Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba wins Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon in her fourth attempt

Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Eunice Chumba made her expertise depend as she gained the elite ladies’s part of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Saturday.

She clocked 2 hour 20 minutes and 41 seconds, simply outdoors her private greatest 2:20:02, to clinch the highest prize.

Chumba modified gears within the ultimate two kilometres to beat Kenya’s Angela Tanui (2:21:14). Mare Dibaba (2:21:25) of Ethiopia was third.

Within the males’s race, Kenyan Timothy Kiplagat ran the race of his life after beginning as a pacemaker to turn into the fourth man to win the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon.

Kiplagat crossed the successful line in a private greatest 2:05:20, almost 4 minutes forward of compatriot Felix Kimutai and Ethiopian Adeladhew Mamo, who was an additional 10 seconds down in third.

Chumba, 29, was runner-up within the inaugural Abu Dhabi Marathon in 2018 and was fourth in 2019. She was runner-up once more final 12 months after the 2020 occasion was cancelled following the Covid-19 outbreak.

It was a festive environment within the UAE capital because the fourth version of the Abu Dhabi Marathon drew greater than 20,000 runners in numerous classes – elite marathon, marathon relay, 10k run, 5k run, 2.5k ‘Enjoyable Run’ and wheelchair race.

“I attempted to win this race for Bahrain from my first go to to Abu Dhabi and I’ve lastly managed to fulfil that dream in my fourth try,” Chumba informed The Nationwide.

“It was a really difficult race with Angela and Mare, who’ve each run higher than my private greatest time. We raced collectively for a very long time and it wasn’t till the ultimate 5 kilometres of the race I felt I might win.

“I attempted my greatest to higher my private greatest time however simply couldn’t try this. Maybe on one other day and one other race. Having mentioned that, I’m simply delighted to win in Abu Dhabi.”

Chumba gained a silver medal for Bahrain in 10,000m on the 2018 Jakarta Asian Video games and ran a creditable seventh on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Sure, 2024 Paris could be very a lot on my radar,” she mentioned of her plans.

“This 12 months was unbelievable and it actually was a pleasant solution to finish the 12 months. I’m going to take a small break and be again in coaching from January, and hopefully return to defend my title in Abu Dhabi.”

Kiplagat, 25, bettered his earlier private greatest time of two:07:01, set on the Marathon Eindhovan in October 2021. He arrived in Abu Dhabi on the again of successful the Melbourne Marathon in October.

“I felt so good at this time, setting the tempo and with no person to problem in the direction of the end. This was an excellent alternative to win a race,” Kiplagat mentioned.

“It was my first time in Abu Dhabi and what a beautiful day it has been for me. The race route was flat and quick, the climate was fairly perfect. It was a kind of days when all the pieces turned out to be lovely for me.”

The Relay Marathon was gained by the Irish pair Michelle Nagle and Niall McCarthy of Slainte Endurance in 2:58.53.

Anouar El Ghouz (29.09) led the primary 4 residence for Morocco within the males’s 10km race whereas Briton Eilish McCologan (31.44) took the ladies’s race.

Joren Selleslaghs of Belgium took the boys’s 5km run whereas Egyptian Sara Salama gained the ladies’s prize. UAE’s Badr Al Hosani bagged the boys’s wheelchair title.

Up to date: December 17, 2022, 9:26 AM