Home favourite Mokoka edged out as Ethiopia's Gebre wins Cape Town Marathon

The Cape Town Marathon saw a sprint finish for the men's title as Ethopia's Adane Kebede Gebre edged home favourite Stephen Mokoka to be crowned champion on Sunday.

On a sunny and windy day in Cape Town, thousands turned up to compete in the 42.2km race, the second of its three-year Abbott World Marahton Majors (WMM) candidacy.

Gebre and Mokoka pushed on in the final 50m with the Ethiopian crossing the finish line with a winning time of 2:11:26.

Mokoka, a three-time Cape Town Marathon winner, could not defend his title and had to settle for runner-up with a time of 2:11:30.

Rounding up the podium, Kenya's Benard Kipkorir, who finished third in 2:11:48.

A race that went down to the wire! ??Adane Kebede Gebre edges three-time winner Stephen Mokoka to win the Cape Town Marathon with a time of 2:11:26 ?? pic.twitter.com/tm3EGohPKB

In the women's event, it was an all-Ethiopian podium with Tsige Haileslase Abreha stopped the clock with a winning time of 2:24:15.

Fellow countrywoman Melesech Tsegaye Beyene finished runner-up in 2:26:19 and Shewarge Alene Amare rounded up the podium in third (2:27:23).

Abreha and Beyene also sealed their qualification for the Paris Olympics.

?? Tsige Haileslase
?? Melesech Tsegaye
?? Shewarge Alene

It’s an all-Ethiopian podium in the Women’s race at the Cape Town Marathon ????

Haileslase and Tsegaye have also secured qualification for the Olympics ? pic.twitter.com/0wfcm8ieSf