SHANGHAI INT\’L MARATHON, CHINA – South Africa\’s Stephen Mokoka and Ethiopia\’s Aberu Kebede- 1 DECEMBER 2013:

South Africa's Stephen Mokoka and Ethiopia's Aberu Kebede won in times just short of the course records set last year writes Mirko Jalava.

Kebede bounced back from a disappointing outing at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, where she finished only in 13th, by winning in season's best and missing the course record by only 21 seconds.

There were several men with faster personal bests than Mokoka, but Mokoko had placed highly before in Shanghai (second in 2011 and fourth last year). Running his first Marathon of 2013, he won with a time 28 seconds short of the course record. Behind him Eritrean Beraki Beyene was best in a thrilling finish over the final few hundred metres where the five came home in the space of 10 seconds.

The six runners were on their own from 32km before Mokoka broke away in the last two kilometres.

More than 35,000 people took to the streets of Shanghai on Sunday morning, 8000 in the Marathon, 10,000 in Half Marathon, 5000 in a 10km run and approximately 12,000 persons in a Mini Marathon.

MEN: 1  Stephen MOKOKO           RSA  2:09:29 2  Beraki BEYENE                  ERI  2:09:48 3  Stephen CHEMLANY           KEN  2:09:50 4  Teferi KEBEDE                   ETH  2:09:52 5  Samuel NDUNGU                KEN  2:09:55 6  Michael CHEGE                   KEN  2:09:55  WOMEN: 1  Aberu KEBEDE                 ETH  2:23:28 2  Merima MOHAMMED             ETH  2:26:30 3  Ashu KASIM                       ETH  2:26:34

Source: AIMSworldrunning.org