Mazatlán, MexicoKenyan runners stole the show last weekend, dominating the men’s and women’s half marathon and the women’s full marathon at the 7th Gran Maratón Pacifico (3/4 Dec), which drew over 6000 participants to this Mexican beach resort on the Pacific coast.
In the women’s marathon Luci Muhami and Neriah Asiba were never challenged from the start and battled together for the first two places. Muhami’s faster place prevailed in the later stages of the race, and she crossed the finish line in 2:34:51, ahead of Asiba (2:35:45), with Mexico’s Irma Sanchez (2:43:56) coming next.
Francisco Bautista upheld some local honour in the men’s marathon with a 2:15:58 hour effort, beating Kenya’s Nicholas Korir (2:16:07) and his countryman Edilberto Méndez (2:16:37). Bautista, a 33-year runner from the state of Tlaxcala, owns a personal best of 2:11:44, set in 2004.
But in the men’s Half marathon, Kenyan Isaack Kimayo ran unchallenged after the first 10km and crossed the finish line in 1:03.16, well ahead of locals Roberto García (1:04:15) and 2005 CAC 10.000m silver medallist Juan Carlos Romero (1:04:50)
A duel between Kenya´s Genoveva Jelagat, a 10:06 3000m steeplechaser, and Mexican two-time Olympian Dulce María Rodríguez produced fast times in the women’s Half Marathon. The Kenyan produced a strong finish to break the course record with a 1:10:22-hour win, ahead of Rodríguez, who set a personal best of 1:10:30. Mexico’s María Elena Valencia finished third in 1:14:07.
The day before (3), Jelagat posted her first Mazatlán win in the 5km with a 15:55-minute effort, six seconds faster than Rodríguez. Nora Leticia Rocha was third in 16:29.
Click here for full results and photos
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
Top Results:
Marathon
Women:
1. Luci Muhami (Kenya) 2:34:51
2. Neriah Asiba (Kenya) 2:35:45
3. Irma Sánchez (México) 2:43:56
4. Irene Vázquez (México) 2:45:18
5. Lilian Chelimo (Kenya) 2:48:36
6. Lourdes Isabel Carmona (México) 2:51:26
Men:
1. Francisco Bautista (México) 2:15:58
2. Nicholas Korir (Kenya) 2:16:07
3. Edilberto Méndez (México) 2:16:32
4. Charles Nyakundi (Kenya) 2:17:17
5. Ruben García (México) 2:17:52
6. José Ernani Palalia (México) 2:18:20
Half Marathon
Women:
1. Genoveva Jelagat Kigen (Kenya) 1:10:22 CR
2. Dulce María Rodríguez (México) 1:10:30
3. María Elena Valencia (México) 1:14:07
4. Gladys Asiba (Kenya) 1:14:36
5. María Dolores Valencia (México) 1:18:14
6. Wanda Panfil (México) 1:18:48
Men:
1. Isaack Kimaiyo (Kenya) 1:03:16
2. Roberto Carlos García (México) 1:04:15
3. Juan Carlos Romero (México) 1:04:42
4. Juan Camacho Piña (México) 1:04:50
5. Jesús Hernández (México) 1:05:47
6. Alfredo Gómez (México) 1:06:07
Weelchair
Men: Aaron Gordian 47:26
Women: Ariadne Hernández 1:04:02
10km
Women
1. Ma.Elena Valencia (México) 33:30
2. Paula Apolonio (México) 33:38
3. Lucila Castelán (México) 34:50
Men:
1. Evans Momanyi (Kenya) 29:23
2. Cesar Javier Jiménez (México) 29:29
3. Daniel De Jesús Vargas (México) 29:30
5km
Men:
1. Alejandro Suárez (México) 13:58 CR
2. Simon Limareng (Kenya) 14:00
3. David Galván (México) 14:01
Women:
1. Genoveva Jelagat 15:55.
2. Dulce M. Rodríguez (México) 16:01
3. Nora Leticia Rocha (México) 16:29
CR- Course record
