Shanghai champion takes Sydney Marathon

English>>Sports

Editor's Pick

Shanghai champion takes Sydney Marathon

By Christian Edwards (Xinhua) 10:50, September 23, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

Impressive Kenyan Willy Koitile has powered home to win the 2013 Sydney Marathon Sunday.

The Shanghai marathon winner was followed at various speeds by more than 34,000 people - who ran, walked and stumbled across the Sydney Harbor Bridge to finish lines at the iconic Opera House in the 13th Sydney Running Festival.

A typically sunny Sydney day greeted runners from 57 countries and regions as they weaved their way over four separate courses in the race that famously closes traffic to the Sydney Harbor Bridge, simultaneously aiming to raise more than 2 million Australian dollars for charities in the process

In winning his second career marathon title after his 2011 Shanghai effort, Koitile (two hours 13 minutes and 48 seconds), beat El Hassane Ben Lkhainouch of France (2:14:28), with South African Lucky Mohale snaring third in 2:15:58.

Koitile was simply too strong for his rivals in the closing stages, putting 30 seconds on Lkhainouch and almost a minute on Mohale between the 35 and 40km marks.

The victory was the second of Koitile's career after his breakthrough performance to claim the 2011 Shanghai Marathon, a title he will try to reclaim later this year.

The 27-year-old from the western Kenyan town of Eldoret said he enjoyed the picturesque route around Sydney.

"The course is beautiful, very fast but it was humid today," Koitile said.

"When I came from Kenya I was so very comfortable to be able to come and win this race."

Koitile also declared he would return to the Sydney Marathon in 2014 and attempt to break the event record.

"This race was really part of my preparation because I want to be able to come back next year to be able to remove the course record," said Koitile.

The women's event was won by Ethiopian Biruktait Degefa who clocked a sizzling 2:32:46 to slash almost six minutes from the race record of 2:38:11 set in 2001 by Australian Krishna Stanton.

Degefa's compatriot Workitu Ayanu Gurma posted a time of 2:33:20 - also well under the former race record - with Kenya's Irene Mogaka third in 2:38:20.

Degefa said she was delighted with both the victory and her time.

"I am very happy, I knew what the time was for the record and I wanted to be extra fast to get it," Degefa said.

"I will be back next year to run faster."

Illustrating the incredibly strong standard of women's field this year, defending champion Mitsuko Hirose could only manage fifth.

Yoshihiro Nishizawa of Japan and Laura James took out the respective men's and women's 2013 Blackmores Half Marathon, both cruising to victory in the day's first event.

Wheelchair racing legend Kurt Fearnley won his ninth Blackmores Sydney Running Festival title and fifth straight marathon crown.

Fearnley said he would return to the event in 2014 in a bid to claim the 10th title.

"I'm still buzzing from last night. I was driving back and I had to listen to it on the radio. I was with some family out near Bathurst and listening to it on the radio the whole way I was screaming in my car. They're a good bunch of guys and they're going to fight bloody hard next week too," said Fearnley.

"I'll be back next year and the year after and the year after and the year after. This is home."

The Festival Event Director Wayne Larden said the event was a resounding success.

"The conditions were just about perfect and the perfect footage of Sydney broadcast around Australia and internationally live this morning will be seen by millions. I expect entry numbers in the event and in particular the marathon to grow substantially in future years," he told Xinhua.

Larden said a record number of entrants in the Blackmores Sydney Marathon, more than 4000, reflected the growing popularity of the Sydney running festival.

The Blackmores Sydney Marathon also doubled as the Australia Marathon Championships with Turramurra's Alexander Matthews (2:25:32, eighth overall) winning the men's title and Currumbin Waters' athlete Sharon Ryder (3:01:43, sixth overall) taking the women's crown.