Emmanuel Saina Kipkemboi celebrates his win at the 34th edition of the Buenos Aires Marathon in 2018. Photo via The Star
The 2018 Buenos Aires Marathon champion Emmanuel Saina won the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii on Sunday to mark the return of the race, which failed to take off last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Saina timed 2:14:32 to cut the tape ahead of his closest challenger, American John Benner who clocked 2:35:33 in second.
"I am looking forward to coming back here next year to compete again and maybe improve on my time. Now that I am more familiar with the course, I will try my best to beat the course record," Saina said.
Saina is the 24th Kenyan to win America's fourth-largest marathon in the last 25 years.
In the Bahraini Half Marathon, the 2020 Prague Half Marathon runner-up Philemon Kiplimo led 1-5 finish for Kenya.
Kiplimo timed 1:00:01, ahead of fellow countrymen Collins Koros (1:00:02) and Mathew Kimeli (1:00:04) in second and third, respectively.
The 2008 World Junior 10,000m silver medalist, Titus Mbishei and Geoffrey Koech rounded off the top five places in 1:00:23 and 1:00:24, respectively.
At the Malaga Marathon, the 2016 Frankfurt Marathon champion Mark Korir timed 2:07:39 to run away with top honours as compatriot, 2015 Udine Half Marathon champion Solomon Kirwa Yego finished third in 2:08:43. Eritrean Nguse Amlosom came second in 2:08:23.
It was the same script at the Course de Noël de Sion 7km race in Switzerland, where Boniface Kibiwott clocked 19:24 to edge ahead of Eritrean Abraham Tadese (19:48) and South Sudanese Dominic Lokinyomo (19:49) in second and third respectively.
Likewise, it was a Kenyan affair in the women's 5km category as Feliciana Jepkosgei and Sammary Cherotich clinched first and third respectively.
Jepkosgei, who won the Kapsowar 10km Charity Run in October, timed 15:26, ahead of Ethiopian Helen Bekele (15:31) and Cherotich (15:49).
Khobar Half Marathon champion Rhonzas Kilimo finished second at the Guadalajara Marathon, clocking 2:13:34 behind Ethiopian Derara Desalegn. The 2015 Taroudant 10 km champion Kiplimo Mitei finished third in 2:14:55.
Similarly, in the women's race, the 2018 Barcelona Marathon Ruth Chebitok clocked 2:32:00 to finish second behind Ugandan Linet Chebet who timed 2:29:44. Ethiopian Negede Fekade came third in 2:32:15. - OMONDI ONYATTA, The Star
