran alone from Km 30 k when he decided to push away from the pack of contenders. Pacers could not run with him till Km 37 (as planned before the race) and this is why Alemeyehu missed the new course record and the additional bonus of 10,000 USD set by the organizer for a finish time under 2:10:00
Alemayehu is confirming once again the positive trend started on the beginning of the year when he ran in Paris marathon in 2:09 and he confirmed a positive sequence of 3 marathon races ran always under 2:10.
Second and third places for two Kenyan runners Robert Mwangi and Ernest Kebenei who crossed the finish line in 2:12:17 and 2:12:46 respectively.
Alemayehu will start now the preparation for Frankfurt marathon in October where he will try to set the new personal Best.
In the same race the other female athlete Worknesh Tola Biru suffered from a pain in the leg after only 10 K of the race and she was obliged to drop out.
Florence, Italy NOVEMBER 27, 2011
ASHA GIG CROSSING THE FINISH LINE
Ethiopia claimed a winning sweep at the 28th Florence Marathon in both men’s and women’s races thanks to Berga Birhanu Bekele who crossed the finish line first in 2:09:52 ahead of Gela Hailu Seifu (2:10:17) and favourite Asha Gigi, who won the women’s race in 2:31:36 (OLYMPIA-ATC athlete).
Men’s race The leading group went through 5Km in 15:28 and 10km in 31:04. The eight-men pack featured Zembaba Yemanu from Ethiopia, Berga Bekele, Medhane Tekie from Eritrea, Hailu Gela Seifu from Ethiopia, Ronald Rutto from Kenya, Joseph Ngeny from Kenya, Abram Kidane from Ethiopia and Abdelkabir Saji from Morocco.Seven men remained in the lead at 15 km which was reached in 46:04. They were Tekie, Seifu, Bekele, Rutto, Kidane, Yemanu and Saji. They kept a fast pace at 21 km (1:04:38) which indicated a final 2:09 time. After going through 25 km in 1:16:49, the pace slowed down a bit (the 29 and 30 km splits were clocked in 3:18 and 3:17). Bekele and Seifu surged the pace and broke away from the rest of the field at 32 km. They managed to carve out a gap of 21 seconds on Yemanu Zembaba who led the chasing group at 35 km.At 39 km Bekele produced a decisive surge pulling away from Seifu and managed to run the final two kilometres under three minutes (2:54 and 2:56). Bekele romped home in 2:09:52 missing his PB by 11 seconds. It was his third time under 2:10 after Beijing 2011 (2:09:41) and Dubai 2011 (2:09:54).
Women’s race The Ethiopian leading duo formed by Asha Gigi and Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu set off at a very fast pace (17:28 at 5 km, 34:41 at 10 km and 51:08 at 15 km) well inside Jelena Javornik’s event record (2:28:15 set in 2002). The pace in the first half run which indicated a possible attack to the 2:25 barrier on the faster section of the new course was probably too fast and it took its toll in the second more challenging half.
Gigi and Memuye ran a neck-to-neck race until 21 km which they reached in 1:12:06. Gigi pulled away at 25 km and carved out a six-second gap over Memunye (1:25:59 to 1:26:05). She continued and increased the opened gap to more than 50 seconds at 30 km (1:44:01 to 1:44:56) but the pace faded dramatically. Gigi’s win was never threat. Moroccan Janat Hanane caught up with a fading Memunye for second place.
Gigi struggled in the final three kilometers which were run at splits over 4 minutes but she managed to defend her first place in 2:31:36 over Hanane who improved her PB from 2:38:34 (set in 2011 in Rome) to 2:34: 22.
Leading Results -
Men’s race:
1. Berga Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:09:52
2. Hailu Gela Seifu (Ethiopia) 2:10:17
3. Abdelkabir Saji (Morocco) 2:12:11
4. Zembaba Yemanu (Ethiopia) 2:14:03
5. Ronald Rutto (Kenya) 2:14:28
6. Philip Kiptoo Rutto (Kenya) 2:16:38
Women’s race:
1. Asha Gigi (Ethiopia) 2:31:36 (OLYMPIA-ATC)
2. Janat Hanane (Morocco) 2:34:22
3. Gloria Marconi (Italy) 2:34:57
4. Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu (Ethiopia) 2:36:49
ALBERT KIPLAGAT MATEBOR
(right side)
30 OCTOBER 2011: BMW FRANKFURT MARATHON, GERMANY
Despite a magnificent effort over the final 5km Wilson Kipsang fell just four seconds short of Patrick Makau's month-old world record of 2:03:38 set in Berlin writes Pat Butcher. His repeat victory in Germany's finance capital was a new course record, over a minute faster than his 2:04:57 last year, and his time will, alongside Makau, make hima front runner for Kenya's Olympic marathon trio for London 2012.
