Kenya’s Titus Kimutai Kipkosgei and Ethiopia’s Tigist Gebeyahu Memuye were the winners at the Wizz Air Milano Marathon – a World Athletics Label road race.
Tigist Memunye won the women’s race in 2:26:32 while Kipkosgei crossed the finishing line in 2:07:12 improving his PB by 34 seconds.. The race was held on a new loop course, with the start and finish in Piazza del Duomo.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Fantu Gelasa Shugi and Kuftu Dadiso Tahir took an early lead and went through 10km in 33:27 with a 23-second margin over Memunye. Shugi surged away at 18km and reached the half-way mark in 1:10:34 with a gap of 26 seconds over Dadiso, while Memunye was a further 51 seconds adrift.
Shugi built a gap of almost two minutes over Memunye and reached 30km in 1:40:59, but her effort took its toll in the final stages of the race.
Sophy Jepchirchir from Kenya moved up into third, overtaking Dadiso at 30km. Then Memunye caught up Shugi at 39km and broke away from her compatriot in the final two kilometres before crossing the finish line in 2:26:32.
Jepchirchir moved past Shugi in the closing stages to finish second in a PB of 2:27:12. Shugi was third in 2:30:52.
“The win was totally unexpected,” said Memuye, who trains alongside world record-holder Tigist Assefa and world champion Amane Beriso. “I’m very happy with my performance. This is my come-back after a long break due to injury.”
In the men’s race, a large lead pack went through 10km in 29:57 and the half-way mark in 1:03:42.
Kwemoi surged away at 34km and held the lead until 37km when Kipkosgei caught him. Kipkosgei broke away from Kwemoi at 39km and held on to win in 2:07:12.
Kipchumba moved past Kwemoi at 40km to finish second in 2:07:36 with Kwemoi taking third place in 2:07:52.
