Kenya's Stephen Muange, Ethiopia's Hirut Mandefro win at 3M Half Marathon

The 3M Half Marathon turned into a contest between the distance running superpowers of Kenya and Ethiopia, with a runner from each country taking a share of the glory on Sunday.

Kenya's Stephen Muange held off Ethiopia's Girma Tolla to top the men's field in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 14 seconds. On the women's side, Hirut Mandefro of Ethiopia defended her title, finishing in 1:15:27, six seconds ahead of Russia's Sventlana Demidenko .

The top American runners were notably absent, most competing in the USA Half Marathon national championships held Saturday in Houston.

Muange and Mandefro each pocketed $1,500 by winning the 13.1-mile race, which drew 5,750 entrants, making it the largest 3M field in the event's 17-year history. Tolla and Demidenko each earned $1,000 for placing second.

"There was a lot of humidity," said Mandefro, who trains in Flagstaff, Ariz., at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet. "I had to work hard today to win."

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