Birhanu and Zennebe victorious in Ottawa

Ottawa, Canada – Ethiopian runners continue to dominate the Ottawa Marathon as Girmay Birhanu and Aberu Zennebe won the men’s and women’s titles here today.

It marked the third consecutive year that athletes from Ethiopia had swept the Ottawa Marathon, and Zennebe extended her nation’s streak of victories in Canada’s capital to six.

Birhanu’s time of 2:08:14 fell short of the year-old men’s race record of 2:06:54 set by Yemane Tsegay and his own personal best, but it was enough to hold off Kenya’s Philip Kangogo (2:09:56) and another Ethiopian (2:09:59).

Zennebe crossed the finish line in 2:25:30, 11 seconds in front of Kenya’s Rebecca Chesir, with Ethiopia’s Abebech Afework placing third in 2:25:53.

Read more at: Ottawa Citizen