Ethiopia sweeps the Barcelona Marathon podium

The 2019 All-Africa Games Half Marathon silver nedallist, Degitu Azimeraw led an Ethiopian podium sweep at the 45th edition of the Zurich Barcelona Marathon held on Sunday (10) in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

The 25 year-old who came to this race with the fastest time on paper of 2:17.58 that she got two years ago at the Virgin Money London Marathon, led seven elite women as they went through the 5km in 16:34, a group that was reduced to six as they passed the 10km mark in 33:00 and four in the 15k mark in 49:36.

The group was further trimmed to four athletes, Meseret Dinke, Degitu Azimeraw , Shuko Genemo and Zinas Gerado Senbeta who crossed the halfway point of the race with a time of 1:09.51, at a record pace of 2:19.44.

After the 25km mark where they went through in 1:22.44, Dinke tried an attack that the favorite Azimeraw not only neutralized, but also took advantage of to catapult herself and break the race, crossing the 30km in the lead in 1:38.59 with 7 seconds of time margin on Meset, 13 on Genemo and 32 on Gerado Senbeta .

After the 35km mark, Azimeraw was left with the pacer who sailed alongside her as she fought hard to lower the course record of 2:19.44 set last year by her compatriot Zeineba Yimer but was short with eight seconds as she cut the tape in a 2:19.52.

Ethiopia’s Zinas Gerado Senbeta and Morocco’s Boulaid Kaoutar came home in fourth and fifth in respective time of 2:24.51 and 2:27.22.

Kenya’s Aurelia Jerotich Kiptui finished a distant seventh in 2:31.32.

 LEADING RESULTS

42KM WOMEN

1. Degitu Azimeraw            (ETH)  2:19.52
2. Shuko Genomo Wote     (ETH)  2:21.35
3. Meseret Dinke Mekela   (ETH)  2:22.58
4. Zinas Gerado Senbeta    (ETH) 2:24.51
5. Boulaid Kaoutar              (MOR) 2:25.03
6. Carla Salome Rocha       (POR) 2:27.22
7. Aurelia Jerotich Kiptui   (KEN) 2:31.32