There was an Ethiopian double triumph at the 19th edition of the International Marrakech marathon which was held today, Sunday (27). The race attracted 7000 runners, with 2200 foreigners from all over the globe.
Siyoum Debele Lemma won the men’s race in 2:10:48, while his compatriot Yeshi Esayias took the women’s race honours in 2:35:40. There was even greater success for the African distance running super power as Esayias’ compatriot Kebede Addis Asrat was the women’s runner-up, if a very distant one (2:48:14).
Debele’s triumph was taken ahead of the defending champion Kenyan Sammy Chumba, who finished in 2:10:56 and the Moroccan Adil Annani (2:11:05).
The men’s and women’s race records have been held respectively since 1999 (Abdelkader Mouaziz MAR 2:08:15), and 1994 (Adriana Barbu ROU 2:29:21).
There was a clean sweep for Kenya in the men’s Half Marathon with the first three places going to them led home by Allan Ndiwa (61:22). Bahrain’s Kareema Yassim was the women’s winner (1:13:33).
Mohammed Benchrif for the IAAF
RESULTS
Marathon
MEN
1- Siyoum Debele Lemma ETH 2:10:48
2- Sammy Chumba KEN 2:10:56
3- Adil Annani MAR 2:11:05
4- Simon Kariuki Njoroje KEN 2:11:34 .
5- Hakim Radouan MAR 2:12:31
6- Ben Kimwlde KEN 2:15:05.
7- Vicente Labrador Ramos ESP 2:15:38.
8- Mohamed Sahib MAR 2:15:38 (same as 7th).
WOMEN
1- Yeshi Esayias ETH 2:35:40.
2- Kebede Addis Asrat ETH 2:48:14.
3- Yepyator Real KEN 2:49:28.
4- Rita Del Bene ITA 2:50:05.
5- Béatrice Serafini ITA 2:50:06.
Half Marathon
MEN
1- Allan Ndiwa KEN 61:22.
2- Mark Tanui KEN 61:25
3- Sammy Kibet KEN 61:48.
4- Ruben Indongo NAM 62:00.
5- Philemon Terer KEN 62:14.
WOMEN
1- Kareema Yassim BRN 1:13:03.
2- Florence Chepkerui KEN 1:13:33.
3- Bouchra Sahli MAR 1:14:03.
4- Samira Raif MAR 1:15:21.
5- Pauline Gituga KEN 1:15 :31.
