Olympic champion beats Brigid Kosgei while Hailemaryam Kiros takes men’s victory in 2:06:06 as Eliud Kipchoge is ninth
Sifan Hassan and Hailemaryam Kiros ran the fastest times ever seen in Australia to win the TCS Sydney Marathon on Sunday (Aug 31) as the race joined the World Marathon Majors series for the first time.
Hassan clocked 2:18:22 in the women’s race while Kiros ran 2:06:06 to be first man home. It was not Eliud Kipchoge’s day, though, as the Kenyan legend wound up ninth on this undulating course in 2:08:31.
Kiros, 28, won by 10 seconds from fellow Ethiopian Addisu Gobena with Tebello Ramakongoana of Lesotho third.
Dutch runner Hassan, 32, won by 34 seconds from Kenya’s former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei with Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia third in 2:22:05.
“The last five kilometres, I’m dead,” Hassan said. “It’s the first major marathon in Australia, in Sydney, and I’m the first one to win, so it’s big history for me.
“I felt so good in the first few 5kms and I think I pushed too hard. I pushed really hard the last 10km. I was like, ‘That’s not really smart. I’m going to pay the price’, but I feel I got away with it. I’m so grateful.”
Kipchoge, who turns 41 in November, fell back from the lead group after 30km and said: “I’m happy to go across the finish line. I have nothing to prove.”
Leanne Pompeani was first Australian woman home in seventh in 2:24:47 with Jess Stenson and Lisa Weightman in eighth and ninth. Haftu Strintzos was the leading Australian man in 14th in 2:11:27.
On what was overall a slightly downhill course and ineligible for record purposes, Marcel Hug clocked 87:15 to win the men’s wheelchair race as Susannah Scaroni took the women’s win in 1:45:52.
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