Kenyan Priscah Cherono successfully defended her title at the Singapore Marathon, taking more than three minutes off the course record at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Saturday.
Cherono, the 2006 world cross-country silver medallist, was joined by compatriot Stella Barsosio for the first 30 kilometres and it was clear from the early pace that the course record of 2:31:55, set in 2006 by Salina Kosgei, would be under threat. They passed through 10 kilometres in 33:48 before reaching halfway in 1:11:39, putting them on schedule for a finishing time just outside 2:23:00.
The race had been scheduled to take place in the evening to escape the peak temperatures, but it was still 30 degrees celsius by the time the race started at 6 pm and eventually, the heat took its toll as the leading duo’s pace slowed in the second half.
Cherono and Barsosio reached 30km in 1:43:23, but Barsosio was unable to keep up with Cherono for much longer and started to drift behind. Cherono’s pace also dropped in the final 10 kilometres, but her gap over Barsosio continued to grow.
The 39-year-old reached the finish line in 2:28:52, amazingly just 71 seconds shy of the PB she set three years ago. Barsosio finished second in 2:30:18, almost seven minutes shy of the PB she set in Rotterdam earlier this year, but well inside Singapore’s previous course record.
Ethiopia’s Alemnesh Guta was a distant third in 2:37:05, just 14 seconds ahead of Mamitu Daska.
In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo
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