•Chebet sets South American All comers record in the event
• Rodah Tanui wins women's category
Image: courtesy
Evans Chebet led a Kenyan podium sweep in the Buenos Aires Marathon on Sunday.
Chebet clocked 2:05:02 to break the South American all-comers’ record in the process at the IAAF Bronze Label road race. Reuben Kipyego finished second in 2:05:19 as Daniel Kibet rounded off the podium positions in 2:06:52.
Chebet was joined by compatriots Daniel Kibet, Allan Kiprono and Reuben Kipyego through the first half, which was covered in a swift 1:02:13, suggesting that the course record of 2:05:21, set last year, was under threat.
Kiprono was the first of the Kenyan quartet to drop off the pace and by 30km, it was down to just Chebet and Kipyego. Although Chebet’s pace slowed slightly in the second half, he was able to detach himself from Kipyego with 34km covered and went on to win in 2:05:02, taking 28 seconds off his personal best, which he set in Valencia two years ago.
In the women's category, Rodah Tanui took almost five minutes off the women’s course record to win in 2:25:46. Having been joined by Ethiopia’s Mulu Demissie for the first half, Tanui broke away fro Demissie finished second in 2:30:33 while Faith Chemaoi placed third in 2:32:52.
Elsewhere, a week after setting a big PB at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, Kenya’s Evaline Chirchir won the Dam to Damloop on Sunday, finishing just one second shy of the long-standing course record at the IAAF Silver Label road race.
Chirchir reached the finish line in Zaandam in 50:32, three seconds ahead of Irene Cheptai. Dagnechew Selamawit of Israel was third in 50:48.
Chirchir narrowly missed out on breaking the 50:31 course record set back in 1987 by Norwegian distance legend Ingrid Kristiansen.
Chirchir’s winning performance is the third-fastest time ever recorded by a woman over 10 miles, but the point-to-point course means times aren’t record-eligible.
Halfway through the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Solomon Berihu, Kenya’s John Langat and Uganda’s Joel Ayeko detached themselves from the rest of the lead pack.
Berihu accelerated at 12km and broke away from Langat and Ayeko. In the hunt to be the overall first finisher, Berihu wasn’t close to catching Chirchir, who finished 1:21 ahead of the Ethiopian, but he was a comfortable winner of the men’s title in 45:49.
Langat was second in 46:20 and Ayeko third in 46:40. The bonuses for the first three overall finishers went to the top three women.