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NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

November 3, 2002

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. In mile 25, you were running very smoothly, then you grabbed your side and you appeared to be in pain, yet that's exactly when you made your move. Were you doing that to trick your opponents or were you feeling bad at that point?

RODGERS ROP: I was having -- I was feeling some stitches, yes. I was cramping, yeah.

Q. You had cramped last year, your legs. Were you afraid that the same thing was going to happen to you this time?

RODGERS ROP: No, I was not afraid, only that the stitches give me problems, otherwise I was not afraid of the cramps.

MODERATOR: Stitch not cramps.
Q. Why did you decide to make your move at that point when you grabbed your side?

RODGERS ROP: I felt it was my time to break away at that point.

Q. When did you know that you were successful in doing that?

RODGERS ROP: 200 meters to go.

Q. Joyce, when you made your move in the park and broke away, did you think that that was going to be it?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: Yes, I thought she would win, but at the end, I could move in the center of the park. I knew that I was going to win.

Q. You knew when you got away that you would win?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: Yeah, because the rest of the pack was far behind.

Q. You kept turning around and looking?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: Yes, I keep on looking because one time, I lost the race because I am not looking back.

MODERATOR: She kept looking back to make sure because in the past she got caught.
Q. 24 miles in '96 when you got passed, were you thinking about six years ago at 24 miles?
MODERATOR: Did you think about that at 24 miles, what happened to you before would happen to you today.

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: No, I didn't think like that. I thought I was going to win the race this time.

Q. How did your preparation for this race go? Were you confident coming into this race that would you have a chance?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: I prepared well for this race because last year I was having pain in my leg, in calf muscle. Then this year, I was well prepared. I saw the field was good.

Q. Did it bother you to not be mentioned in the favorites? It seems like you don't get the respect like the others?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: No, it doesn't bother me. I think when you --

MODERATOR: It doesn't upset her.
Q. Were you surprised considering that some of the people that were in the field, that the first half pace wasn't faster and somebody didn't try and make it faster?

MODERATOR: Were you content that it was slow?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: I thought that the faster pace would be -- they mentioned yesterday that we need to go 72, but I think it was cold and windy, so that you see that the pacemaker didn't go so fast and it was windy from the side, and from side to side it was windy. Maybe that's the reason why we were going slow.

Q. What did you think the racing began?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: At 17 miles. I tried to move but I was afraid that I might not go that fast, the way I think. But next two miles I had to.

Q. You made a move coming off the bridge, between 15 and 16 miles and then another move on First Avenue. Could you talk about your strategy, was the group too big? Were you just trying to break up the group?

RODGERS ROP: My strategy was to break the group and I can say that's my style of running. I have to weigh the strength of the athletes, when it is my time to move, yes.

Q. Did the fact that you beat Cheboiboch in Boston give you confidence that you'd be able to, you know, you sort of had him --

RODGERS ROP: No, I think actually I was afraid of him because I know at the end, he's a good finisher. So I made sure that I had enough strength to keep it in there.

Q. What does it mean for both of you to get this victory here in New York, and the money, to bring it back to Kenya?

RODGERS ROP: I think to win New York marathon, it's one of the largest marathons in the world, and that makes you want to be famous all over the world. About the money, when we go to Kenya we have sisters and relatives who we have to assist. And to improve the lifestyle for each and every one of us.

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: To win in New York for me is really important because this is my fourth time. I have been trying and trying and trying. So, this time was my day and this is still my life, again because on the way I was feeling like it's not -- it was not -- people everywhere are cheering, cheering. This was worth it for me to win here.

MODERATOR: I was given a note that this is Joyce's ninth sub 2:26 marathon, which is the most in the world.
Q. Following up on the money part. Is there anything that either of you are doing specifically in Kenya when they go back to help the community, like Rodgers said?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: We help our families and we pay some school fees and -- yeah.

Q. Rodgers, this is the first time that a man and women from Kenya have won here in the same year. What does this mean for your country to do this here?

RODGERS ROP: I think it's great for our country for us to win both men and women. I think it will bring our country up.

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: And also to encourage other runners like us to dream and train like us and run so good.

Q. Did you like the idea of the women running by themselves?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: Yes, of course because I have been doing this sometime, like London and here. This time, I think this is -- it's much better.

Q. Why?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: It's right to run with only women and because sometimes other people like to run with -- we can keep watching one another.

MODERATOR: And you are in a race like that whereas men can interfere and you can't see competitors, is that the way it works?

JOYCE CHEPCHUMBA: Not really. They don't under -- it was better to run alone as women.

End of FastScripts...

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NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

November 3, 2002

Joyce Chepchumba

Rodgers Rop