Running News Daily

Kenya celebrated a memorable day on the roads of Sweden as Rebecca Chesir and Edwin Kiptoo produced commanding performances to claim the women's and men's crowns at the prestigious Stockholm Marathon.

Chesir led the Kenyan charge in the women's race, powering to victory in 2:30:58 after a composed and disciplined display over the 42.195-kilometre distance. The Kenyan distance-running star held off a strong Ethiopian challenge to secure the title and add another impressive international marathon triumph to her growing résumé.

Ethiopia's Sintayehu Lewetegn crossed the finish line in second place, while compatriot Hiwot Mehari completed the podium in third. Kenya's Monicah Wanjuhi also delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth to underline the country's dominance among the leading contenders.

The men's race produced another Kenyan success story as Edwin Kiptoo stormed to victory in 2:10:46, mastering the streets of Stockholm with a well-timed effort that saw him pull clear of his rivals in the closing stages.

Kiptoo's triumph was further complemented by a Kenyan one-two finish, with Luke Kiprop securing the runner-up position after an impressive run of his own. Ethiopia's Gezu Anbese Desu claimed third place to complete the podium.

The double victory highlighted Kenya's enduring strength in global road racing, with both champions showcasing the depth of talent that continues to make the East African nation a dominant force in marathon competition.

As the Stockholm Marathon once again attracted a high-quality international field, it was Kenya that ultimately stole the spotlight, leaving Sweden's capital with both elite titles and another memorable chapter in the country's rich distance-running legacy.

More than 30 years ago, Austrian Gerhard Hartmann won three consecutive victories from 1985 to 1987 in Vienna.  More recently Kenya’s Henry Sugut became a three-time champion with victories in 2010, 2012 and 2013. While no woman has achieved this feat, Kiprop is in a position to do so after collecting victories at the last two editions.

In 2017 she won with a personal best of 2:24:20, finishing just five seconds ahead of fellow-Kenyan Rebecca Chesire. Last year she dominated, beating back the warm conditions and winning by more than five minutes in 2:24:18, another lifetime best. In the meantime, the 39-year-old has gotten even faster, clocking 2:22:46 in Frankfurt last October.

"For me it is an easy decision to return to Vienna, as the race is well organised, people are welcoming and I feel appreciated and respected. I am truly humbled by each experience in Vienna,“ said Nancy Kiprop, a mother of seven who used most of her winnings to found a school in her home village of Chesitek near to Iten.

Her victories in Vienna have been instrumental with her school project, Kiprop said, helping to make “the impossible possible."

“My school, the Nancy Cletius Academy in Chesitek, is now educating 122 pupils, providing employment to five teachers. We have a total of five classrooms and administrative buildings with two staff. Our plans are to continue to grow. We want to add one new class each year and keep on investing in education of the next generation."

Kiprop’s strongest rival may well be 25-year-old Ethiopian Rahma Tusa, who achieved a hat-trick of her own when winning the Rome Marathon last year for the third consecutive time. In 2018, she improved her personal best to 2:23:46. Tusa also showed fine form in the New York City Marathon last November, finishing fifth with 2:27:13. This will be her first appearance in Vienna.

Switzerland’s national record holder Maja Neuenschwander, who won at this race in 2015, is also hoping for a successful return to the marathon after a stress fracture cut her season short last year. 

Galen Rupp ran a personal best to win the 44th edition of the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon on Sunday (March 11, 2018).

The US distance runner won the Rome race in 59:47 as he went sub 60 minutes for the first time and takes 43 seconds off his 2011 best.

He had Ryan Hall’s 2007 US record in his sights and came very close only missing Hall’s time by four seconds.

However, if he had dipped under the 59:43 mark it would not have stood as an American record however because the course is a point to point race and not record-eligible....

Rupp launched his decisive attack between 15th and 16th kilometers when, after a tactic of waiting during which he vented his most credited opponents, he lengthened the pace by breaking the Kenyans Moses Kemei, second place in 1:00:44, and Justus Kangogo, third in 1:01:02....

The female race saw Ethiopian’s Hftamenesh Haylu in first with 1:09.02 and compatriot Dera Datta close behind in 1:09:21. Third place went to Kenya’s Rebecca Chesir, who finished in 1:11:04.

Kenyans Cyprian Kotut and Rebecca Chesir lead their respective fields at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon this weekend. Chesir returns to the southeast Asian island city-state to defend her title in the women's race. Running in warm conditions after an early 04:30 start, Chesir won last year's edition by more than a minute in 2:43:03. But the 25-year-old has run considerably faster several times in her career, topped by a 2:24:25 run in Vienna last April.