Ethiopian Athletes Dominate Xiamen International Marathon
Ethiopia’s Fatuma Sado overcame heavy rain and a stomach problem in the latter sages to win a second title at the Xiamen International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday .
Sado finished the race in 2:26:41 to extend Ethiopian women’s winning streak in Xiamen to nine. Her winning mark is 2:25 shy of her 2:24:16 PB set at the 2015 Toronto Marathon. Fellow Ethiopian Mare Dibaba set the course record of 2:19:52 in 2015.
Alemayehu trimmed more than six minutes off her PB to finish second in 2:30:09. It was only her second race over the classic distance. Last year she clocked 2:36:55 to finish sixth in Hefei, China.
Defending champion Mengistu rallied to take third in 2:30:15, more than four minutes shy of her winning mark of 2:25:58 last year.
Debele leads Ethiopian top-three finish in men’s race
The men’s race also saw a sweep of the podium by Ethiopians.
Dejene Debela, who owns a PB of 2:07:10 from his fourth place finish in Eindhoven last year, emerged victorious from a three-man battle in the last kilometre to notch his first marathon title in 2:11:22.
Read more at: IAAF.org
