NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 17 – Kenya’s Elisha Rotich lowered Kenenisa Bekele’s seven-year Paris Marathon Course Record after clocking 2hrs, 04mins, 21secs to win the 2021 race on Sunday morning.
Rotich took almost a minute off the record, with Bekele having timed 2hrs, 05mins, 04secs to win the race in 2014.
“It was really great to run in Paris. I’m really happy for both the win and the record,” said a smiling Rotich.
The leading pack, spearheaded by pacemakers Hillary Kipkoech and Cornelius Kangogo, passed 5km in 14:37, suggesting a possible final time of about 2:03:30, way below the course record of 2:05:03 set in 2014 by multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele.
The Kenyan pair maintained a fast and steady pace, passing 10km and 15km in 29:17 and 44:01 respectively, before reaching half way in 1:01:51.
Twenty men were still in contention for victory at 25km, reached in 1:13:19, but the leading pack started to stretch over the next kilometres, suggesting the race of attrition had started to take its toll.
Kipkoech and Kangogo finished their work at the 30km mark, reached in 1:28:20. Joel Kimurer and Edwin Kimuta chose that moment to make their first move, but they didn’t manage to escape.
Soon after the 35km checkpoint, Hillary Kipsambu and Elisha Rotich ratcheted up the pace, breaking up the group behind them.
Rotich then made a strong move five kilometres from home, and the 31-year-old Kenyan quickly opened an eight-second gap over Kipsambu, Hailemaryam Kiros and Tsegaye Getachew.
Rotich produced an impressive display of strength over the final kilometres to cross the line in 2:04:23, 40 seconds faster than Bekele’s previous course record.
Rotich not only improved his personal best by 55 seconds but he also produced the eighth fastest time of the year.
Kiros pushed hard in the waning stages to finish runner-up in 2:04:42 as Kipsambu took third place in 2:04:45.