Kenyans lose to Ethiopians in Hamburg Marathon

Dibabe Kuma of Ethiopia wins Hamburg Marathon in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday. [AFP]

Kenyan runners could not live up to expectations, losing to their Ethiopian counterparts in the Haspa Hamburg Marathon yesterday.

Ethiopian runners clinched the top two places in the men’s race, with Tadu Abate topping the race in 2:08:26 as his compatriot Ayele Abshero timed 2:08:27 for the second place.

Uganda’s former World and Olympic Champion Stephen Kiprotich demonstrated he was still the man to watch over the distance when he came in third in a time of 2:08:32.

Jiksa Tolosa of Ethiopia came in fourth in a time of 2:08:52 while Kenya’s Lucas Rotich clocked 2:09:48 to settle in the fifth position.

Robert Chemonges, also from the neighbouring Uganda ran 2:10:00 to close the top six.

Kiprotich led from the gun but a few kilometres into the race he failed to break away from the leading park.

The 30-year-old Ugandan has won two major global titles but victory he is yet to record victory in any of the major marathons.

He took the Enschede marathon in 2011 in 2:07:20, before his 2012 Olympic and 2013 World Championship victories.

In the women’s race, Kenyan Magdalyne Masai, the former world cross country bronze medalist played second fiddle to Dibabe Kuma of Ethiopia

Kuma easily clinched the title, cutting the tape in 2:24:41 as Masai followed in 2:26:02 as Tanzania’s Failuna Matanga closed the top three in 2:27:55.

Kenya’s Veronicah Nyaruai (2:29:14), Hanna Lindholm of Sweden (2:29:34) and Madai Perez (2:30:04) settled in the fourth, fifth and sixth places.