Kenyan runners Benson Kipruto, Timothy Kiplagat, Vincent Kipkemoi and Rosemary Wanjiru are set for a bumper harvest after their heroics at the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.
Kenyan runners Benson Kipruto, Timothy Kiplagat, Vincent Kipkemoi and Rosemary Wanjiru will be smiling to the bank following their heroics at the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.
Kipruto, the 2021 Boston Marathon, shattered the course record to clock at 2:02:16 as Kiplagat finished second in 2:02:55 while Kipkemoi completed the podium in 2:04:18.
Wanjiru, meanwhile, failed to defend her title as she could only manage second place in 2:16:14 behind Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede who also run a course record time of 2:15:55.
05:25 - 03.03.2024
ATHLETICS Benson Kipruto smashes course record as marathon king Eliud Kipchoge disappoints at Tokyo Marathon
The Tokyo Marathon was a bitter outing for Eliud Kipchoge who went into the race as a favourite but he, unfortunately, missed out on a podium finish.
It means the Kenyans will get the lion’s share of the 40.3 million Japanese Yen (Ksh39,183,040) that had been set aside for top performers on Tokyo.
Kipruto will take home the biggest purse as he will earn 11 million Japanese Yen (Ksh10,692,650) in addition to a 3 million Japanese Yen (Ksh2,916, 235) bonus for breaking the course record.
That will bring his total to Ksh13,608,885 for the two-hour job in the Japanese capital.
08:00 - 03.03.2024
ATHLETICS Eliud Kipchoge suffers worst ever marathon defeat after struggling in Tokyo
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge had a rough outing in Tokyo as he suffered his worst ever defeat since he made his Marathon debut in Hamburg 11 years ago.
Kiplagat, meanwhile, will pocket 4,000,000 million Yen (Ksh3,837,835) for his second place, the same amount that Wanjiru will take home, while Kipkemoi will pocket 2,000,000 Yen (Ksh1,918,917) for his third place finish in Tokyo.
With Eliud Kipchoge tipped to win the race, it is Kipruto who grabbed the headlines as he charged up to take top honours in his first-ever appearance in the streets of Tokyo with the veteran two-time Olympic champion managing 10th place.
Wanjiru, meanwhile, could not match the pace of Kebede who clocked a course record time with another Ethiopian Amane Beriso Shankule (2:16:58) completing the podium while Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan finished fourth in 2:18:05.
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