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Tigist Gezahagn won the Vienna City Marathon with a course record and a personal best of 2:20:06. This is a phenomenal achievement by the 26 year-old Ethiopian, who is visually impaired and won the Paralympics 1,500 m title in 2021 and 2024. <\/strong><\/p>\n Gezahagn battled with fellow-Ethiopian Haftamnesh Tesfaye and moved clear just a few hundred metres from the finish line. Tesfaye took second in a strong marathon comeback, tieing her seven year-old personal best with 2:20:18. Kenyan Hellen Chepkorir followed in third with 2:23:48.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s race Tigist Gezahagn and Haftamnesh Tesfaye moved away from the field soon after the start. When the Ethiopian pair passed the 10k mark in 33:30 they were already 39 seconds ahead of the second group. <\/p>\n In contrast to the men they were still outside of the 2:20:59 course record in the first part of the race. But running behind a pacemaker Gezahagn and Tesfaye then increased the pace. <\/p>\n After a 70:24 half marathon split there was a scare for Tesfaye, who returned from maternity leave and ran her first marathon since 2020, when she caught the heel of Gezahagn and fell at a U-turn shortly before the 30 k mark. But she got up immediately and closed the gap quickly. \u201cAt around 41k I though I should now push the pace,\u201d said Tigist Gezahagn, who then opened a small gap on Tesfaye. That grew decisively with around 500 metres to go. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a huge victory for me, the atmosphere along the course was great. The warm temperatures did not bother me, but there was some wind,\u201d said Tigist Gezahagn.<\/p>\n LEADING RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n 42KM MEN<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Tigist Gezahagn\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:20.06<\/p>\n 2. Haftamnesh Tesfaye\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:20.18<\/p>\n 3. Hellen Chepkorir \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 KEN\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:23.48<\/p>\n 4. Faith Chepkoech \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 KEN\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:28.10<\/p>\n 5. Tegest Ymer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ETH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:28.15<\/p>\n<\/div>\n