Edwin Kipyego and Zenebe Aberu have won the men’s and women’s 42km elite races of the Enugu State marathon, and they are going home proud winners, pocketing $15,000 and $10,000 prizes respectively. Kipyego is from Kenya while Aberu is Ethiopian.
It’s the second edition of Enugu City International Marathon organised by Enugu State Government in partnership with Nilayo Sports Management. Flagged off at 6:30am at Shoprite on Abakaliki Road by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, the route passed through Independence Layout, Okpara Avenue and Nike Lake Road and finished at Mike Okpara Square.
At 37km the Kenyan stunned the four leading runners with sudden, incredible speed, reaching the finishing line at 2:20:38 to win. Ethiopia’s Habtamu Girma finished second in 2:23:39 while Shiferaw Daltiemayu – another Ethiopian – got third position at 2:23:41.
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Kipyego described the race as very challenging, but thanked massive cheers of Enugu spectators.
“This was a tough but beautiful course. The hills tested us, but the people of Enugu carried us with their cheers. I will definitely return next year,”
It’s instructive to note that not even a single Nigerian – let alone Enugu indigene – featured prominently in the elite races.
That was what happened in the maiden in 2015 when Kenya’s Koros Ken finished first in men’s category, and went home with $15,000. Steve Rasway and Bernard Sang – all Kenyans – pocketed $10,000 and $5,000 as the second and third winners respectively. Shaoline Chepriroi, also a Kenyan, claimed victory on women’s category the same year.
However, Nigerian runners dominated today’s 10km race. Even so, there was no person in the host state who finished well, leaving Gang James Boyi and Obadih Vivian to win the men’s and women’s races respectively.