Djibouti’s Hassan wins Beppu Oita Marathon in record time

06.02.2023 - 21:11 arabnews.com

TOKYO: Ibrahim Hassan of Djibouti won the 71st Beppu Oita Mainichi Marathon for the first time on Sunday with a new record of 2:06:43.

Kenya’s Daniel Kipchumba crossed the finish line five seconds later for second place, and Japan’s Tsubasa Ichiyama placed third in 2:07:44.

When the pacemaker came off at 30km, Hassan and Kipchumba jumped out and Hassan took the lead after 35km. “With the win and course record, I’m very, very happy,” the 26-year-old Hassan said. “The course was very good.” Aoyama Gakuin University’s Shungo Yokota came in fourth in 2:07:47, setting a record for a Japanese student runner.

This year, the right to participate in the “Marathon Grand Championship (MGC)”, the qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics, was at stake.

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Kenya's legendary world 800m record holder and double Olympic champion David Rudisha has come to New Delhi to inspire a host of Indian marathon and long distance runners. The simplicity of the genius Rudisha is awe-inspiring. Speaking at the pre-marathon press conference, Kenya's legendary middle-distance runner pointed out that this was the last opportunity and platform for India's top marathoners to win their berths for the Hangzhou Games in September. "The weather is perfect. I believe the flat course is also ideal for a marathon. So, remain confident, don't lose sight of your targets, and give it your all," he said. "The marathon is a very special race, the oldest sport in the world," he said, admiring the sport that requires extreme resilience and endurance. "I can imagine how tough running 42 kilometre is. My event lasts just 1 minute and 40 seconds," Rudisha, who is the only athlete to ever run the 800m in 1 minute and 41 seconds, added, amidst thunderous applause.

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