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A late burst of energy propped Helah from 5th at the 40km mark to 1st on the finishing tape.
Kenya’s Helah Kiprop and Ethiopia’s Abeje Ayana are the 2023 Paris Marathon women’s and men’s champions respectively.
Kiprop took the top honours after cutting the tape in 2:23:19 ahead of Ethiopia’s Atalel Anmut who settled for second place in 2:23:19. Another Ethiopian Fikrte Wereta placed third in 2:23:22.
Passing through the 12km mark was a group of 12 women led by Ethiopia’s Mestawut Fikir and Kenyan Cynthia Chemweno. As the group passed the 15km mark, the leading pack had been reduced to 10 women with Chemweno now on the lead.
At this point, Kiprop had been dropped and was among the athletes in the chasing pack. At the half kilometer mark, Kiprop was now leading the chasing pack and with the quest of closing the gap. Kiprop joined the leading pack at the 28km mark and which was now being led by compatriot Gladys Chepkirui.
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15:25 - 01.04.2023
ATHLETICS Ruth Chebitok and Elisha Rotich part of 16 Kenyans in Paris Marathon.
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It came as a surprise win for Kiprop considering that at the 40km mark, she was placed fifth but unleashed a finishing kick with a few kilometers to go and luckily clinched the highly contested title.
The men’s race was a one man show for Kenya’s Ronald Kirui until the 21km mark when Ethiopia’s Guye Adola changed the script and took the mantle. Adola did not however rule for long as Ayana took over at the 35km mark and led all the way to the finish line.
He cut the tape in 2:07:15 ahead of Adola who clocked 2:07:35. Kenya’s Josphat Boit placed third in 2:07:40.
At the Xiamen Marathon Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba of Kenya claimed the men's title in 2:08:04. Lencho Anbesa from Ethiopia and Omar Ait Chitachen from Morocco placed second and third in 2:08:29 and 2:08:59 respectively.
In a post-race interview, Kipchumba said: “This is my first time to compete in Xiamen Marathon. The race impressed me with the number of racers and the enthusiastic spectators. I kept my pace in the early stages of the race, and begin to speed up at the end, this is my strategy."
In the women’s race, Meseret Abebayehu from Ethiopia took the women's title in 2:24:42. Kenya’s Gladys Kiptagelai finished second in 2:25:51. Another Ethiopian, Guteni Imana placed third in 2:25:58.
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