Dream run to glory
Winning Bahrain’s first-ever medal in the World Athletics Championships, Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa (two hours 27 minutes 39 seconds) made history yesterday as she won a bronze medal in the women’s marathon on the concluding day of the Fifth World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
The race, featuring 67 runners, was run in overcast and coolish conditions and was fiercely competitive throughout the gruelling 42.195kms course in the heart of the Chinese capital with Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba (2:27.35) taking the gold and Kenya’s Helah Kiprop (2:27.36) the silver followed by Kirwa for the bronze.
The runners were all bunched up for the first half of the race with Japan’s Mai Ito leading after 5 and 10km and compatriot Risa Shigetomo setting the pace after 15km and at the halfway point. Around the 30km mark Kirwa was placed sixth with defending champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya leading as around a dozen runners were battling it out for the podium positions.
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