ROME (Reuters) - A one-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic didn’t have a big impact on the victory stands at the Rome Marathon at the weekend, with African runners continuing their dominance.
Kenyan Clement Langat Kiprono took the overall championship for the 42.2-kilometer race in two hours eight minutes and 23 seconds.
Tanzanian Emmanuel Naibei finished second in 2:08:28, followed by Ethiopian Ulfata Deresa Guleta in 2:08:42.
Kiprono’s compatriot Peris Lagat Cherono won the women’s race in 2:29:29, followed by Kenyan Judith Jurubet in 2:30:50, and Ethiopian Jifar Fantu Zewunde in 2:32:02.
More than 7,500 runners were on the early-morning starting line in the shadow of Rome’s Colosseum. The city’s mayor, Virginia Raggi, was the race’s ceremonial starter.