PARIS— Ethiopia’s Abeje Ayana won the men’s race at the Paris Marathon in his first competitive run over the distance and Kenya’s Helah Kiprop claimed the women’s title.
The 20-year-old Ayana won with a time of two hours, seven minutes and 15 seconds, 20 seconds ahead of compatriot and pre-race favourite Guye Adola with Kenya’s Josphat Boit a further five seconds back in third.
After clocking 59:39 in a half marathon in Poznan, Poland in 2021, Ayana was one of the men to watch on a grey, windy morning in the French capital.
He sped away from a group of four after around 35 kilometres, quickly opening a 20-second gap which he held until the finish line on the Avenue Foch to become the third Ethiopian to win the race in the last four years.
Ayana broke away from Adola with 5 km to go opening a lead of 20 seconds over Adola, Reuters reported.
The young Ethiopian confidently held the lead until the end and broke the tape on Avenue Foch to become the third Ethiopian runner to win the Paris Marathon in the past four editions, following the wins of Abrha Milaw in 2019 and Deso Gelmisa in 2021. Adola, who won the Berlin Marathon in 2021, crossed the finish line in 2:07:35, beating Kenya’s Josphat Boit by five seconds.
In the women’s race, Kiprop crossed the line in two hours, 23 minutes and 19 seconds after a stunning comeback.
The 37-year-old was lagging more than one minute behind the leading group after 25 kilometres but fought back before outsprinting Ethiopian Atalel Anmut to the line.
Fikrte Wereta of Ethiopia took third place.
Kiprop won the Tokyo Marathon in 2016 in her lifetime best of 2:21:37 and the world silver medal in Beijing in 2015.
Kenya has won the women’s race in the Paris Marathon eleven times and five of the past seven editions.
The 42.195 km course started from the Champs Elysees before heading through the Bois de Vincennes Park, along the Seine river, looping around the Bois de Boulogne to end in Avenue de Foch.
Elsewhere, Amanal Petros and Matea Parlov Kostro took the ADAC Marathon Hannover, smashing the course records and celebrating their biggest career wins.
In fine weather conditions Germany’s Amanal Petros triumphed with 2:07:02, improving the course best of 2:08:32 set by South Africa’s Lusapho April in 2013 by 90 seconds.
The national record holder missed his PB by just 35 seconds but he is the first German to have run under the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:08:10.
Kenyans Denis Chirchir and Frederick Kibii clocked personal bests of 2:07:17 and 2:08:09 respectively for second and third place.
Croatia’s Matea Parlov Kostro dominated the women’s race and ran a huge personal best of 2:25:45.
The marathon silver medallist from the European Championships in Munich 2022 improved the course record by 30 seconds and was well under the Olympic qualifying time for Paris 2024 (2:26:50). Four years ago Kenya’s Rachel Mutgaa ran 2:26:15 in Hannover.
