STANDARD CHARTERED SINGAPORE MARATHON on 1 DECEMBER 2013

Considering he was running his third Marathon in nine weeks Chelimo Kipkemoi was something of a surprise winner writes Phil Minshull.

He had missed out on getting placed among the elite racers in front of the 11,000-plus runners and was part of the mass start, crossing the line approximately 35 seconds after the gun had gone.

Kipkemoi is adept at winning races in difficult conditions: he won three of his six Marathons in 2011 and two last year, but has never broken 2:10.

His win extended the Kenyan hold on the Singapore men's title to 12 editions.

After passing through halfway 33 seconds down Kipkemoi very gradually closed down this deficit. 2007 world champion and two-time winner in Singapore Luke Kibet pushed on ahead from 25-35km, accompanied by Kiptanui.

But by 38km Kipkemoi's patience had paid off, and he took the lead, passing 40km with an unchallenged 13-second advantage. Kibet drifted back to fourth in the final stages.

Sharon Cherop, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion lived up to her billing as pre-race women's favourite but left it right to the line after running with Ethiopia's Debre Godana. The pair went ahead of what had been an eight-woman lead group until 30km. After their last-gasp sprint Cherop and Godana were given the same time. "The race was so close but I am happy that my strategy to sprint only when I was close to the finish line worked," reflected Cherop.

Behind them Russia's Alina Prokopeva took third place in Singapore for the second consecutive year.

Source: AIMSworldrunning.org

Photos: Organisers

MEN: 1  Chelimo KIPKEMOI               KEN  2:15:00 2  Eliud KIPTANUI                 KEN  2:15:27 3  Mike MUTAI                     KEN  2:15:41 4  Luke KIBET                     KEN  2:17:14 5  Aadam KHAMIS                   BRN  2:17:47 6  Collins KIBET                  KEN  2:18:46 7  Samson BARMAO                  KEN  2:22:17 8  Francis BOWEN                  KEN  2:23:42 9  Niguse CHALA                   ETH  2:25:01 10 Charles Kimutai KIGEN          KEN  2:27:37  WOMEN: 1  Sharon CHEROP                  KEN  2:41:12 2  Debre GODANA                   ETH  2:41:12 3  Alina PROKOPEVA                RUS  2:41:16 4  Elizabeth CHEMWENO             KEN  2:42:43 5  Winifrida KWAMBOKA             KEN  2:43:00 6  Elizabeth RUMOKOL              KEN  2:43:42 7  Beatrice TOROITICH             KEN  2:44:36 8  Meseret MENGISTU               ETH  2:45:13 9  Mercy Jelimo TOO               KEN  2:45:44 10 Tiruwerk MEKONEN               ETH  2:45:50  HALF MARATHON MEN: 1  Peter KETER                    KEN  1:05:57 2  Daniel KIARIE                  KEN  1:06:47 3  Gideon KIPKEMBOI               KEN  1:08:25  WOMEN: 1  Gladys CHEMWENO                KEN  1:15:02 2  Margaret NJUGUNA               KEN  1:18:38 3  Esther KARIMI                  KEN  1:22:20