Taoufik Allam flies to victory in Rome Marathon

News from an Italian classic plus results from Lille where there was a British best and near world record in the 5km

Acea Run Rome The Marathon, Italy, March 19

The Rome Marathon got off to a flying start on Sunday with an iconic passage of Italian acrobatic team “Frecce Tricolori”, Alberto Stretti reports.

Following this, around 13,000 athletes tackled the course on the streets of Rome. The men passed through halfway in 63:24 but the battle began after 30km with Taoufik Allam of Morocco and Wilfred Kigen of Kenya duelling until 35km when the Moroccan pulled away.

Last year the 33-year-old Allam won the Dublin Marathon and here in Rome he took victory by just over a minute in 2:07:43.

Nekagenet Crippa in 2:12:10 was first Italian in sixth place.

The women passed halfway in 71:03 and looked to be an Ethiopian affair but Betty Chepkwony of Kenya closed the gap on the leaders and then kicked away to finish in 2:23:02 as Amid Jemal of Ethiopia was runner-up two minutes behind.

Men: Mar: 1 Taoufik Allam MAR 2:07:43; 2 Wilfred Kirwa Kigen KEN 2:08:45; 3 Rogers Keror KEN 2:10:50; 4 Felix Kirui KEN 2:11:13; 5 Berhanu Heye ETH 2:11:51; 6 Nekagenet Crippa 2:12:11; 7 Sisay Fekadu ETH 2:15:42; 19 Tom Fairbrother GBR 2:31:13 25 Ben Goddard GBR 2:34:36

Women: Mar: 1 Betty Chepkwony KEN 2:23:02; 2 Amid Jemal ETH 2:25:09; 3 Zinash Debebe ETH 2:25:59; 4 Jemila Wortesa ETH 2:28:01; 5 Mulugojam Ambi ETH 2:29:25

Betty Chepkwony (Getty)

Lille, France, March 19

Yomif Kejelcha just missed the world 5km record with his 12:50 falling a second short of the world record.

Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot was second in 13:04 while Sam Atkin set a British best of 13:16 in sixth to be top European.

Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga won the women’s race in a fast 14:35 from Ethiopia’s Mekides Bekele who was credited with the same time.

For a fuller report on the 5km click here

Sam Atkin and Yomif Kejelcha

The 10km races were headed by Gemechu Dida (27:12) and Kenya’s Dorcas Kimeli (30:48).

Patrick Mosin won the half-marathon in 59:31 from fellow Kenyans Alfred Barkach (59:32) and Solomon Kipchoge (59:37) while former world cross country champion Emily Chebet continued her comeback from a doping ban with a victory in 67:52.

Men: 5km: 1 Yomif Kejelcha ETH 12:50 (rec); 2 Raynold Kipkorir KEN 13:04; 3 Telahun Haile ETH 13:07; 4 Jacob Krop KEN 13:13; 5 Tesfaye Kidanu ETH 13:14; 6 Sam Atkin GBR 13:16; 7 Justin Kipkoech KEN 13:22; 8 Rogers Kibet UGA 13:30; 9 Yasin Haji ETH 13:38; 10 Abraham Seme…