Geoffrey Kamworor and Jackline Cherono Win on Roads of Rotterdam

Geoffrey Kamworor and Jackline Cherono completed a Kenyan double at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, clocking respective times of 2:04:33 and 2:21:14 to win at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday (13).

Kamworor finished clear ahead of Ethiopia’s Chala Regasa (2:05:06) and Chimdessa Debele (2:05:26) to clinch the third marathon victory of his career and his first since his New York City Marathon triumph in 2019. Cherono was an even more dominant winner of the women’s race, as she ran a PB to claim victory by a minute ahead of Ethiopia’s Aminet Ahmed (2:22:14) and Azmera Gebru (2:22:15).

After passing halfway in 1:02:21, multiple world half marathon champion Kamworor formed part of a four-strong lead group at 30km, reached in 1:28:24.

He made a winning move just after the 35km mark and continued on to take the title, adding another victory to the two marathon wins he claimed in New York in 2017 and 2019.

“I’m so happy,” said Kamworor. “It was windy but I’m happy to have made the best of it.”

Cherono reached the half marathon mark in 1:09:14 and forged on unchallenged to win the second marathon of her career by exactly a minute.

She adds this victory to her Kosice Peace Marathon win in 2023, her time of 2:21:14 improving on her previous PB of 2:21:40 set in Hamburg in April last year.

NN Marathon Rotterdam leading results

Women

1 Jackline Cherono (KEN) 2:21:14

2 Aminet Ahmed (ETH) 2:22:14

3 Azmera Gebru (ETH) 2:22:15

4 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:22:27

5 Dolshi Tesfu (ERI) 2:23:17

Men

1 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:04:33

2 Chala Regasa (ETH) 2:05:06

3 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:05:26

4 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:05:27

5 Alex Chesiro Masai (KEN) 2:08:03

Benard Biwott prevails in Paris

Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa claimed her second marathon win of the year while Benard Biwott also secured victory at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Sunday (13).

The women’s race came down to a thrilling sprint finish and Hirpa managed to hold off her compatriot Dera Dida to win by four seconds – 2:20:45 to 2:20:49. Kenya’s Angela Tanui was third in 2:21:07.

Hirpa also won the Dubai Marathon in January, in a PB of 2:18:27.

Biwott strode away from his rivals with around 10km remaining and was unchallenged, reaching the finish line in a PB of 2:05:25. It was his second marathon race and his second win, after his victory in Frankfurt in October.

Djibouti’s Ibrahim Hassan was second in a national record of 2:06:13, while Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo was third in a PB of 2:06:21.