Ethiopian runner Bedatu Hirpa won women’s Paris Marathon on Sunday, while Kenya’s Benard Biwott cruised to victory in the men’s race, finishing 48 seconds before his closest competitor.
In cool conditions, Hirpa, 25, came on strong in the final meters of the race to overtake compatriot Dera Dida to win by just four seconds in 2hr 20min 45sec.
It was Hirpa’s second marathon of the year, following her victory in Dubai in mid-January when she beat Dida in a similar finish. Kenyan runner Angela Tanui finished third in 2:21:07.
Biwott also claimed his second victory at the distance, dropping all of his rivals with 10 kilometers still to run and finishing in 2:05:25, a new personal best.
It was, in fact, only the second marathon for the 22-year-old, who also won his previous outing in Frankfurt in October 2024. Ibrahim Hassan from Djibouti, who was the only one to give chase when the Kenyan made his move, finished second in 2:06:13, ahead of another Kenyan, Sila Kiptoo.
Biwott also left others behind in the last 10 kilometers, finishing in two hours, five minutes and 25 seconds, far ahead of Djibouti’s Ibrahim Hassan, who was next to reach the finishing line.
Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo, who was eight seconds behind Hassan, finished third in the men’s race while Angela Tanui, also from Kenya, placed third in the women’s race, finishing 18 seconds after Dida.
MG/as/APA