Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes dominated the professional races in the Eurasia Marathon in Istanbul Sunday, with thousands of amateur athletes also running the world’s only intercontinental course.
Kenya’s Vincent Kiplagat won the men’s competition, while Ethiopians swept the medals in the women’s in the 32nd annual running of the marathon.
Kiplagat won the gold medal in two hours, 10 minutes and 39 seconds, finishing 74 seconds faster than Dereje Yadete Woldegiorgis and about three minutes fasetr than Gitma Assefa of Ethiopia.
Ashu Kasım’s 2.27.25 went down as the track record in the women’s marathon, giving her the gold medal over compatriots Alemitu Abera and Amane Gobena.
Ethiopian Abayneh Ayele Woldegiorgis won the men’s 15-kilometer race, beating Sang Benard Cheruiyot of Kenya and Workinhe Tesfa of Ethiopia.
Emily Chebet of Kenya won the 15-kilometer race over Ethiopia’s Belaynesh Oljira. Turkey’s Meryem Doğan finished third to become the only runner outside Kenya and Ethiopia to claim a medal in the marathon and 15-kilometer races.
Apart from the professionally competed marathon and 15-kilometer races, the traditional fun run of eight-kilometers, was also run Sunday with Alpaslan Baki Ertekin, head of the organizing Spor A.Ş., the sports body run by Istanbul Municipality, reporting “almost 100,000 people registered to participate.”
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