Course records fell at Beijing and Amsterdam marathons today

Tadese Tola of Ethiopia and Wilson Chebet of Kenya won the men's titles at the 33rd Beijing International Marathon and 38th TCS Amsterdam Marathon, both are IAAF Gold label Road Races, in new course records in 2:07:16 and 2:05:36 respectively this morning .

Photo credit : bjnews

Tola, who will be celebrating his 26th birthday end of the month, became the reigning marathon world silver mrdallist in Moscow two months ago, achieved his  PB of 2:04:49 in Dubai  nine months ago, clocked 2:07:16 to shatter the quarter-century old course record of 2:07:35 set by Abebe Mekonnen of Ethiopia in 1988 (although Taisuke Kodama of Japan also set the same fastest Beijing time of 2:07:35 in 1986, the course then is believed to have been around 400 metres short of the official 42.195 km distance, ref. Wikipedia)
It was a close finish and the top three men's  finishers broke the previous course record.

 Photo credit : NEWS.CN

Local Zhang Yingying, 22, claimed the women's title in 2:31:19, extending China's dominance in holding the women's title for 22 years in a row since 1992.

Top finishers :
Men
1) 2:07:16 (CR) - Tadesse Tola (ETH)
2) 2:07:19 - Benard Kiprop Kipyego (KEN)
3) 2:07:20 - Rono Daniel Kipkurgat (KEN)
   
Women [CR 2:19:39 - Sun Yingjie (CHN) 2003]
1) 2:31:19 - Zhang Yingying (CHN)
2) 2:33:04 - Makda Harun Haji (ETH)
3) 2:35:20 - Yeshimebet Tadesse Bifa (ETH)

###

Photo credit : TCS Amsterdam marathon





Wilson Chebet, 28  popularly known in Amsterdam Marathon and having a nickname "Mister Amsterdam", who has a PB of 2:05:27 under his belt when he ran in neighbourhood Rotterdam two years ago did it even better when he won the Amsterdam title this morning for the third consecutive time in 2:05:36, braking the previous course record of 2:05:41 he set last year.

Top finishers:
Men
1) 2:05:36 (CR) - Wilson Chebet (KEN)
2) 2:06:04 - Birhanu Girma (ETH)
3) 2:06:27 - Bernard Koech (KEN)
4) 2:08:01 - Abdullah Shami Dawit (ETH)
5) 2:09:39 - Yekeber Bayabel (ETH)

Women
1) 2:23:02 - Valentine Kipketer KEN)
2) 2:27:59 - Serena Burla (USA)
3) 2:28:34 - Alice Timbilil (KEN)
4) 2:31:28 - Eyerusalem Kuma (ETH)
5) 2:31:35 - Isabella Ochichi (KEN)