Running News Daily

Panuel Mkungo and Beatrice Cheptoo shine as Kenyans dominate at Istanbul Marathon

Panuel Mkungo and Beatrice Cheptoo are the winners of the 2023 edition of the Istanbul Marathon.

Little-known Panuel Mkungo and Beatrice Cheptoo put up a good fight to clinch top honors at the 2023 Istanbul Marathon.

Mkungo clocked 2:10:35 to win the race ahead of Bernard Cheruiyot and James Kiplagat who finished second and third in respective times of 2:12:41 and 2:12:44.

As the race started, Mkungo was not in contention for the title in the first 20km as he settled in the middle of the leading pack. The leading pack passed the 5km mark in 15:05 with Mkungo and his compatriots looking comfortable.

The athletes then passed the 10km mark in 30:06 in course course-record pace. They then passed the half km mark in 1:04:43, still looking very comfortable to go for the course record.

Mkungo then started opening a gap between him and the Kenyan duo of Cheruiyot and Kiplagat and he was looking very comfortable at the 30km mark but kept looking back. His closest challenger was who was trying hard to close the gap.

Mkungo kept in the fuel, passing the 35km mark in 1:04:43 still looking over his shoulder to watch his opponents. At the home straight, nothing could stop the Kenyan as he sprinted to the finish line and led a clean Kenyan sweep.

The women’s race was also dominated by Kenyans as Beatrice Cheptoo took top honors in the race, clocking 2:27:09 to cross the finish line after a hard-fought win.

The Kenyan duo of Veronica Maina and Valentina Mateiko finished second and third in respective times of 2:27:24 and 2:32:15.

Vicoty Chepngeno was the first across the finish line at the 16th annual Monterey Bay Half Marathon holding off the elite men who started nine minutes and five seconds behind her

Chepngeno, a Kenyan living and training in Grand Prairie, TX, covered the 13.1-mile course in 1:08:03, smashing the women’s course record by over a minute and half. As the race began Sunday morning, the 25-year-old made a clear break from her competitors and maintained a healthy lead throughout the race, clicking off 5:10 miles. Futsum Zienasellassie, 26, of Flagstaff, AZ took the top spot for the men in 1:02:33, logging the second-fastest men’s finish in the race’s history.

Still, he and the other male competitors were unable to catch Chepngeno as she neared the finish line. As the first runner across the line, Chepngeno collected an additional $3,000 on top of the $4,000 award for being the first female.

“I’m so happy to be here, and I love the people of Monterey,” said Chepngeno. When asked if she’d return next year to defend her title, Chepngeno replied, “Absolutely, I can’t wait to be back out on the beautiful course next year.”

Panuel Mkungo of Coon Rapids, MN took second for the men in 1:02:37, and Patrick Smyth of Sante Fe, NM took third in 1:02:39. Second female was Australian Milly Clark in 1:11:49, followed by 2017 women’s champion Monicah Ngige in 1:11:59.

The top eight runners in the men’s and women’s divisions competed for a total purse of $25,000 plus another $5,000 in total bonus money for the first three runners of either gender to finish.

Runners were met with ideal conditions with overcast skies and temperatures from the low-50s to 60s during the race. Roughly 6,700 participants set out along the 13.1-mile scenic course that includes historic downtown Monterey, Cannery Row, and the Pacific Grove shoreline and Asilomar State Beach to finish back in downtown Monterey near Fisherman’s Wharf.

“It was a spectacular day with many runners setting personal bests,” said Doug Thurston, Race Director. “We were so glad to welcome back thousands of runners from our canceled race last year and many new runners to our race along the beautiful Monterey Bay.”

The 2018 Monterey Bay Half Marathon was canceled the day before when shifting winds brought smoky and unhealthy air into the area from the Camp Fire.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Under the brand are three individual race weekends: Big Sur International Marathon in April, Run in the Name of Love 5K and 2K in June, and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon, 5K and 3K in November.

Panuel Mkungo from Kenya won the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Clocking 1:03:26

It was a wet and soggy Saturday for the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

The race began in front of the JW Mariott downtown, and more than 35,000 people participated in the event.

"I think it really is the perfect combination of Hoosier hospitality. There's 500 entertainers all around the route, it's the lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it's just the month of May in Indianapolis, people love it, there's an electricity in the air," event organizer Sabrina List said.

It started with a 5K at 7 a.m., and then the first wave of the mini began at 7:30.

Panuel Mkungo from Kenya won the mini with a time of 1:03:26. The female first place finisher was Ivy Kibet from Colorado Springs with a time of 1:12:10.

"I am very happy today. I want to thank my family and my friends for this beautiful race.

I just want to say thank you for the management of this race, it's a beautiful course and I am happy for running in this city in Indiana. It is my first time being here," Mkungo said.

The 500 Festival continues through the month of May with the Breakfast at the Brickyard on May 18 and then the parade May 25.