Zevenheuvelenloop
Zevenheuvelenloop (Seven Hills Run in English) is an annual 15 kilometres road running race held in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It was first organised in 1984 and has grown to be one of the largest road races in the Netherlands;[1] it attracted over 30,000 runners in 2008.[2] The race has attained IAAF Label Road Race status.[3]
The inaugural edition of the race in 1984 featured only a 11.9 kilometre course as the Dutch athletics federation (Koninklijke Nederlandse Atletiek Unie) would not allow new races to be longer than 12 km.[4] The current undulating, hilly course begins in Nijmegen, follows a path to Groesbeek and then loops back towards Nijmegen to the finish line.[1] Zevenheuvelenloop lends itself to fast times: Felix Limo broke the men's world record in 2001 and, at the 2009 edition, Tirunesh Dibaba broke the women's world record over 15 km.[5][6]. In 2010 Leonard Komon improved Limo's still standing World Record[7].
A number of athletes have achieved victory at the Zevenheuvelenloop on multiple occasions; Tonnie Dirks, Tegla Loroupe, Mestawet Tufa and Sileshi Sihine have each won the race three times.
Winners
Key: Course record
| Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) |
Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 |  Leonard Patrick Komon (KEN)
|
41:13 |  Genet Getaneh (ETH)
|
47:53 |
| 2009 | Sileshi Sihine (ETH)
|
42:14 | Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)
|
46:29 |
| 2008 | Ayele Abshiro (ETH)
|
42:17 | Mestawet Tufa (ETH)
|
46:57 |
| 2007 | Sileshi Sihine (ETH)
|
42:24 | Bezunesh Bekele (ETH)
|
47:36 |
| 2006 | Micah Kogo (KEN)
|
42:42 | Mestawet Tufa (ETH)
|
47:22 |
| 2005 | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)
|
41:56 | Berhane Adere (ETH)
|
47:46 |
| 2004 | Sileshi Sihine (ETH)
|
41:38 | Lydia Cheromei (KEN)
|
47:02 |
| 2003 | Richard Yatich (KEN)
|
42:43 | Mestawet Tufa (ETH)
|
49:06 |
| 2002 |  Kamiel Maase (NED)
|
43:41 |  Irvette van Blerk (RSA)
|
51:06 |
| 2001 | Felix Limo (KEN)
|
41:29 | Rose Cheruiyot (KEN)
|
48:40 |
| 2000 | Felix Limo (KEN)
|
42:53 | Berhane Adere (ETH)
|
48:06 |
| 1999 |  Mohammed Mourhit (BEL)
|
43:30 |  Lyubov Morgunova (RUS)
|
49:45 |
| 1998 | Worku Bikila (ETH)
|
42:24 | Tegla Loroupe (KEN)
|
50:06 |
| 1997 | Worku Bikila (ETH)
|
42:20 |  Catherina McKiernan (IRL)
|
48:30 |
| 1996 | Josphat Machuka (KEN)
|
43:06 | Marleen Renders (BEL)
|
50:09 |
| 1995 | Josphat Machuka (KEN)
|
42:23 | Helen Kimaiyo (KEN)
|
49:44 |
| 1994 | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)
|
43:00 |  Liz McColgan (GBR)
|
49:56 |
| 1993 |  Khalid Skah (MAR)
|
43:35 | Tegla Loroupe (KEN)
|
50:06 |
| 1992 | Carl Thackery (GBR)
|
43:54 | Tegla Loroupe (KEN)
|
50:53 |
| 1991 | Tonnie Dirks (NED)
|
44:09 |  Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR)
|
48:46 |
| 1990 | Tonnie Dirks (NED)
|
44:53 | Carla Beurskens (NED)
|
52:06 |
| 1989 | Tonnie Dirks (NED)
|
43:31 | Carla Beurskens (NED)
|
50:36 |
| 1988 | Robin Bergstrand (GBR)
|
46:20 | Marianne van de Linde (NED)
|
52:53 |
| 1987 | Marti ten Kate (NED)
|
45:11 | Gerrie Timmermans (NED)
|
57:16 |
| 1986 | Sam Carey (GBR)
|
46:2 | Denise Verhaert (BEL)
|
53:33 |
| 1985 | Klaas Lok (NED)
|
45:28 | Joke Menkveld (NED)
|
57:28 |
| 1984 | Leon Wijers (NED)
|
36:55 | Anne Rindt (NED)
|
45:48 |
Statistics
Winners by country
|
Multiple winners
|
References
- General
- Krol, Maarten & van Hemert, Wim (2008-11-17). Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- Specific
- ^ a b van Hemert, Wim & Turner, Chris (2008-11-03). Bekele lines-up for 'first serious' road race at 25th anniversary edition of the Seven Hills. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- ^ van Hemert, Wim (2008-11-16). Tufa just shy of 15Km World record in Nijmegen - UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- ^ IAAF Label Road Race Events. IAAF (2009). Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- ^ Krol, Maarten & van Hemert, Wim (2008-11-17). Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- ^ Dibaba shatters 15Km World record in Nijmegen. IAAF (2009-11-15). Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- ^ van Hemert, Wim (2009-11-13). Dibaba and Sihine lead the fields in Nijmegen. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
- ^ "Komon breaks World 15Km record in Nijmegen". www.iaaf.org. IAAF. 2010-11-21. Retrieved 2010-11-21.