Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena crosses the end line to win the Sydney Marathon. Photograph: REUTERS
SYDNEY:
Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena and Kenyan world champion Peres surged to commanding wins Sunday within the males’s and girls’s races respectively on the Sydney Marathon.
Victory was the primary in a World Marathon Main for 21-year-old Gobena, who got here second final yr, whereas Jepchirchir added to her earlier triumphs in Boston, New York and London.
Gobena made his transfer within the final kilometre to energy dwelling 4 seconds away from compatriot Chimdessa Debele Gudeta in 2hrs 04min 42sec. Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana got here third.
The dominant run shattered the course report by nearly one-and-half minutes, with final yr’s winner Hailemaryam Kiros dropping from the tempo within the dying phases.
“I’m very pleased,” stated Gobena, who was a javelin thrower earlier than transitioning to long-distance working, gaining worldwide consideration by successful the 2024 Dubai Marathon.
“Final yr I got here second, I learnt from my mistake, and I went again dwelling and I labored on my mistake to carry out and break the report at the moment.”
The unstoppable Jepchirchir was in a league of her personal, crossing the end line in entrance of the Sydney Opera Home in 2:18:31, practically 4 minutes forward of fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai and Ethiopia’s Shure Demise Ware.
“I used to be ready, however I used to be unsure after I got here right here if I might win, so I am so glad and I am so pleased,” stated Jepchirchir.
“It was so hilly. First half (of the race) was so powerful, however the second was higher not less than. But it surely was not straightforward.”
Within the males’s race, the main pack had thinned to fifteen by the midway mark, with Gobena, world champion Alphonce Simbu and Kiros amongst them.
Dawit Wolde, Vincent Ngetich and Gobena all tried breakaways, however they had been reeled in by a pack lowered to seven with six kilometres left.
It was nonetheless the identical group on the 40 kilometre mark earlier than Gobena and Gudeta made their transfer, pulling clear with Gobena outkicking his countryman within the ultimate dash.
Kenya’s Priscah Cherono went out laborious among the many girls, opening a 20-second hole by 15 kilometres and 30 seconds by midway.
However the lead chasers, down to only Jepchirchir and Cheptai, caught the 46-year-old Kenyan simply earlier than 30 kilometres.
Jepchirchir and Cheptai eased clear and the relentless world champion then put her foot to the ground, ending 9 seconds off the course report set by Olympic champion Sifan Hassan in 2025.
American Daniel Romanchuk received the lads’s wheelchair race, whereas Switzerland’s Manuela Schar, a three-time Paralympic gold medal winner, took out the ladies’s.
Round 40,000 runners, a report, competed over the picturesque 42.19 kilometre course by town from North Sydney, over the Harbour Bridge to the end line on the forecourt of the Opera Home.
The race was elevated final yr to the seventh World Marathon Main, placing it on a par with London, Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York within the elite international collection.