Tola erased the course record held by Ayele Abshero of Ethiopia with a timing of 2:04:23 that was set in the 2012 Dubai Marathon. The women’s race too produced a stunning result with 26 year-old debutant Worknesh Degefa winning with a time of 2:22:36. Incidentally, it is the eleventh fastest marathon debut ever and she shocked pre-race favourite and compatriot Shure Demise, who finished 22 seconds behind in second place with a time of 2:22:57. The second and third place winners in the men and women’s race pocketed $80,000 and $40,000 each. Morocco’s Samir Jouaher successfully defended his crown at 28:34, while Ethiopia’s Wuletaw Adane finished second in 28:57.

Source: Ethiopian News January 20, 2017 14:00 UTC