Kiros and Hassan smash records at Sydney Marathon
SYDNEY: Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands have surged to record-breaking victories in the men’s and women’s races at the debut of the Sydney Marathon as a world major on Sunday. Kiros won a thrilling men’s race in two hours six minutes and six seconds to run the fastest marathon ever in Australia, more than a minute quicker than the previous record on the hilly harborside course which attracted 35,000 competitors from around the world. The 28-year-old Ethiopian finished 10 seconds clear of compatriot Addisu Gobena with Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana third. Kiros was part of a lead pack of seven runners and then surged off the front with Gobena to make it a duel for the remaining five kilometers. Kiros then handled better the downhill gradient to the finish line at the Sydney Opera House to claim an impressive victory on a brisk winter’s morning. It was the Sydney Marathon’s first year as a major, joining a list of elite events that includes New York, London, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo and Chicago.