DHailemaryam Kiros and Sifan Hassan have won the men’s and women’s races in the Sydney Marathon in record times.
Ethiopian runner Kiros was part of the lead pack and broke away late on, holding off a challenge from Addisu Gobena, with Tebello Ramakongoana from Lesotho finishing third.
He ran the race in 2:06:06, the fastest time in any marathon in Australia by over a minute.
IN PICTURES: The Harbour City laces up for the Sydney Marathon
Kiros praised the overall competition at the end of the race: “[It was] very tough, these were strong, strong fields”.
He said he always believed he would break the record, citing his strong preparation.
World-class runner Eliud Kipchoge was considered the favourite to win the race in his first trip to Australia.
However, he fell behind the leading pack with around eight kilometres to go, and he finished in 11th place with a time of 2:08:31.
Of the Australian runners, Haftu Strintzos was the fastest male, registering a time of 2:11:27 to finish 14th overall.
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In the women’s race, Dutch athlete Hassan also set a new record in her first-ever appearance at the Sydney Marathon.
With a time of 2:18:20, she became the first woman in an Australian marathon to run it in less than two hours and 20 minutes.
Brigid Kosgei also broke that barrier as she finished in second place.
“It’s amazing, I’m really grateful, I’m so happy to win a course record,” she said.
“It’s history, it’s the first major marathon and I’m the first winner.”
She admitted she almost pushed too hard at the start of the race, saying it could have cost her on another day: “I [started] too hard and I learnt a lesson.”
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Three Aussies finished in the top 10 of the women’s race, with Leanne Pompeani crossing the line with a time of 2:11:27, followed by Jessica Stenson with a time of 2:28:56, and Lisa Weightman finishing in 2:29:34.
An estimated 35,000 people are competing today, which is the first Sydney Marathon with world marathon major status, meaning it is one of the seven biggest marathons in the world.
The 42-kilometre course began in North Sydney and ends at the Sydney Opera House.
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The event began at about 6.20am with the wheelchair race, whilst the elite runners started just after 6.30am.
To see the full results and to track the progress of every runner, check on the Sydney Marathon official website.
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