Brigid Kosgei shatters women’s course record to win Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon

Brigid Kosgei broke the women’s course record while Amare Hailemichael Samson became the first male competitor outside Kenya to win the title in the fifth Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Saturday.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Kosgei crossed the line in two hours, 19 minutes and 15 seconds to better the mark set by Bahraini Eunice Chumba - 2:20:41 - in the elite women’s race last year.

Kosgei finished ahead of the Ethiopian pair of Hawi Feysa Gejia and Sintayehu Dessi as she aims to make it on the Kenyan national team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sharing the honours on the day was Samson, who ended Kenyan stranglehold in the men’s event.

The Eritrean clocked two hours, seven minutes and 10 seconds to come home clear of Kenya's Leonard Barsoton (2:09:37) and Turkey’s Ilham Ozbilan (2:10:16).

Kosgei, 29, took home the $50,000 winner's cheque and the bonus $30,000 for breaking the course record.

“This was my first time in Abu Dhabi. My aim from the outset was to win this race. Now I have done in a course record time, and I want to come back next year to defend my title,” she said.

“Obviously, I’m very happy with my performance because I was returning from an injury. It was a bit windy and humid which made it a bit difficult but overall, I’m very pleased with how the race panned out for me.”

ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon

Kosgei was returning just over a month after finishing fourth in the New York Marathon.

She had the Abu Dhabi title virtually in the bag after pulling clear of the pack after the 30km mark.

“I had something to prove after New York and I’m really happy it all turned out well for me,” she said.

“I loved the crowd here in Abu Dhabi. A lot of people lined up in the streets to cheer me throughout the race and that