Report23 Apr 2017


Barmao and Dahmani prevail at Lodz Marathon

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Samson Barmao wins the Lodz Marathon (© Sportografia.pl / organisers)

Running his first race for more than two years, Kenya’s Samson Barmao won the Lodz Marathon while Algeria’s Kenza Dahmani set a personal best to win the women’s title at the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on a cold Sunday (23).

Barmao was joined by fellow Kenyan Jafred Kipchumba and Ethiopian trio Asmare Workneh, Wosen Demse and Abdisa Bedada in the early stages, passing 10km in 31:17 and half way in 1:06:17.

The five men were still together at 30km, which was reached in 1:34:59, but Barmao pulled away after 35 kilometres and went on to win in 2:14:19. Workneh was a distant second in 2:15:08 while pre-race favourite Kipchumba, a 2:05:48 performer at his best, was third in 2:16:29.

The women’s race set off at the same time as the men’s race. Dahmani, who represented Algeria at last year’s Olympics and this year’s World Cross Country Championships, set off alongside Poland’s Agnieszka Mierzejewska, who finished runner-up in Lodz in 2015 and 2016. But an achilles injury meant that Mierzejewska was forced to withdraw from the competition before reaching the 10th mile.

Dahmani was left with a trio of Ethiopians for company – Amelework Fikadu, Tigist Bilto and Sifan Demise – and they passed half way in 1:15:41. They stayed together for another 10 kilometres or so, passing 30km in 1:48:42, but Dahmani made a move a few kilometres later and left her rivals trailing.

The 36-year-old crossed the line in 2:33:21, taking 32 seconds off her PB. Fikadu crossed the line 64 seconds later, while Bilto was third in 2:34:37.

Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

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