Records fall as Kenyans dominate Sunday races

On a busy Sunday where Kenyans lined up for various marathons across the world, 29-year-old Edwin Kiptoo ran a tactical race at the Leiden Marathon in Netherlands to set a new course record.

The Leiden Marathon starts in the heart of ancient Leiden, a 900 years old city of Rembrandt, and takes you on a sightseeing trip through nine beautiful villages with the traditional polders, windmills and curious cows staring at you while you run through.

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Kiptoo, who won the race, famous for its picturesque course that combines the best of the city landscapes and the green countryside in the Green Heart, in 2:12.45 led compatriot Onesmus Kiplimo to the podium in third place with a new personal best (PB) of 2:13.10 as Tanzania’s Henry Kichana bagged a PB of his own in 2:12.54 for second place in an East African show of dominance.

As if reading from the men’s race script, Mildred Chepkemei took full advantage of the flat and fast course and lowered her PB to 2:32.47 to break the women’s course record in the process as Ugandan Linet Tororitich came home second in 2:32.52. Gladys Chemutai clocked 2:36.32 for bronze and a Kenyan 1-3.

Another record fell thanks to another Kenyan when Fredrick Kibii dominated the Route Du Louvre marathon lowering his PB by four seconds to set a new course record in 2:08:05. Kibii had run his previous PB in March when he finished third in Hannover.

Ethiopian Tafa Dekeba settled for silver in 2:08:18, a PB as Kenya’s Abdnego Cheruiyot completed the podium places on 2:08:40 (PB) as the performances saw the race earn the ‘fourth fastest course in France’ tag, following Paris, Reims and La Rochelle.

In the women’s race Daisy Langat settled for silver in 2:46.24 in a race won by Marie Bouchard in 02:42.54. Dorothée Thuillier was third in 2:57.51.

In Copenhagen, it was a Kenyan podium sweep in the men’s marathon with Solomon Kirwa Yego winning in 2:09:12 ahead of Kenneth Keter (2:09:41) and Edwin Kiptoo (2:09:51).

The women’s race was a Kenyan 1-2 with Rodah Chepkorir Tanui leading the performance with a new course record and PB in 2:23:14 to finish ahead of compatriot and debutant Valentina Mateiko who timed 2:25:05 in her first marathon. Great Britain’s Phily Bowden was third in a PB of 2:29:16.