Yesterday morning, at 8:00 am, despite unpredictable weather at the start, joy was evident on the faces of each of the 13,300 competitors, all happy to finally be back on the legendary Promenade des Anglais.
The French national anthem marked the start of this anniversary edition, setting the pace and spirit for this exceptional event. With the sun back, spectators once again turned out in droves to support the competitors in their efforts across three events (Individual Marathon, Relay Marathon for 2, and Relay Marathon for 6).
This year, as in previous editions, the fast-paced Ethiopians and Kenyans were the ones to watch. In the end, Ethiopian Dejene KELKILEW claimed victory in 2h12’09”, closely followed by Kenyan Cosmas BIRECH in 2h12’20”.
Japan’s star, Yuki KAWAUCHI, finished the 42 kilometers in 6th place overall with a time of 2h15’02”. With a sprint finish, this marathon marked the 52nd time he completed a marathon under 2h16′.
Yuki KAWAUCHI set a fast pace and led the race until the 30th kilometer. However, at the 40th km, Ethiopian Dejene KELKILEW took advantage, regained the lead, and held it to the finish line.
Kenyan Cosmas BIRECH persevered and finished on the second step of the podium, 100 meters behind the Ethiopian, followed by Kenyan Alfred KERING in 2h12’31”.
Local runner Richard Hobby, from the Club Courir en Pays de Grasse, finished in 2h36′.
Among the women, Ethiopian Tejitu SIYUM claimed victory in 2h33’21”, two minutes faster than the previous year’s winner, Biruk TILAHUN. Her compatriots Gola MESERET and Tigist SHETU finished in 2h36’37” and 2h43’56”, respectively.
The standout moment on this Sunday was the arrival of wheelchair athlete Pascal VEILLET, who finished first overall in 2h10’17”.
2×21.1 km:
1. SKECHERS BZ TEAM 2: 2h28’39”
2. BSM TEAM / GALA – PELLIGRINI: 2h35’11”
3. DECATHLON DUO FREJUS 1: 2h37’33”
Relay Marathon for 6:
4. SKECHERS BZ TEAM: 2h12’47”
5. TEAM INTERMARCHE ROQUEBRUNE: 2h25’04”
