Hillary Kipkogei Yego led a Kenyan sweep of the top four places at the Athens Classic Marathon on Sunday, and countrywoman Nancy Rotich won the women’s race.
Yego completed the hilly course in 2 hours, 13 minutes, 50 seconds – 42 seconds ahead of Dickson Kimeli. David Kipkorir Rutoh was third in 2:14:43.
Rotich won the women’s race in 2:41:32, 24 seconds ahead of Ukraine’s Svitlana Stanko, who was also last year’s runner-up.
Rotich looked back on a hard earned victory but savoured the occasion: “The course is really tough because of all the hills. But the race is special because of its history. Next year I intend to prepare better and try to break the event record.”
The course covers the route said to have been taken by a messenger to announce the Athenians’ victory over a Persian army near the village of Marathon in 490 BC.
More than 11,000 runners from nearly 100 countries competed in the race.
Source: AP
