Kenya’s Philemon Rono successfully defended his Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon title on Sunday while giving organisers of this IAAF Gold Label road race something they had coveted for the past three years: a Canadian all-comers’ record.
The diminutive Kenyan crossed the finish line in 2:06:52, a two-second improvement on the record set by Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay three years ago in Ottawa. In addition to the $25,000 first place prize money, Rono will return to his training base in Kaptagat with US$39585 for the record.
Dickson Chumba came home second in 2:09.11 with Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa of Ethiopia finishing third in 2:11:27.
With temperatures about of about 11C at the start and a slight breeze coming in off Lake Ontario, the pace was furious from the beginning—29:29 at 10km and then 1:02:35 at the half-way point. Three assigned pacemakers were charged with the responsibility of delivering the favoured athletes to at least the course record (formerly held by Ethiopia’s Derissa Chimsa at 2:07:05), but after 25km, the pacemakers were all gone. Shortly after this point, Dickson Chumba, the 2015 Chicago and 2014 Tokyo champion, went to the front with only Rono for company.
To many observers, it looked as though Chumba was running according to form and his compatriot was assumed to be headed for trouble. But at 30km, Rono surged and opened up a gap which grew to a winning margin of more than two minutes by the finish. Rono was delighted with the victory.
“There will be a celebration because this is an achievement. When you get an achievement you celebrate. I will celebrate when I arrive at home with the team.”
Chumba, who ran 2:06:25 in Tokyo earlier this year, complained of a tight hamstring.
“From 30km on, I had a hurt hamstring,” he said. “The race is not easy. From 10k to 21k is easy; from 25 to 40km it is not easy. The course is very difficult. Rono knows the roads and he was telling me about last year and how he knows the course.”
In the women’s category, Ruth Jebet came home third in 2:30:02. Ethiopa’s Marta Megra Lemu carried the day in 2:28:20 while compatriot Stume Assefa (2:29:26) was second.