Making her debut in marathon, former track mistress Magdalene Masai won the Hefei International marathon with a course record.
Coming from a running family of Moses Masai and Linet Masai, Magdalene won the race in 2:28.20 to win the race ahead of favourites Racheal Mutgaa, Paskalia Chepkorir and Ethiopia’s Aberash Robi.
Masai pulled away from the group of five but Mutgaa could not let her go easily as she fought her to the wire but a powerful last kick saved the situation for Masai to cut the tape in a personal, seasonal and a new course record of 2:28.20 erasing the previous one of 2:28.26 that had been set by her fellow country-mate Grace Momanyi.
Mutgaa was forced to settle in second place when she crossed the line seventeen seconds later with Ethiopian Robi closing the podium three finishes in 2:29.03.