SYDNEY — Untouchable Olympic champion Sifan Hassan shattered the course record to surge home first in an historic Sydney Marathon, with Hailemaryam Kiros matching her feat in the men’s race.
Run for the first time as one of the elite World Marathon Majors, Hassan was utterly dominant, clocking a blistering 2hrs 18min 22sec ahead of Kenya’s former world record holder Brigid Kosgei (2:18.56)
Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa Gurmesa, who came third, won the race last year in a then-record time, but Dutch multi-distance superstar Hassan obliterated it by more than three minutes.
Hassan, who will skip September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after opting to prioritise Sydney, admitted she almost misjudged her race.
“I pushed too hard and I learnt a lesson,” said the Ethiopian-born 32-year-old who has also won majors at London and Chicago. “I was so done the last 10k.
“It’s amazing, I’m really grateful,” she added according to AFP. “I’m so happy to win with a course record. It’s history, it’s the first major marathon (in Sydney) and I’m the first winner.”
The women’s race narrowed down to just five leaders early on before Hassan opened a commanding 40-second gap as she came through 35km before holding on to sprint home.
Kiros also produced a new record time, crossing the finish line at the Sydney Opera House in 2:06.06, 10 seconds clear of fellow Ethiopian Addisu Gobena, a star of the future aged just 20.
Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana was third. Asked if he expected to break the course record, Kiros said: “Yes, because I prepared well.”
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, arguably the greatest men’s marathon runner of all time, failed in his bid to clinch a 12th marathon major, finishing ninth.
The 40-year-old was with the large lead group at halfway as they set a sizzling pace, but was dropped as the runners approached the 32km mark.
Kiros and Gobena led a seven-man breakaway before the pair opened up a gap between the chasing pack and couldn’t be caught.
Kiros made his move within one kilometre of the finish line to shave more than 10 seconds off the previous record set last year by Kenya’s Brimin Misoi.
Despite being off the pace, Kipchoge received the biggest cheer when he crossed the finish line.
Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race and American Susannah Scaroni the women’s.
Around 35.000 runners, a record, competed over the picturesque 42.19-kilometre course through the city from North Sydney, over the Harbour Bridge to the finish line on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.
The race was elevated this year as the seventh World Marathon Majors, putting it on a par with London, Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York in the elite global series.
Elsewhere, Olympic 100m champions Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred will arrive at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 13 full of momentum after impressive victories at the Diamond League finals.
The pair headlined a glittering race of athletics at a sold-out Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, where 25,000 fans witnessed some of the sport’s biggest stars rise to the occasion.
Lyles powered through the final stretch to edge Botswanan rival Letsile Tebogo in the men’s 200m, clocking 19.74 seconds to claim a record sixth Diamond League title over the distance.
“Another record in the list. It is pretty nice to have that,” said Lyles.
“The most important is getting wins. I know if I panicked, I was not going to win. If you are tight you are done for,” Lyles added.
Lyles said he would head to Tokyo “with a lot of energy. I will use that to my advantage”.
Alfred had earlier clocked 10.76sec for her win over 100m ahead of Jamaica’s Tia Clayton (10.84) in what was the perfect tonic before departing to the September 13-21 world championships in Tokyo.
“I feel like I want to add another gold in my collection,” she said. “I am much fitter than before and also mentally, I am on the right place where I want to be.”
Twenty-six Diamond League champions were unveiled at the Letzigrund Stadium as quality oozed through at every turn as athletes fine-tuned preparations for the Tokyo worlds.
