Paul Lonyangata crossed the line just ahead of Betsy Saina for a Kenyan double in the Paris Marathon © AFP / Eric FEFERBERG
PARIS, France, Apr 8 – Kenyans won the men and women’s Paris Marathon titles on Sunday as, in a piece of theatre calculated by the organisers, the two champions finished almost together.
Paul Lonyangata retained his men’s crown and also caught and passed Betsy Saina, the women’s winner, in the last few hundred metres.
Lonyangata finished in 2hr 6min 25sec while Saina won her race in 2:22:56.
The women’s race started 16min 26sec before the men, the difference in times between the male and female winners last year.
Top finishers:
Women: 1. Betsy Saina (KEN) 2hrs 22mins 56secs, 2. Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:22:59, 3. Gulume Chala (ETH) 2:23:06.
Men: 1. Paul Lonyangata (KEN) 2:06:25, 2. Mathew Kisorio (KEN) 2:06:36, 3. Ernest Ngeno (KEN) 2:06:41.
