Kenyans set new marathon course records abroad

Kenyans Matthew Kisorio and Daniel Kipkorir Kibet swept to course record victories in Beijing and Istanbul international marathons in China and Turkey respectively on Sunday.

In the other Chinese City of Hangzhou, Kenya’s Agnes Barsosio also won the Hangzhou International Marathon, missing the course record by 10 seconds.

After failing to finish Mexico City Marathon in February this year, Kisorio made amends with a comprehensive victory in 2 hours, 07 minutes and 06 seconds to break the men's course record in the Chinese capital.

The 30-year-old Kisorio led alone in the last 10 kilometres of the rainy race and cut 10 seconds off the 2:07:16 course record that was set in 2013 set by Ethiopian Tadese Tola. It was Kisorio's third career best time over the distance.

Kisorio edged out compatriot Solomon Kirwa Yego to second place in 2:09:45 as Emmanuel Rutto Naibei clocked 2:10:15 for a Kenyan podium sweep.

Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede grabbed the women's title with a time of 2:23:31 with home athlete Li Zhixuan coming in second with 2:29:06 while Mulu Seboka Seyfu of Ethiopia was third in 2:29:09.

This year’s Beijing Marathon that attracted 30,000 runners, started from Tian'anmen Square and ran through the west and north parts of Beijing City, towards the finish line at Celebration Square in the central area of Scenic Boulevard in the Beijing Olympic Park.

In Istanbul, Kibet shaved off the previous record by 13 seconds when winning Istanbul Marathon in 2:09:44, beating Ethiopia’s Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun to second place in 2:09:57 as another Kenyan Peter Kwemoi claimed third place in 2:10:09.

Ethiopians Hirut Tibebu and Tigist Abayechew dominated the women’s race to claim first and second positions in 2:23:40 and 2:24:15 respectively in the absence of defending champion Kenya’s Ruth Chepng'etich, who won the race in 2017 and 2018.

Chepng’etich is fresh from winning the World marathon tittle in Doha, Qatar.

The best placed Kenyan in Istanbul was Maureen Chepkemoi, who came in third in 2:24:17 followed by fellow Kenyan Angela Tanui in fourth in 2:25:18.

In Hangzhou, Barsosio coasted home in 2:25:20, leading compatriots Alice Jepkemboi Kimutai and Priscila Chepetiy Kipruto in a podium sweep. Barsosio missed Ethiopian Hirut Tibebu’s course record of 2:25:10 set last year.

Barsosio is the only other Kenyan to have won in Hangzhou after Anne Bererwe in 2016. Kimutai and Kipruto came in second and third in 2: 28:14 and 2: 36:55 respectively.

Kenyan-born Marius Kimutai of Bahrain won men’s race in 2:10:05 breaking the previous the previous course record of 2:10:33 set by Ethiopian Azmeraw Bekele in 2017. Kenyans Stanley Kiprotich Bett and Douglas Kimeli Kiprugut came in second and third in 2:10:12 and 2:11:01 respectively.