Abu Dhabi: Kenya’s Rueben Kipyego and Vivian Kiplagat secured emphatic victories in the second ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon on Friday.
The event attracted over 16,500 professional and novice runners who took part in the event run across four race categories — 42k, 10k, 5k and 2.5k — and were able to take in the capital’s iconic landmarks including Emirates Heritage Village and Qasr Al Hosn. In a special awards ceremony held outside the headquarters of the marathon’s title sponsors, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the event’s trophies were presented to first, second and third place male and female finishers in the 42k, 10k and wheelchair races. All participants who took part also received a congratulatory medal.
Kipyego, the 23-year-old Kenyan, made marathon history, starting as the pacemaker to take first place in a time of 2:04:40, smashing his personal best set earlier in the year at the Buenos Aires Marathon by 38 seconds. He was followed one minute and 41 seconds later by fellow Kenyan Joel Kimurer who also broke his personal best by well over a minute with a time of 2:06:21. The third place award went to Ethiopia’s Fikadu Teferi Girma who secured a time of 2:09:16.
Vivian Kiplagat stormed to victory in a time of 2:21:11, setting another new personal best, shaving over a minute off the time set in her victory at the Milano Marathon earlier this year. She was followed two minutes 52 seconds later by Ethiopia’s Wude Yimer Ayalew who crossed the line in 2:24:03. The marathon’s third place award went to Ethiopia’s Yeshi Chekole Kalaya, who secured a time of 2:24:28.
Ethiopians Teresa Nyakola Gela and Sintayehu Tilahun Getahun were victorious in the male and female 10k race with times of 28:05 and 32:47, respectively, followed by second-placed male and female finishers, Andrew Kwemoi and Joselyn Brea and third place finishers Noaman Elassaoui and Zenash Bekele Mamo.
