Marathon dominated by Kenyan runners

The 33rd Macau International Marathon commenced and concluded yesterday morning, with Kenyan athletes sweeping the board in both the men’s and women’s races at the 42.195-km course.
The male champion of the last Macau Marathon, Julius Kiplimo Maisei, retained his title with a time of 2 hours 14 minutes and 45 seconds. He was 2 seconds faster than his compatriot Dominic Kangor Kimwetich to pass the finish line. Talking to the media, Maisei said that he would return for the next Macau Marathon, striving for three consecutive wins.
Another Kenyan, Duncan Cheruiyot Koech, was hot on his heels at 2:14:48 and was followed by another five Kenyan runners. Moreover, Macau runner Chan Chong Ip and Lau Kwong Man from Hong Kong took 14th and 15th place respectively.
In the women’s event, Flomena Chepchirchir Chumba set the winning pace at 2:33:24 before her Kenyan teammate Hellen Wanjiku Mugo. China’s runner Gong Li Hua took bronze in 2:33:41, and Hoi Long from Macau ranked in 10th place.
The female champion of the Half Marathon was also won by a Kenyan athlete, Edinah Jeruto Koech, in 1:20:50; whereas the male Half Marathon champion was Portugal’s Daniel Vieira Pinheiro with 1:07:43.
Macau runners Iao Kuan Un and Wu Yangyang respectively won the Half Marathon’s Macau Male and Macau Female categories, coming in at 5th and 4th places in the General categories. BY