STA, 27 October 2019 - Ethiopian runner Kelkile Gezahegn Woldaregay won the men's marathon race in Ljubljana on Sunday, clocking in at 2:07:29, the second fastest time in the history of the Ljubljana course. The women's race was won by Bornes Chepkirui Kitur from Kenya, who set a new women's record with a finish time of 2:21:26.
Woldaregay's time comes second only to that of his fellow countryman Sisay Lemma Kasaye, who managed a splendid 2:04:58 last year but was not in Ljubljana this year, while Kitur improved on the women's record of 2:22:58 set in 2018 by Kenyan Visiline Jepkesho.
Kelkile Gezahegn Woldaregay. Source: LJ Marathon Facebook
Second and third place in the men's race went to Kenyans Anthony Maritim (2:07:52) and Vincent Rono (2:08:06), and in the women's competition to Eshete Shitaye from Bahrain (2:21:33) and Kenyan Dina Chemtai Kipoyogei (2:22:07).
The best Slovenian runners at the race and thereby the Slovenian national marathon champions were Primož Kobe (2:29:53), who finished ninth, and Saša Pisk (2:56:50), who was 12th.
This year's Ljubljana Marathon, a two-day event, had 19,612 runners, including over 7,000 youngsters who participated in Saturday's junior races. Today's 10 km, 21 km and 42 km events had 12,440 participants.
The head of the organising committee Gojko Zalokar was happy with the event, including the results, noting that two fast Ethiopian pacemakers had not been able to attend after to obtain visas.
The budget of this year's marathon was EUR 1.4 million, while it exceeded EUR 1.6 million last year as a result of bonuses for new records both in the men's and women's competition. Zalokar explained that last year's winner got a total of 90,000 for his victory and bonuses.
