Mutai wins Hong Kong Marathon as Kenyans, Ethiopians dominate

Kenya’s Mike Kiprotich Mutai wins the 20th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on January 17, 2016. PHOTO | IAAF |

What you need to know:

  • Spectators treated to thrilling showdown on the streets as runners exchange lead
  • With unusual lack of circumspection for a Kenyan, Cherono had declared himself the likely winner. But in the end, Mutai beat him.

Mike Kiprotich Mutai led a Kenyan 1-2 finish in the 20th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon at the weekend.

Hong Kong-based Kenyan coach Thomas Kiprotich also had a great day out as three of his charges finished in the top 10 on Sunday.

Despite the monsoon rains, the men put up strong performance, which came down to a duel in the last 2kms. With the lead changing up to the final 400m, Mutai finally pulled clear of his compatriot Lawrence Cherono to win by two seconds in two hours, 12. 2mins. He received a $65,000 (Sh6.5 million) cheque.

Given the conditions, that was an excellent time, less than a minute shy of the course record of 2:11:27, set two years ago by this year’s third placer, Feyera Gemeda of Ethiopia, who clocked 2:12:20 this time. The Hong Kong organisers welcome independent elite runners and several have pulled off surprise wins in the past, notably Gemeda.

GOOD PERFORMANCE

But this year’s selection of uninvited guests had a twist to the tale: Former marathoner Kiprotich has been living and coaching in Hong Kong for the last eight years recently made a decision to go into athlete management of young friends from his celebrated hometown of Eldoret. Three of his athletes, Mutai, Dickson Tuwei and Julius Maisei finished in the top 10 positions.

With unusual lack of circumspection for a Kenyan, Cherono had declared himself the likely winner. But in the end, Mutai beat him.

“I thought I was going to win, but Mutai was too strong for me in the end,” said Cherono.

“We know each other well. I was confident I could beat him. I knew I would win from 40k,” said Mutai.

Spectators watched the two men pass and re-pass each other in the last five minutes of the race, to make it a nail-biting finish.

Feyera dropped off the pace at the point where Mutai and Cherono began their duel, but he hang in to finish just eight seconds adrift of the winner. In contrast, the women’s race was far more sedate, although, like the men, the half dozen leaders stayed together throughout most of the race.

“Nobody really wanted to take the lead, because of the rain,” said eventual winner, Letebrhan Haylay Gebreslasea, who hails from Tigre in northern Ethiopia. “But I decided to try from 36km, and the group split up.”

Only her colleague, Ayelu Lemma Geda, responded and although, as in the men’s race, the gap at the end was just two seconds, Geda never got on terms with Gebreslasea, and the winner wasn’t threatened down the finishing straight.