(Reuters) – Kenya’s Brimin Misoi and Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia set course records in the men’s and women’s races respectively as the pair secured victory at the Sydney Marathon on Sunday.
Misoi crossed the line in view of the Sydney Opera House in 2 hours 6 minutes 17 seconds to slice 46 seconds off the previous mark set two years ago by compatriot Moses Kibet.
The Kenyan finished 1 minute 44 seconds ahead of second-placed Chalu Deso Gelmisa from Ethiopia with Felix Kiptoo Kirwa, also from Kenya, taking third.
Edesa, meawhile, cut almost three minutes off the old record around the Sydney course established by Stella Barsosio in 2019 as Ethiopians completed a clean sweep of the podium positions.
The 32-year-old, who won the Osaka marathon earlier in the year, finished in 2 hours 21 minutes and 40 seconds, well ahead of compatriots Ruti Aga and Gotytom Gebreslase, both of whom were also under the previous record.
The Sydney marathon takes place with 24,000 runners racing around the Harbour City, the largest field for any edition of the endurance classic held in Australia.
The race is in the second year of an appraisal process that would lead to it joining the Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York marathons in the elite World Marathon Majors from 2025.
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by David Gregorio)
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