Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw secured her third victory in the women’s Antrim Coast Half Marathon, while Kenyan Alex Nzioka Matata took victory in the men’s race.
Yehualaw, who won the 2022 London Marathon, had a clear lead at the halfway point, finishing one minute and 16 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Loice Chemnung with a time of 65 minutes and 34 seconds in wet and windy conditions.
Joyciline Jepkosgei, the winner of the 2021 London Marathon, was considered Yehualaw’s biggest challenger but had to settle for third place, one minute and 33 seconds off the pace.
In poor weather on the 13-mile course in and around Larne, Yehualaw’s winning time was well under her personal best of 63:51.
Yehualaw, 25, thought she had set a new world record in her first run at the event in 2021 after crossing the finish line in 63:44, but that time was disallowed after the course was found to be 54 metres too short.
In the men’s race, 27-year-old Nzioka Matata delivered a brilliant run in terrible conditions, breaking the 60-minute mark with a time of 59 minutes and 48 seconds.
The Kenyan’s time was just 11 seconds over his personal best, which he set earlier this year when he won the Padua Half Marathon in Italy.
With his winning time, Nzioka Matata was 41 seconds ahead of his compatriot Hillary Kipkoech (60:29). The two-time Tokyo Marathon winner from Ethiopia, Birhanu Legese, took third place, another second behind.
The winner broke away from the sixth fastest marathon runner in the world, Legese, shortly after half the course and was never in trouble again.
Nzioka Matata’s compatriot Hillary Chepkwony was the fastest man in the field with his personal best time of 58:53, which he set in Valencia last October. However, he lost touch with the leaders early on and was unable to go on the offensive. In the end he finished in third place, two minutes and 10 seconds behind in sixth place.
Hiko Tonosa was the leading Irish competitor, finishing eighth with a time of 62:47, 24 seconds off his personal best set at last year’s race when he finished ninth.
Armagh athlete Fionnuala Ross was the best Irish athlete, finishing 10th with a time of 74:16, 51 seconds slower than her personal best for the distance.
