FILE PHOTO: Athletics – Paris Marathon – Paris, France – October 17, 2021 Kenya’s Elisha Rotich celebrates after winning the elite men’s race and setting a new record REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
October 17, 2021
PARIS (Reuters) -Kenya’s Elisha Rotich won the men’s race and Ethiopia’s Tigist Memuye topped the women’s podium at the Paris Marathon on Sunday.
Rotich set a course record as he crossed the line in two hours four minutes 21 seconds to finish ahead of Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros.
The 31-year-old Kenyan took nearly a minute off his personal best and broke Kenenisa Bekele’s seven-year course record of 2:05:04 as he picked up pace after the 25-kilometre mark.
Kenya’s Hillary Kipsambu came third after slipping two spots in the final stages of the race.
In the women’s race, Memuye ran a time of two hours 26 minutes and 12 seconds after a late surge to seal the biggest win of her career.
Memuye finished about three seconds ahead of Yenenesh Dinkesa with Fantu Jimma third as Ethiopians swept the podium.
The Paris Marathon, featuring 60,000 participants from 145 countries, was initially scheduled for April this year, but was delayed by six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The race was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