An early morning shower had given way to a still, slightly misty morning, with temperatures rising from 11°C to around 14°C at the finish. A group of 15 men went through 10km in 29:25, reducing to six at halfway in 61:40, four seconds faster than Makau in Berlin. Deriba Merga was still in the lee of the pacemaker, Peter Kirui of Kenya, who was reproducing his metronomic feats from Berlin last month; but so were the little known Kenyans, Levy Matebo and
Albert Matebor.
The pace was dropping when Kipsang went up onto Kirui's shoulder at around 33k, and when the defending champion saw at 35km that he was heading for a 2:04 finish, he took off by himself. If the winner had ever been in any doubt, that issue was settled right then. It was Kipsang against the clock. He sailed away from his pursuers, and clawed back two or three seconds per kilometre on the record chase, with the crowds out on the streets, and watching on the big screens at the indoor finish in Frankfurt's Festhalle willing him on. Fireworks and floodlights greeted him for the final metres on the red carpet in the Festhalle, but the world record effort was just in vain.
Matebor revised his bests by close to four minutes; pacemaker Kirui hung in to finish sixth in 2:06:33, no mean feat in itself. There were nine Kenyans in the first ten, and altogether 14 men under 2:10, the most in any marathon.
In the women's race Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia took almost a minute and a half off Caroline Kilel's course record of 2:23:25. For more than half the race, Daska was led by Merima Mohammed, but the 19-year old fell away in the latter stages, while Agnes Kiprop of Kenya rallied to finish second.
MEN:
1 Wilson KIPSANG KEN 2:03:42
2 Levy MATEBO KEN 2:05:16
3 Albert MATEBOR KEN 2:05:25 (Olympia)
4 Phillip SANGA KEN 2:06:07
5 Robert Kipron CHERUIYOT KEN 2:06:29
6 Peter KIRUI KEN 2:06:31
7 Chumba Dickson KIPTOLO KEN 2:07:23
8 Siraj GENA ETH 2:08:31
9 Duncan KOECH KEN 2:08:38
10 Henry SUGUT KEN 2:08:56
WOMEN:
1 Mamitu DASKA ETH 2:21:59
2 Agnes KIPROP KEN 2:23:54
3 Flomena CHEPCHIRCHIR KEN 2:24:21
4 Merima MOHAMMED ETH 2:24:32
5 Rita Jeptoo BUIENEI KEN 2:25:44
6 Nadia EJAFFINI ITA 2:26:15
7 Fate TOLA ETH 2:27:18
8 Biruktait DEGEFA ETH 2:27:34
9 Sabrina MOCKENHAUPT GER 2:28:08
10 Alena SAMOKHVALOVA RUS 2:28:43
May 21-2011
ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE RESULT FROM
ALBERT KIPLAGAT MATEBOR IN GOTEBORG
Albert Matebor running alone to the Finish Line in Goteborg half marathon 2011
Another impressive result from our Top runner Albert Matebor last Saturday in GOTEBORG HALF MARATHON 2011 .The Elite athlete field was really very competitive with more than 20 invited Top runners, all the big names in the Half marathon distance were there!
ALBERT KIPLAGAT MATEBOR set new PB and new CR by lowering the time by more than 20 second and stopping the clock at 1:00:52. This is the fastest time never run in Sweden and what it is great in this result is that Goteborg race course is not flat….so the potential of Albert is even bigger!
Thanks to this result, Albert gained now a good position in the Half marathon world ranking.
In the same race ALEMAYEHU SHUMYE (Marathon best time 2:08:46) took the 13th position with the time of 1:03:15, but Alemayehu is not a specialist of this distance.
Now both Albert and Alemayehu will prepare themselves to run in the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia on July 3. Both they will try to beat the course record of the race and to run under 2:10 in order to secure the jackpot of 25,000 USD set by the organizer for the winner of the race capable to run under 2:10.
Additional 5,000 USD bonus will be granted to the winner who will run under 2:09:18, fastest time never run in Australia: both Albert and Alemayehu have already this mark in their legs and they will fight for the supremacy in Australia.
CONGRATULATION TO OUR UFA-OLYMPIA ATHLETES!!
August 23-2010
UFA OLYMPIA Athlete Tizita Bogale wins Gold Medal in Youth Olympic Games, setting the first Olympic Record for 1000m.
She won the 1000m race in 2.43.24
August 1-2010
OLYMPIA ATHLETE IS NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD!
Tizita Bogale wins the world Junior Championship in 1500m at the World Championships in Canada.
