Mestout Fikir achieved a great result on his long-distance debut by winning the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon in 2 hours 20 minutes 45 seconds, while compatriot Mulugeta Uma won the men's title in 2 hours 05 minutes 33 seconds. Achieved double title for Ethiopia. world athletics elite label Sunday road race (7).
After a close race, Fikir won by three seconds over fellow Ethiopian Enatnesh Tirsev, who was also making his marathon debut. Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2016 Olympic 5000m winner and four-time world track champion, finished third in the 40-year-old's first marathon in five years with a time of 2:21:46. .
In the men's race, Yuma won by 15 seconds over Kenya's Titus Kipruto. Course record holder and 2021 winner Elisha Rotich took third place this time with a time of 2:06:54.
In the early stages, a group of about 10 women ran together, with Ethiopia's Rahma Tusa leading the way, completing the 10km in 33 minutes and 23 seconds. By the time they reached the halfway mark at 1 hour 10 minutes 11 seconds, the group was down to six, with Tusa still leading Tirsev and Fikir, while Cheruiyot was biding his time at the back of the pack. .
By the 30km mark, Cheruiyot was about 20 seconds behind the leader, but Tusa was still pushing the pace forward. However, after a few kilometers Fikir and Tirseu broke through and the long-time leader began to fade.
The two Ethiopians continued to race side by side for the final few kilometers, with Cheruiyot making a comeback and moving into third place. Fikir overcame his compatriot in the final push to win in 2 hours 20 minutes 45 seconds, with Tirsev second in 2 hours 20 minutes 48 seconds. Cheruiyot crossed the line 58 seconds later.
The men's race unfolded similarly, with the large group completing the 10km in 29 minutes 08 seconds and crossing the halfway point in 1 hour 2 minutes 09 seconds, at which point they were challenging Rotich's course record of 2 hours 4 minutes 21 seconds. I was riding the momentum.
Over the next 10km the pack became tighter, with Kipruto leading the 30km in 1 hour 28 minutes 27 seconds, followed by Uma and fellow Ethiopians Deso Germisa and Dejane Megersa.
Kipruto remained in the lead until the 35km mark, when the only other riders left were Germisa, Uma and Kenya's Bethwell Kipkemboi. Uma then began to pick up the pace and overtook Kipruto with a few kilometers left. Further back, Rotich was making his way down the field.
Uma continued to widen her lead over Kipruto in the final stages, winning in a personal record of 2:05:33, finishing 15 seconds behind Kipruto. Rotich passed Kipkenboi, who stalled, and took third place with a time of 2:06:54.
Key results
woman
1 Mestaut Fikir (ETH) 2:20:45
2 Enatnesh Tirsev (ETH) 2:20:48
3 Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:21:46
4 Valentina Matejko (KEN) 2:24:21
5 Rahma Tusa (ETH) 2:24:48
6 Ienesh Dinkesa (ETH) 2:26:00
7 Medina Armino (ETH) 2:26:01
8 Eslemakh Shintayev (ETH) 2:26:03
male
1 Mulugeta Uma (ETH) 2:05:33
2 Titus Kipruto (Ken) 2:05:48
3 Elisha Rotich (KEN) 2:06:54
4 Bethwell Kipkenboi (Ken) 2:07:08
5 Cosmas Muteti (KEN) 2:07:37
6 Deso Germisa (ETH) 2:07:39
7 Matthias Kaiburz (SUI) 2:07:44
8 Dejan Megatha (ETH) 2:08:41
Aga breaks Daegu course record
Ethiopia's Louie Aga wins the Daegu Marathon, beating the course record by 48 seconds. world athletics gold label Sunday's road race with a time of 2:21:08 (7th place).
Meanwhile, Kenya's Stephen Kiprop won the men's race by a 36-second margin in a time of 2:07:04.
In the women's race, the lead group covered 10km in 33 minutes and 23 seconds, but by the time they reached the 20km mark in 1 hour, 6 minutes and 17 seconds, the lead group had passed Aga, Kenya's Evalyn Chirchir, and Bahrain's Tigist Belay. The number has been reduced to three women. Angela Tanui, the fastest woman in the field, was about nine seconds behind at this point.
The same leading trio crossed the halfway point in 1 hour 10 minutes 00 seconds, and a few kilometers later Aga started the break. By the 30km mark, which Aga crossed in 1 hour 38 minutes 50 seconds, she had a 31-second lead over Chirchir. Meanwhile, Tanui moved into third place, 12 seconds behind her compatriot.
Aga reached 35km in 1 hour 55 minutes 28 seconds, suggesting a finish time of easily under 2 hours 20 seconds. But the Ethiopian, competing in his second marathon of the year, matched his January personal best of 2:18:09, but began to tire in the final kilometres.
Meanwhile, Tanui grew stronger and began to catch glimpses of Ethiopians at long distances. Fortunately for the exhausted Aga, the lead he built early in the race was maintained as he entered the Daegu Stadium, site of the 2011 World Championships, and crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 21 minutes. It provided enough cushion. :08, breaking the course record of 2:21:56 set in 2022 by Eritrea's Nazret Weldu.
