Akilu Gebremariam Asfaw
African runners dominated the Macao International 10K event held yesterday morning.
In the men’s race, Ethiopian Akilu Gebremariam Asfaw crossed the finish line first after a final sprint with Kenya’s Ezekiel Letaya.
Asfaw completed the distance in 28 minutes and 47 seconds, just one second ahead of Letaya.
Third place went to another Kenyan, Martin Gachie Ndungu, with a time of 29 minutes. Ndungu was also the first non-invited athlete to finish.
The first non-African in the men’s race was Dawit Fikadu from Bahrain, who finished eighth.
The first local runner was Samuel Ip, placing 13th with a personal best of 33 minutes and 20 seconds.
Once again, China’s invited athletes failed to deliver strong results, with the first among them, Zheng Siwei, finishing 32nd in 37 minutes and 34 seconds, behind nine local runners.
A total of 3,974 runners completed the 10K race in the men’s group.
Among the women, Africans continued their dominance, with Fridah Ndinda from Kenya the first to cross the finish line.
Ndinda covered the 10-kilometer distance in 32 minutes and 21 seconds. Like the men’s race, she contested the final meters with compatriot Cintia Chepngeno, who finished one second behind.
Third place went to another Kenyan, Clare Ndiwa (32:31).
In fact, all the top five finishers in the women’s group were from Kenya, with sixth place going to Ethiopian Emebet Getawy Beyene, who won Macau’s half-marathon in 2024.
Fridah Ndinda
The first non-African in the women’s race was Lea Chvalovska from Hong Kong, finishing in 38 minutes and 47 seconds.
Among local runners, the first was Hoi Long, 10th overall (38:49), followed by Chao Kin I (11th), completing the distance just seven seconds later.
Among invited runners from the mainland, the first was Wang Yanxiang, who finished 15th in 42 minutes and 14 seconds, almost 10 minutes behind the winner.
A total of 1,825 runners completed the 10K in the women’s group.
Locals shine in ‘Fun Run’
In the shorter-distance race, called the “Fun Run,” local runners topped the podium in both the men’s and women’s groups.
In the men’s group, Leong Chin Hei was fastest with 20 minutes and 45 seconds, followed by Chan Chan Kit (20:51) and Ho Chi In (20:54).
Among the women, the first was Wong Cheok Fei (26:37), followed by Cheong I Man (26:39) and Lam Chi Cheng (27:21).
A total of 2,188 runners completed the Fun Run, including 1,152 women and 1,036 men.
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