Pacheco & Shewarge win Mexico City Marathon

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Peruvian runner Raul Pacheco Mendoza on Sunday won for the second time in the 32nd Mexico City Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 26 seconds, while Shewarge Amare of Ethiopia won in women’s category.

According to the Marathon organizers, the two runners won a 450,000 Mexican pesos prize (some 34,500 U.S. dollars).

The organizers said the race began minutes after 7 a.m. local time (1 p.m. GMT) in the middle of a heavy rain that was falling in Benito Juarez Memorial, in Mexico City’s downtown area.

The rain and high humidity affected the 20,000 runners who took part in the marathon. The race’s finish line was located in the Olympic Stadium in the southern part of Mexico City.

In men’s category, Peruvian Pacheco Mendoza quickened his pace just 1,500 meters beofre the finish line, leaving behind five African runners who accompanied him during the last 30 kilometers.

Pacheco Mendoza said rain affected all the runners and that is why he did not improved his 2013 time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 33 seconds.

In women’s category, Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare won with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes and 21 seconds, followed by Burundi’s Diane Nukuri Johnson and Peruvian Gladys Tejeda.

Shewarge also won Mexico City Marathon in 2012 with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 50 seconds.

The organizers said that more than 40,000 people cheered and encouraged the runners along the race.

Results:

Men:

1. Raul Pacheco Mendoza  (Mexico) – 2:18.26

2. Abrha MILAW ASEFA (Ethiopia) – 2:18. 30

3. Kenneth Mungara (Kenya) – 2:18.31

Women:

1. Shewarge Amare (Ethiopia) – 2:41.21

2. Diane Nukuri Johnson (Burundi) – 2:41.32

3. Gladys Tejeda (Peru) –