Ethiopians clinch a Blaydon double

Jun 10 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

AYELE Mergessa dominated the 28th Blaydon Race yesterday as the African elite competitors once again set an unmatchable pace – with compatriot Roman Gessese helping to make it an Ethiopian clean sweep by easing to victory in the women’s competition.

Mergessa, 22, who coach Ian Ladbroke believes is on the brink of breaking into international class, was among the pacesetters for much of the 5.9-mile course and launched a calculated surge on the Scotswood Bridge to see off a strong field and claim the £1,000 top prize in an impressive time of 28 minutes 34 seconds.

It was the tenth year running that the crop of top African runners brought over to the North East by Ladbroke dominated the podium places, but there was also a notably strong showing from Morpeth’s in-form Ian Hudspith as he challenged hard and crossed the finishing line in Blaydon Precinct third for the second year in succession.

In the women’s race it was Gessese who led for most of the race as she denied three-time winner Birhan Dagne, of Birchfield Harriers, with a strong finish to cross the line in 31 mins 59 seconds.

Following Mergessa home in the men’s race was Birchfield Harrier Jean Ndayesenga, who was expected to push Mergessa hard after an impressive season on the roads. Afterwards Ladbroke revealed that Ndayesenga’s hopes of winning were affected by competing in a track race on Sunday.

Hailing his debut victory, Mergessa said his win had felt ‘easy’, although he was moved to admit that the unusual climate had posed a few unique problems for the Ethiopian as he broke away over the Scotswood Bridge.

Unlike the majority of the 4,000 amateur competitors who set out from Collingwood Street he was used to unusually high humidity – but the African athlete admitted the wind that whipped the course as the competitors came down the Scotswood Road had proved his biggest obstacle.

“I am very, very happy to win – this is a good, strong field and to win is a privilege and honour,” he said.

“It was quite an easy win. I can definitely run faster than that but I did enough to win. Before the race I decided on my plan and thought that if I could run in bursts I would be able to beat the other runners.”

Mergessa said he intended to be back in Blaydon next year to defend his title, which probably spells bad news for home hopes, without a win since Mark Hudspith’s victory in 1997. “I like the tradition of the race and I would like to return next year if it is possible,” Mergessa said.

Ian Hudspith won the title of fastest Geordie for the second successive year after he managed to hang on to the group led by Mergessa.

The 37-year-old had been planning to run the London Marathon this year until injury ruined his chances, but he saw his weeks of training for that event pay off as a strong finish helped him into the top three.

He matched the pace of the group that was led by eventual winner Mergessa for much of the second half of the race, and picked off his rivals in the final stages to notch third place in a time of 28 mins 58 seconds.

For Hudspith it was the perfect warm-up for competing in the 10,000 metres at the UK Championships in Watford this weekend.

“It’s not been a bad season so far but I always seem to run well at Blaydon. I didn’t feel great in the opening stages but I managed to keep going and probably the training that I’d done helped me to quite a strong finish.

“It can be difficult against the African guys because you don’t know how fit they are and they don’t really run like British competitors – they tend to surge and then hang back which makes it a difficult pace to keep.

“But it’s a challenge and it is all part of what makes the race so competitive. It’s got a unique place in the North East sporting calendar and the longer it continues the better as far as I’m concerned.” Fastest woman on the night was Gessese – another of the athletes managed by Ladbroke – but there was a strong challenge from 16-year-old Laura Park, who finished third and won the title of ‘fastest Geordie lass’.

Her time of 33mins 6secs underlined her credentials as one of the nation’s fastest youngsters and eventual winner Gessese admitted she had to push hard to win. “I was happy with the way I ran against a strong field. I know this race is not easy and the course was difficult at times,” she said.

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