Kenyan and Ethiopian runners dominated the podium at the inaugural Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Friday.
Kenya's Marius Kipserem, 30, took the men's title with a time of two hours, four minutes and four seconds - 12 seconds ahead of compatriot Abraham Kiptum. Ethiopia's Dejene Debela completed the top-three, but was three minutes and two seconds behind Kipserem as all three runners set new personal best times.
Kipserem's previous best was 2:06:11, achieved at the 2016 Rotterdam Marathon, while runner-up Kiptum improved on his 2:05:26 from the 2017 Amsterdam Marathon, and third-placed Debela claimed a new PB by four seconds.
While Kenya took two of three podium places in the men's race, it was Ethiopia who led the charge in the women's competition. Ababel Yeshaneh won the race with a time of 2:20:16, with fellow Ethiopian Gelete Burka taking third, three minutes and 51 seconds behind her compatriot. They were split by Kenyan-born Bahraini Eunice Chumba, who claimed second 38 seconds behind Yeshaneh.
Yeshaneh not only claimed the Abu Dhabi title but smashed her personal best time by nearly 13 minutes. Her previous best of 2:33:10 was set at the Milan Marathon in April 2013.
Runner-up Chumba also bettered her personal best by more than three minutes, improving on her previous time of 2:24:27 from the Rotterdam Marathon in April 2017.
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