Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo and Ethiopian Sutume Kebede ran fast in perfect conditions to clinch the men’s and women’s titles with new World Best times for standalone events in the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K here on Sunday.
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Each won the winner’s purse of $7,500 and a bonus of $3,000.
Overwhelming favourite Ebenyo, who took silver medals in 10,000m in the Budapest World championships and half-marathon in the Riga World road running championships this year, clocked 1:11:13 to claim his second title in India after his Delhi half-marathon victory two months ago. He set the World Best mark for a standalone 25K race, bettering Dennis Kimeto’s 2012 time of 1:11:18.
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Ebenyo ran back to encourage compatriot Victor Togom, who threw a strong challenge at the halfway stage, to get below the course record of 1:12:49 (by Kenyan Leonard Barsoton) before crying out of joy.
The legendary Eliud Kipchoge officially timed 1:11:08 at 25K en route his victory in the Berlin Marathon last year where he set the marathon world record (2:01:09).
Sutume, a Berlin 25K winner and a podium finisher in Tokyo and Seoul marathons in previous years, ran most of her race in the company of another Ethiopian, Valencia 10K winner Yalemzerf Yehualaw, before going solo and crossing the line with 1:18:47. It was better than Mary Keitany’s 1:19:53 in 2010. Yalemzerf also bettered the course record of 1:21:04 (by Bahrain’s Desi Jisa).
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Sawan Barwal (1:17:49) and Reshma Kevate (1:30:38) recorded convincing wins among Indians.
The results:
International: Elite Men: 1. Daniel Ebenyo (Ken) 1:11:13, 2. Victor Togom (Ken) 1:12:26, 3. Tesfaye Demeke (Eth) 1:13:36; Elite Women: 1. Sutume Kebede (Eth) 1:18:47, 2. Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Eth) 1:19:26, 3. Betty Kibet (Ken) 1:21:43.
Indian: Elite Men: 1. Sawan Barwal 1:17:49 (Overall 9th), 2. Gaurav Mathur 1:20:33 (10th), 3. Mohd. Aseem 1:42:08; Elite women: 1. Reshma Kevate 1:30:38 (9th), 2. Seema 1:32:07 (10th), 3. Nirmaben Bharatjee 1:32:40.