Sydney Marathon: An Ethiopian double as course records fall

Sydney, Australia – Gebo Burka and Biruktayit Eshetu came into the Blackmores Sydney Marathon with contrasting form lines, but both emerged as winners to complete a double victory for Ethiopia in the IAAF Silver Label Road Race here today.

Eshetu was the defending women’s champion and won like a champion should, taking down her own course record in the process despite suffering some discomfort from leg cramps in the closing stages of the race.

Burka crept into the race almost unnoticed, with others up to four minutes faster than him on best times. But the 27-year-old had already won marathons in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles this year and he showed that winning form is good form as he broke clear of compatriot Seboka Tola over the last five kilometres of the Sydney course.

Results

Men
1 Gebo Burka (Ethiopia) 2:11:18
2 Seboka Tola (Ethiopia) 2:11:48
3 Benjamin Kiptoo (Kenya) 2:12:08
4 Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Japan) 2:12:18
5 Abdellah Tagharrafet (Morocco) 2:16:56

Women
1 Biruktayit Eshetu (Ethiopia) 2:29:42
2 Jane Kiptoo (Kenya) 2:32:08
3 Yuka Yano (Japan) 2:33:19
4 Zemzem Ahmed (Ethiopia) 2:39:46
5 Yumi Sato (Japan) 2:55:20

Read more at: IAAF. org