Debutant Kwemoi and veteran Cherop win in Milan

Andrew Rotich Kwemoi became the first ever Ugandan winner of the Milan Marathon on Sunday 2 April, taking the men’s race at the World Athletics Label event in 2:07:14 on his debut at the distance.

Kenya’s 2011 world bronze medalist Sharon Cherop, meanwhile, produced her fastest time in four years to win the women’s race in 2:16:13.

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A group of about 18 men were still in the lead pack when the half-way point was reached in 1:03:51. Just 10 of those remained in the group at 30km (1:30:47), and they were whittled down even further to just five men of five different nationalities.

Kwemoi led the pack that also had Kenya’s Timothy Kattam Kipkorir, Rwanda’s John Hakizimana, Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa and Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa at 35km.

Kwemoi broke away from the last of his opponents at 38km to cross the finish line in 2:07:14, having covered the second half in a negative split of 1:03:24. The 22-year-old Ugandan runner set his half-marathon PB of 59:37 in Lille.

“It was my debut over the marathon distance and I could not ask for a better result on a fast course,” said Kwemoi, who set a half marathon PB of 59:37 last year. “I felt very good and in the final stages of the race I launched the decisive attack which enabled me to win against a strong field.”

Kattam finished second in 2:07:53, smashing his PB by five minutes. Hakizimana also improved his lifetime best to cross the finish line in third place in 2:08:18 ahead of Deksisa (2:08:48).

European 10,000m champion Crippa, who was making his marathon debut, suffered from stomach problems and finished fifth in 2:08:57.

In the women’s race, 2012 Boston Marathon winner Cherop was part of a seven-woman pack that went through the half-way point in 1:11:55. Ethiopia’s Sinthayehu Dessi and Kenya’s Emily Chebet Kipchumba were the only ones to stay with Cherop as they went through 30km in 1:42:39.

Over the final 10km, it came down to a race between Dessi and Cherop, but the latter broke away in the final kilometer to win in 2:26:13. Dessi took second place in 2:26:30, comfortably ahead of Kipchumba (2:28:08).

© World Athletics