Nairobi — Two-time World 5000m champion Hellen Obiri continued her beautiful transition to the road races when she won the women’s race at the New York Half Marathon on Sunday.
Obiri timed 1:07:21 to claim first place ahead of Ethiopian Senbere Teferi who clocked 1:07:55 as Norwegian Buerkeli Grovdal came third in 1:09:53.
The win is the second this year for the world 10,000m silver medalist who won last month’s Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates, clocking 1:05:55 to beat the tape.
In the men’s race in the Big Apple, it was not good tidings for Kenya as Edward Cheserek could only muster a fifth-place finish, clocking 1:02:58.
World cross country champion, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo emerged top, timing 1:01:31 to defeat his fellow countryman, two-time World 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei, who clocked 1:02:09 in second place.
Moroccan Zouhair Telbi finished third in 1:02:18.
Elsewhere, Kenya’s Betty Chepkwony clocked 2:23:01 to clinch first place in the women’s race at the Rome Marathon on Sunday morning.
The Ethiopian pair of Fozya Amid (2:25:08) and Zinash Getachew (2:25:58) came second and third respectively.
In the men’s race, Kenya’s Wilfred Kigen and Rogers Keror finished second and third after timing 2:08:44 and 2:10:49 respectively.
The race was won by Moroccan Taoufik Allam who timed 2:07:42.
In the Catalan city of Barcelona, Kenyan-born Marius Kimutai clocked 02:05:06 to win the men’s marathon, ahead of Othmane El Goumri of Morocco (02:05:12) and Turkey’s Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (02:05:37) in second and third respectively.
The women’s race saw Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer finish first in 02:19:44, ahead of Kenya’s Selly Chepyego (02:20:03) and Kenyan-born Romanian Delvine Meringor (02:20:49) in second and third.