Rono overshadows pacemaking, wins ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon

Kenya’s Timothy Kiplagat Ronoh went from pacemaker to winner, with his compatriot Felix Kimutai coming home second to set up a Kenyan 1-2 at the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Saturday.

In the women's race, Angela Tanui finished second behind Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba whose success in Abu Dhabi came on her fourth try, with Ethiopia's Mare Dibaba settled for third to wrap up the podium places.

Leading the elite field, Ronoh decided to push on when his pacemaking duties were done and eventually crossed the finish line in 2:05:20, winning by more than four minutes ahead of his compatriot Felix Kimutai (2:09:32). Ethiopia’s Adeledelew Mamo was third, a further 10 seconds back.

Ronoh took the lead group through 10km in 29:34 and passed the half way point in 1:02:48 and 25km in 1:14:30. By 30km he led by more than a minute and continued untroubled to claim the biggest win of his career so far, improving on his previous PB of 2:07:01 that had been set when he finished third last year in Eindhoven.

“This is my first time in Abu Dhabi, so to win the race on my debut makes it extra special,” said a tired but ecstatic Ronoh. “Everything just felt great, we’ve been looked after, the course was really good, and the place is really beautiful. This is a great victory for me.”

Chumba, the Tokyo Olympics seventh-place finisher, prevailed in a closer women’s race. Holding off Kenya’s Angela Tanui, who placed sixth in the World Championships marathon in Oregon and won last year's Amsterdam Marathon in 2:17:57, and Ethiopia’s 2015 world marathon champion Mare Dibaba, Chumba got the win she had been seeking after finishing second in Abu Dhabi in 2021 and 2018, as well as fourth in 2019.

Running as part of the lead pack that passed 10km in 33:12, Chumba was to the fore as the leaders reached half way in 1:10:15. She had Tanui and Dibaba for company as 30km was passed in 1:39:44, and made her move in the latter stages, eventually winning by 31 seconds ahead of Tanui (2:21:12).

Dibaba was third in 2:21:25, while Rebecca Cheptegei set a Ugandan record of 2:22:47 to finish fourth.

Leading results

Women

1 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:41

2 Angela Tanui (KEN) 2:21:12

3 Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:21:25

4 Rebecca Cheptegei (UGA) 2:22:47

5 Meseret Dinke (ETH) 2:22:52

Men

1 Timothy Kiplagat Ronoh (KEN) 2:05:20

2 Felix Kimutai (KEN) 2:09:32

3 Adeledelew Mamo (ETH) 2:09:42

4 Zelalem Bacha (BRN) 2:12:29

5 Titus Kipjumba Mbishei (KEN) 2:12:53

Additional reporting by World Athletics