Geb Win's New York

The other Geb, Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam, on his Marathon debut displayed the patience of a veteran to win the NYC Marathon.

Moment's after Haile exited the race, Mutai, Goumri and Bouramdane picked up the pace. It was a surprised to see a very relaxed Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam among the leaders just gliding along and not pushing anything. When the race was down to him and Mutai, it was fascinating watching him stay patient until he found the moment when Mutai was vulnerable and strike to take control of the race.

I remember the first time Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam came on the international stage in 2002 when he won the Junior World Cross Country title. He won that race barefoot. That day I knew a start was born. But, his track career was good but not exceptional and to many including me that was a disappointment. Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam has never performs well when expectations are high. He does however have a knack of putting out some exceptional performances when no one is expecting.

Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam is a very talented runner. The marathon looks like a great fit for him. He be a force in marathon for years to come.

The Ethiopian marathon field continues to get deeper.