Kennedy Kiptoo Lilan winning in Singapore (© Singapore Sports Council)
2 December 2012 - Singapore – Kenyans Kennedy Kiptoo Lilan and Irene Jerotich Kosgei took their respective titles at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore on Sunday, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
Cheered on by supporters and entertainment acts along the route and greeted by a Padang decked out in festive trimmings, Kiptoo Lilan (25) and Jerotich Kosgei (38) crossed the finish line first in their categories with a time of 2:17:21 and 2:37:54 respectively. It was a tight finish for Lilan with course record holder, Luke Kibet, a mere 5 seconds behind, while Kosgei has set history by becoming the first woman to win the Women’s Open category for three consecutive years.
Coming into the race with three wins under his belt this year, Lilan was quietly confident of his chance in Singapore. He said, “My time here is a little slow but I’m very happy to have won this race. I will definitely want to come back next year and defend my title.”
Kosgei, on the other hand, commented, “The field has many competitive and strong runners, we pushed each other as a group running together till the 38km mark. Singapore is like my home, I like the weather, the conditions today were good, and I want to be back next year.”
Acting Minister for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong, who flagged off the start of the full Marathon category, commented, “The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore is an important event in our sporting calendar. Every year, I see the event improving and getting better. The event has become more of an experience than just a race as I see more volunteers, families and sports immersed in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore experience.”
Starting from 5:00am, 53,000 people started off on their races in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore across various categories of Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km and Kids Dash. Featuring three different routes, runners took in the sights of iconic landmarks in Singapore including Orchard Road, Universal Studios Singapore, Sentosa, Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay.
Organisers for the IAAF
Leading Results:
MEN -
1. Kennedy Kiptoo Lilan, Kenya 2:17:21
2. Luke Kibet, Kenya 2:17:26
3. Barbao Samson Kiprono, Kenya 2:17:31
WOMEN -
1. Irene Jerotich Kosgei, Kenya 2:37:54
2. Flomena Cheyech Daniel, Kenya 2:37:57
3. Alina Prokopeva, Russia 2:38:34