Ethiopia's Tizita Bogale duly won the race but Ciara Mageean with a stunning performance managed to upset the expected African domination when winning the silver medal ahead of Nancy Chepkwemoi on the final day of the 13th IAAF World Junior Championships at the Stade de Moncton.
Bogale after dominating her semi final, proved the stronger in the finishing straight to produce a PB 4:08.06 as she pulled away from the unrated Irish athlete with Kenya's Nancy Chepkwemoi struggling behind them clocking 4:11.04.
"This is my first time competing at the Championships and I'm delighted to have won it," said Bogale. "The race was very competitive. There was a fierce struggle for the win and I am happy to withstood all that."
Indeed Bogale's victory the first for her country since Abebech Nigussie's success a decade ago, was nearly thwarted by the Mageean who ran an incredible metric mile.
Mageean who set an unheralded National record of 4:15.46 a year ago in Finland and who only came into contention in the last 500m of the race, reduced that mark to a fantastic 4:09.51.
Asmerawork Bekele who came into the race as the fastest performer but has been ill recently finished last. The Ethiopian struggling from the beginning of the race at least finished and her time of 4:30.02 was nowhere a true reflection of her ability for the future.
June 14-2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLYMPIA 2ND & 3RD IN THE WORLD
Bekele & Bogale, Olympia athletes, hit the heady heights of the IAAF “Top Lists” Best in the world!
They are 2nd and 3rd!!!! female Junior category, In the world!!!!!
And here at Olympia ATC We are celebrating the end of our second full year and the start of our third! What a wonderful birthday gift!
Check this out… (updated 13th June 2010)
Poor No More!
Jan 29-2010
Olympia Altitude Training Center has stepped forward with a new initiative aimed at raising young people out of the poverty bracket by harnessing their innate talent to run. During the past few months the director of the center, based in Addis Ababa, went deep into the countryside of Ethiopia where poverty abounds with a mission to select young boys and girls who have talent, and give them the opportunity to change their lifestyles.
Olympia Altitude Training Center organized a distance running event in the villages high up in the mountains and called upon the youth to come and run. Most of them turned up barefoot and in a pair of old running shorts and a vest and lined up with great eagerness to compete. About 100 young people participated and the first three boys and first three girls were selected to go to Addis Ababa, all expenses paid for three years, and live in the Olympia Altitude Training Center, which is home to International Athletes. Here the youths are trained in running and are provided full board and accommodation together with full coaching provided by some of the best of Ethiopian Coaches.
The dream for these selected athletes is to run all across the world in major international races and to win money from their efforts. In the meantime, as they grow and prepare, Olympia supports and sponsors them towards achieving their dream.
Poor No More! Is about helping these youngster to achieve their own dream and to inspire others towards having similar dreams. It’s all about showing the humble villager that he or she can have a global running career. In this highly athletic world that we live in, it is all about giving them the chances before they have proved themselves and encouraging them and supporting them to become the greats of the future.
The next phase of Poor No More! Which will be launched in the summer of 2010, is to provide education to the youths. As the program grows to take in more young people they will be entered into formal education channels which will ensure their future prospects of being employable are strong.
Olympia Altitude Training Center believes in development of the local community within the community as well as presenting the finest athletes on the international stage.
For more information email antonio@olympia-atc.com
BREAKING NEWS
Dec 31-2009
Olympia Altitude Training Center is proud to announce Spira Footwear as the Technical Sponsor for its athletes for 2010.
With races set for the first weekend in January in Austria, Abu Dhabi Half Marathon and after in Ras Al Khaimeh Half Marathon, Olympia athletes are set to ‘spring’ into action. Due to the unique technology of Spira shoes, a wave spring absorbs the impact of the runner’s footfall and recycles the energy returning it back to the athlete! To learn more about the shoe and its technology check out this video http://www.spirafootwear.com/
wavespring_technology.php
Spira shoes are the first breakthrough in running shoe technology in years, and with Spira being new and vibrant, it is a perfect partnership. Olympia is now on the eve of its third year and celebrates the signing of its latest athletes who will be carrying the Spira brand around the globe. Spira has an exciting and charismatic look to its sports apparel, assuring eye catching winning moments.
This exciting move propels both brands forward to a new level and we look forward to seeing the “Finish Line” embossed with the Olympia and Spira Logos – together.
Olympia Altitude Training Center is located in Addis Ababa and provides residential training programs for athletes at 2700 meters above sea level as well as managing elite athletes.
“The company’s by line is ‘Win Your Race’, and together with Spira we believe that this goal is now even more attainable”, says Antonio Nannoni, Elite Manager and Partner.
http://www.spirafootwear.co