TOYOTA GREAT ETHIOPIAN RUN, ADDIS ABABA – Tsegaye Kebede, winner of the 23rd Abebe Bikila Marathon in June, took a deserved win. Just 20, Kebede set a marathon best of 2:08.15 only six weeks earlier, in the Amsterdam Marathon.

The scorching initial pace claimed pre-race favourite Eshetu Wondimu (who dropped out at 4km). The race then turned into a two-way battle between Kebede and Ayele Abshiro, who escaped as early as the half way point. Abshiro unsuccessfully tried to get away 7.5km and when Kebede responded with his own thrust a klometre later Abshiro had little left. It was a cruel endgame for Abshiro who was powerless to respond as others came past to beat him to the podium positions.
„I ran last year but I did not finish in the top twenty. It is a surprise for me to win.“ said Kebede after the race.

Wude Ayalew dictated the pace for much of the women’s race before powering forward just after 9km to take a commanding victory.

In a characteristicly frantic start there was much jostling for strategic positions among the initial pack of 30 runners. The first clear move came from 20-year old Ayalew at 4km, and reduced the pack to 20. The second came from pre-race favourite Derebe Alemu who whittled the pack down to 12. Ayalew’s penultimate launch at 7km reduced the race into a three-way battle and dropped the likes of Alemu and former two-time winner Genet Getaneh.
Ayalew finally saw off Mergia’s challenge with another impressive spurt of energy that clinched her victory.

MEN:
1 Tsegaye KEBEDE ETH 29:07
2 Tola BANE ETH 29:14
3 Feysa LELISA ETH 29:21
4 Ayele ABSHIRO ETH 29:22
5 Dereje TADESSE ETH 29:25
6 Dereje DEBELE ETH 29:30
7 Zenbaba YEGEZU ETH 29:32
8 Dino SEFER ETH 29:37
9 Tilahun REGASSA ETH 29:37
10 Tesfaye GIRMA ETH 29:48

WOMEN:
1 Wude AYALEW ETH 33:51
2 Asselefech MERGIA ETH 34:11
3 Koreni JELILA ETH 34:15
4 Genet GETANEH ETH 34:25
5 Derebe ALEMU ETH 34:25
6 Derebe AYELE ETH 34:37
7 Frehiwot GOSHU ETH 34:42
8 Tsega GELAW ETH 34:43
9 Atsede HABTAMU ETH 34:44
10 Asselefech ASSEFA ETH 34:59

Source/Courtesy
AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Road Races)
https://aimsworldrunning.org/
AIMS