Chepkirui, Muteti rule Vienna City as Kotut clinches Hamburg title

Kenyan runners extended their dominance on the roads with superlative displays at the Vienna City and Hamburg marathons on Sunday.

Cosmas Muteti and Vibian Chepkirui clinched the men and women’s titles during the 39th edition Vienna City Marathon while Cyprian Kotut won the men's title at the Hamburg Marathon.

It was pure delight for Chepkirui as successfully defended her title with a course record of 2:20:59, thwarting a threat from compatriot Ruth Chebitok, who clocked 2:21:03 for second. Sheila Jerotich closed a Kenyan clean sweep in 2:23:01.

The medallists were together with around one kilometre to go, when Chepkirui broke off and built an unassailable lead to win her second title in the Austrian capital.

Soboka Urge of Ethiopia (02:27:13), Caroline Kilel (02:29:29), Viola Yator (02:30:40) and marathon debutant Teresia Omosa (02:31:44) closed out the top sen positions.

In the men’s category, Muteti clocked the second-fastest time at the Vienna City Marathon and, by coincidence, the 50th sub-2:10 time in the history of the race. 

Muteti clocked 2:06:53 with compatriot Leonard Langat (2:06:59) and Eritrea's Ogbe Kibrom (2:07:25) also claiming podium positions.

Coached by former marathon world record holder, Patrick Makau, Muteti, 30, finished fifth in last year’s Berlin Marathon with a personal best of 2:08:45. He had suffered an injury in the build-up.

“Patrick is a good coach and I have improved under his guidance,“ said Muteti.

To complete the top ten list were Kenyans Charles Ndema (02:08:32), Raymond Choge (02:08:32), Edwin Soi (02:09:10), Noah Kipkemoi (02:09:55), Kipyatich Abraham (02:10:51) and Mike Chesire (02:11:32).

Meanwhile, Kotut clocked 2:04:47 to beat Uganda’s Stephen Kissa at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany.

All the top four runners were under the previous men’s course record of 2:05:30, set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2013.

Kotut and Kissa had broken away from a six-strong group that passed 35km in 1:43:38, and so began their fierce battle for the finish. They were together through 40km in 1:58:18 and with two hours on the clock, Kissa kicked, looking for a win on his marathon debut, but his rival responded.

It was Kotut, last year’s Florence Marathon winner and a training partner of last Monday's Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet, who had the stronger finish, edging Kissa at the end — 2:04:47 to 2:04:48.

It was a PB for Kotut, improving on his previous best of 2:07:11 from 2016, while Kissa was rewarded with a Ugandan national record on his debut.

Joining them under the previous course record were Ethiopia's Workineh Tadesse, with a 2:05:07 personal best, and Uganda's Victor Kiplangat, who also clocked a PB of 2:05:09.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw, 22, made history in Hamburg, running 2:17:23 for the fastest ever women’s marathon debut.

She led an Ethiopian top three, with Fikrte Wereta and Bone Cheluke clocking respective times of 2:26:15 and 2:26:23, also on their marathon debuts.