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Marathoner Desisa wins gold to end Ethiopia's 18-year hiatus
Updated On: 07 October, 2019 08:58 AM IST | | AFP
In noticeably cooler and less humid conditions than last week's women's marathon, the early pace was set by Paraguay's Derlis Ayala, who led by over a minute through 12km
Lelisa Desisa
Doha: Lelisa Desisa gave Ethiopia its first world marathon title since 2001 on Sunday winning in a time of 2hrs 10min 40sec. The 29-year-old led home an Ethiopian 1-2 -- Mosinet Geremew (2hr 10min 44sec) taking silver and Kenya's Amos Kipruto was third (2hr 10min 51sec). Desisa -- a two-time Boston marathon winner who donated his 2013 medal to the city following the bomb at the finishing line -- emulated compatriot Gezaghne Abera's win in the 2001 marathon in Edmonton. In noticeably cooler and less humid conditions than last week's women's marathon, the early pace was set by Paraguay's Derlis Ayala, who led by over a minute through 12km.
The 29-year-old Paraguayan lasted 20km in the front but was caught and passed by a sextet of runners. There was no let up in the pace as Ayala dropped away with Eritrea's 37-year-old six-time world half marathon champion Zersenay Tadese leading the way. Ayala's moment in the spotlight was over and so was his race as he called it a day shortly afterwards -- at the same point the youngest runner in the race 21-year-old Tanzanian Augustino Sulle also retired. Tadese, defending champion Geoffrey Kirui and Stephen Mokoka alternated in the lead along with Desisa of Ethiopia Kipruto -- third in Tokyo and second in Berlin last year -- and Geremew. Six became four as Kirui's crown looked to have slipped from his grasp and he faded away whilst Tedesay too looked to be weakening but hung on desperately.
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