Aged only twenty, the Ethiopian Abeje Ayana won the Paris marathon on Sunday in 2 h 07 min 15 sec, for his first in this discipline, ahead of his compatriot Guye Adola, who was nevertheless the favorite of the event. Among the women, it was Helal Kiprop who won after a fantastic comeback despite very unfavorable weather.
Abeje Ayana dropped Adola, his eldest by nine years, in the last five kilometers to sign a resounding victory in this marathon de Paris, which confirms his rise as an athlete of international renown. Behind Ayana and Adola (2 h 07 min 30), the Kenyan Josphat Boit took third place in 2 h 07 min 40.
Contested in the Parisian grayness and in conditions made difficult by the rain and the wind, the race could not allow the athletes to set new records.
Among the women, the Kenyan Helal Kiprop was the first athlete to drop in a small leading group five kilometers from the finish, before managing to catch up to win the Paris marathon on Sunday in 2:23:17. Kiprop beat the Ethiopians Atalel Anmut (2 h 23 min 19) and Fikrte Wereta (2 h 23 min 22).
(With AFP)