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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014
PAGE 9
MARATHON
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North Korean spectators watch from the stands of Kim Il Sung Stadium as runners line up at the start of the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sunday. The annual race, which includes a full marathon, a half marathon, and a 10-kilometer run, was open to foreign tourists for the first time this year.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Korea's capital hosts international marathon
PYONGYANG, North Korea The streets of North Korea's showcase capital were filled with runners from all over the world on Sunday for the annual Pyongyang marathon, which was open to foreign amateurs this year for the first time.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tens of thousands of North Koreans lined the streets to applaud, cheer and sometimes high-five the runners, who were followed by a truck blaring patriotic music. They stood and roared as North Korea's Pak Chol, who completed the men's event in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 26 seconds, crossed the finish line. Compatriots Kim Hye Gyong and her twin sister, Kim Hye Song, finished first and second in the women's race. The winning women's time was 2:27:04.
Known officially as the Mangyongdea Prize International Marathon, the race is sanctioned as a bronze-label
event by the International Association of Athletics Federations and has been held annually for 27 years. Organizers said they decided to allow foreign recreational runners because they wanted to hold a grander race as part of the series of sporting competitions, arts festivals and cultural events marking the birthday of the nation's founder, Kim II Sung, on April 15.
Much of North Korea remains off-limits to foreigners, but Pyongyang, with its broad avenues, plazas and ubiquitous monuments, is more accessible than other places in the secretive and isolated country.
The opening of the race to recreational runners is in keeping with the North's ongoing effort to earn cash revenue by boosting tourism, usually with group tours to major arts performances or attractions the North wants to show off. Tourism agencies that specialize in North Korea said they were surprised by the large number
of entries they received, but noted most were from tourists who primarily wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to see Pyongyang close up, rather than compete in the
run.
"I really wanted to do this race because of the location," said 10-kilometer runner Jen Skym, a 32-year-old Briton living in Hong Kong, who is
"I go to international races every year, but this one just strikes me as the most_unique."
JACOB YOUNG Marathon runner
race itself.
and by also holding a half marathon and a 10-kilometer
Officials said runners from 27 countries took part this year, including 225 amateurs. Though the race has long featured elite athletes from around the world, organizers decided to make it easier for fun-runners to join in by requiring only that the course be completed in four hours — so the roads could be reopened
also four months pregnant. "The scenery was fantastic, and there were so many people watching. It was good motivation to get back into running. I really enjoyed it."
Runners on the generally flat, full-marathon course did four loops around the center of the city of 2.5 million, starting at Kim Il Sung Stadium, moving past the Arch of Triumph, the Friendship Tower and the Kim Il Sung University area. They
then crossed a bridge to the east side of the city and wound their way along the river bank to the stadium. The capacity crowd of 42,000 spectators back in the stadium were treated to soccer games and martial arts exhibitions while they waited for the runners to return.
Earlier this year, North Korea's government announced a plan to create special trade and tourism zones across the country and unveiled its first luxury ski resort, aimed largely at luring ski enthusiasts from abroad. Under the watch of young leader Kim Jong Un, the North has also been giving sports in general a higher profile. Simple recreational sports facilities, such as outdoor basketball courts and roller skating rinks, have been popping up lately in Pyongyang and some other cities.
"I go to international races every year, but this one just strikes me as the most unique," said Jacob Young, of Nova Sco-
ua, Canada. "It's very novel. Usually I would imagine it's the tourists here looking out at the local people. Here, it's them looking at us. We are the show."
To keep the show from getting too colorful, however, the foreign runners were instructed not to carry U.S. or Japanese flags, or wear clothing with large writing or that was deemed inappropriately attention-getting or political
— though one wore blue jeans for the 10-kilometer event. Runners said they were also not allowed to carry cameras during the race, though they snapped away afterward inside the stadium.
"Basically, we just had to wear regular running clothes," said Will Erskine, of Melbourne, Australia. "Some people might have wanted to shoot pictures the whole time. But I don't think it was all that unusual. It was a good experience."
HOCKEY
Union wins NCAA title beating Minnesota 7-4
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PHILADELPHIA — Tiny Union College skated off with the biggest trophy in college hockey.
And the Dutchmen did it at the expense of two of the sport's giants, toppling Minnesota for its first NCAA title after beating Boston College in the semifinals.
Union scored three times in a 1:54 span in the first period in a 7-4 victory Saturday, two nights after Daniel Cilpini scored three goals in a 5-4 win over Boston College.
Union (32-6-4) won its final 12 games and went 16-0-1 in its last 17. The 2,200-student liberal arts college in Schenectady, N.Y., competes in Division III in all other sports.
"I don't think anyone will call us Cinderella anymore," said Shayne Gostisbehere, who had a goal and two assists against the Gophers.
"They came as advertised." Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. "We knew it coming in."
After Minnesota took a 2-1 lead, Mike Vecchione tied it with 4:01 left in the first, Eli Lichtenwald gave Union the lead 57 seconds later, and Ciampi capped the spree with 2:57 to go.
"The staple of our team all year — we come in waves,"
Union captain Mat Bodie said. "All three of those goals were pack-of-wolf goals where we were just throwing the puck on net."
Bodie, Max Novak and Kevin Sullivan also scored and Colin Stevens made 36 saves.
"A little bit speechless right now," third-year coach Rick Bennett said. "I just happy for our school, for this program and the past players. It's an unbelievable experience."
Justin Kloos, Sam Warning,
Taylor Cammarata and Hudson
Fasching scored for Minnesota (28-7-6). Adam Wilcox stopped 41 shots for the five-time champion Gophers.
"Both teams are better defensively than a 7-4 score shows," Bodie said. "It's just one of those games where crazy bounces happen. We just wanted to stick with our process. We thought we were playing pretty well and great things happened."
Fasching cut it to 5-4 with a power-play goal with 3:40 left. Sullivan put it away with 1:22 to go, and Bodie scored into an empty net with 44.2 seconds remaining.
Cammarata pulled Minnesota within one with the lone goal in the second period, but Novak restored the two-goal cushion on a deflection at 5:31 of the third.
"Just one shift at a time," Bodie said. "This is the biggest game of our lives, hands down, but you've got to treat it like any other game. It was tough, I had people texting me, people calling me and stuff, and, you know, it was real tough to keep that mindset, but with our sport psychologist we were able to get that done."
Kloos opened the scoring on a rebound 2:37 into the first period. Gostisbehere responded by weaving through three opponents and beating Wilcox with a wrist shot to glove side at 9:26.
Less than a minute after Gostisbehere's goal, Warning squeaked a bad-angle shot between Stevens and the pipe to put Minnesota up 2-1.
"He controlled the game," Lucia said about Gostisbehere. "From my vantage point, he was the best player on the ice tonight."
The Dutchmen took over from there.
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Minnesota lost for the seventh time in the title game. The Gophers were making their first appearance in the championship game since winning their second straight title in 2003.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Union's Daniel Ciampini holds up the championship trophy following an NCAA men's college hockey Frozen Four tournament game against Minnesota on Saturday in Philadelphia. Union won 7-4.