Lani Kiplagat Rutto of Kenya and Alemtsehay Asefa Kasegn of Ethiopia won the men and women’s categories, respectively, in the annual Taipei Marathon on Sunday, which featured nearly 30,000 participants.

Rutto finished the 42.195-km run in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 42 seconds, which was just 24 seconds behind the event’s all-time record set by countryman Paul Lonyongata in 2020.

Meanwhile, Kasegn, the marathon’s 2021 women’s champion, won again this year and set a new women’s record by finishing in 2:25:55 to better the previous women’s record of 2:27:36 set by Helena Losyanyang Kirop of Kenya in 2011.

For setting a new record, Kasegn earned an extra NT$1 million (US$35,463), on top of the first place prize of NT$800,000, according to organizers.

The fastest Taiwanese runner in the men’s category was Chiang Chieh-wen (???), who finished just two seconds before Kasegn.

“I thought it was no big deal to let [Kasegn] follow me [throughout the race], but shouldn’t she share one-third of her prize money with me?” Chiang joked in a post-race interview.

In the women’s category, Lisa Ries finished first among domestic competitors in 2:40:54 and said her goal was to be able to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Taipei Marathon has been held annually in Taiwan since 2001, with Kenyan runners usually dominating the race each year.

The marathon is one of two World Athletics Elite Label Road Races in Taiwan. The other is the New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel