By AYUMBA AYODIMore by this AuthorKenya’s marathon debutante Ruth Chepng’etich shattered the Turkish all-comers’ record when she won Istanbul Marathon, as compatriot Dominic Ruto also cruised to a course record victory at Beirut Marathon, Lebanon all on Sunday. Another Kenyan, Flomena Cheyech, who is also the Commonwealth marathon champion, broke away from Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete in the final metres to win the Saitama International Marathon, Japan on Sunday. Seven months after her surprise 1:06:19 course record victory at the Vodafone Istanbul Half Marathon, Chepng’etich sliced nearly five minutes off the long-standing race record of 2:27:27, set by Ethiopia’s Ashu Kasim Roba in 2010. Having to battle strong winds thereafter, Chepngetich, Jepkesho and Haylay proved to be the strongest athletes and had built up a 300-metre lead over their rivals by 15km, which they reached in 52:09. Her winning time of 2:28:38 capped a brilliant season for the 24-year-old who ran 2:24:27 for second in Rotterdam before establishing an Asian half marathon record of 1:06:11 in Copenhagen.

Source: Daily Nation November 13, 2017 12:33 UTC