Tanui took second place with a time of 2:21:32, followed 40 seconds later by Chirchiru. Australian Commonwealth champion Jessica Stenson finished fourth in a PB of 2:24:01.
In contrast, in the men's race, a large leading group continued to battle, and it was only in the final kilometers that the group finally split.
The first 10km was completed in 29 minutes and 48 seconds, and at the halfway point 20 people were still in contention, reaching the distance in 1 hour, 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Even at the 30km point, which they passed in 1 hour 30 minutes 19 seconds, there were 18 people in the lead group.
However, at the 35km mark (1:45:46), Stephen Kipruto started to pick up the pace. The lead group, which was still made up of 14 people, began to fall apart, and after 2km there were only five people in front.
Chelop's fellow Kenyan, Kennedy Kimutai, made the break at about 37km, greatly increasing the distance between him and the remaining competitors. However, their running together did not last long as Cherop single-handedly established a lead with just under 3km remaining.
He continued to expand his lead until the end, eventually finishing in a personal best time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 4 seconds. Kimutai held on for second place with a time of 2:07:40, followed by Alphonse Simbu of Tanzania who took third place with a time of 2:07:55.
Key results
woman
1 Ruti Aga (ETH) 2:21:08
2 Angela Tanui (Ken) 2:21:32
3 Evalyn Chirchir (KEN) 2:22:12
4 Jessica Stenson (Australia) 2:24:01
5 Tigist Belay (BRN) 2:24:39
6 Sandra Ferris Tuay (Ken) 2:26:57
male
1 Stephen Kiprop (Ken) 2:07:04
2 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:07:40
3 Alphonse Simbu (TAN) 2:07:55
4 Ben Chelimo (Ken) 2:08:04
5 Khan Kigen Ozbilen (TUR) 2:08:19
6 Gilbert Kibet (Ken) 2:08:32
Kipkosgei and Memue win in Milan
Kenya's Titus Kimutai Kipkosgei and Ethiopia's Tigist Gebeyahu Memue have won the Wizz Air Milan Marathon. world athletics label Road Race – Sunday (7).
Kipkosgei finished in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 12 seconds, beating her personal record by 34 seconds, while Memniye won the women's race in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 32 seconds. The race was held on a new loop course starting and finishing in Piazza del Duomo.
In the men's race, a large group completed the 10km in 29 minutes 57 seconds and crossed the halfway mark in 1 hour 3 minutes 42 seconds.
At the 28km mark, 10 riders remained in the lead group. Last year's winner in Milan, Andrew Rotich Kwemoy, was called into action, reaching 30km in 1 hour 30 minutes 51 seconds, with only Kipkosgei, Isaac Kipkemboi Too and Raymond Choge Kiphumba able to keep up with him.
Kwemoi jumped out at the 34km mark and held the lead until the 37km mark, when Kipkosgei caught up with him. Kipkosgei overtook Kwemoi at the 39km mark and won in 2 hours, 07 minutes and 12 seconds.
Kipchumba overtook Kwemoi at the 40km mark and took second place with a time of 2:07:36, while Kwemoi took third place with a time of 2:07:52.
“I am very happy to have achieved my personal best in such a beautiful race,” said Kipkosgei. “I was careful to conserve my energy towards the end of the race. When I took the lead, I found the energy to start the final sprint.”
In the women's race, Ethiopia's Fantu Gerasa Shugi and Khutu Dadiso Tahir took an early lead, completing the 10km in 33 minutes and 27 seconds, with a 23-second lead over Memunye. Shugi took off at the 18km mark and reached the halfway mark in 1 hour 10 minutes 34 seconds, with a 26 second lead over Dadiso, but a further 51 seconds behind Memounier.
Shugi built up a gap of about two minutes over Memunier, reaching 30km in 1 hour 40 minutes 59 seconds, but her efforts had an impact in the final stages of the race.
Kenya's Sophie Jepchirchir passed Dadiso at the 30km mark and moved into third place. Memunier then overtook Shugi at the 39km mark and pulled away from his compatriot with 2km to go, finishing in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 32 seconds.
Jepchirchir overtook Shugi in the final stages and took second place with a personal best time of 2 hours 27 minutes 12 seconds. Zhou Yi was third with a time of 2 hours 30 minutes 52 seconds.
“The victory was completely unexpected,” said Memoue, who trains with world record holder Tigist Assefa and world champion Amane Beriso. “I'm very happy with my performance. It's my return after a long break due to injury.”
Diego Sanpaolo World Athletics Representative
Key results
woman
1 Gebeyahu Tigist Memueh (ETH) 2:26:32
2 Sophie Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:27:12
3 Gerasa Fantu Shugi (ETH) 2:30:52
male
1 Titus Kimutai Kipkosgei (Ken) 2:07:12
2 Raymond Choge Kipchumba (Ken) 2:07:36
3 Andrew Kwemoi Rotich (UGA) 2:07:52