Geoffrey Kamworor celebrates his marathon win in Rotterdam (© NN Running Team)
Geoffrey Kamworor and Jackline Cherono completed a Kenyan double at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, clocking respective times of 2:04:33 and 2:21:14 to win at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday (13).
Kamworor finished clear ahead of Ethiopia’s Chala Regasa (2:05:06) and Chimdessa Debele (2:05:26) to clinch the third marathon victory of his career and his first since his New York City Marathon triumph in 2019. Cherono was an even more dominant winner of the women’s race, as she ran a PB to claim victory by a minute ahead of Ethiopia’s Aminet Ahmed (2:22:14) and Azmera Gebru (2:22:15).
After passing halfway in 1:02:21, multiple world half marathon champion Kamworor formed part of a four-strong lead group at 30km, reached in 1:28:24.
He made a winning move just after the 35km mark and continued on to take the title, adding another victory to the two marathon wins he claimed in New York in 2017 and 2019.
“I’m so happy,” said Kamworor. “It was windy but I’m happy to have made the best of it.”
Cherono reached the half marathon mark in 1:09:14 and forged on unchallenged to win the second marathon of her career by exactly a minute.
She adds this victory to her Kosice Peace Marathon win in 2023, her time of 2:21:14 improving on her previous PB of 2:21:40 set in Hamburg in April last year.
Leading results
Women
1 Jackline Cherono (KEN) 2:21:14
2 Aminet Ahmed (ETH) 2:22:14
3 Azmera Gebru (ETH) 2:22:15
4 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:22:27
5 Dolshi Tesfu (ERI) 2:23:17
Men
1 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:04:33
2 Chala Regasa (ETH) 2:05:06
3 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:05:26
4 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:05:27
5 Alex Chesiro Masai (KEN) 2:08:03
Hirpa and Biwott prevail in Paris
Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa claimed her second marathon win of the year while Benard Biwott also secured victory at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Sunday (13).
The women’s race came down to a thrilling sprint finish and Hirpa managed to hold off her compatriot Dera Dida to win by four seconds - 2:20:45 to 2:20:49. Kenya’s Angela Tanui was third in 2:21:07.
Hirpa also won the Dubai Marathon in January, in a PB of 2:18:27.
Biwott strode away from his rivals with around 10km remaining and was unchallenged, reaching the finish line in a PB of 2:05:25. It was his second marathon race and his second win, after his victory in Frankfurt in October.
Djibouti’s Ibrahim Hassan was second in a national record of 2:06:13, while Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo was third in a PB of 2:06:21.
Leading results
Women
1 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:20:45
2 Dera Dida (ETH) 2:20:49
3 Angela Tanui (KEN) 2:21:07
4 Magdalena Shauri (TAN) 2:21:31
5 Kasanesh Baze (ETH) 2:24:35
Men
1 Benard Biwott (KEN) 2:05:25
2 Ibrahim Hassan (DJI) 2:06:13
3 Sila Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:21
4 Enock Kinyamal (KEN) 2:06:32
5 Dominic Ngeno (KEN) 2:06:37
Battocletti and Gressier among winners at European Running Championships
Italy’s Nadia Battocletti and Yann Schrub of France claimed 10km titles, Belgium’s Chloe Herbiet and Jimmy Gressier of France secured half marathon success, and Spain’s Fatima Azzahraa Ouhaddou Nafie and Italy’s Iliass Aouani won the marathon races at the European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven on Saturday and Sunday (12-13).
The weekend kicked off with the half marathon races on Saturday. Herbiet led a Belgian 1-2 on home soil in the women’s race, winning in 1:10:43 ahead of Juliette Thomas in 1:10:57. Gressier won the men’s title in 59:45.
The 10km and marathon events took place on Sunday. Battocletti won the 10km title in 31:10 for her fourth European gold in just over 10 months, while Schrub claimed his 10km crown in 27:37.
Ouhaddou Nafie overcame a heavy fall to win the women’s marathon in 2:27:14, while Aouani ran 2:09:05 to win the men’s race by three seconds.
