Former Family Bank half marathon champion Mercy Kibarus and Elijah Kemboi won the Blackmores Sydney marathon on Sunday morning.
After finishing third last year, Kibarus ensured that she takes the title back home, won the race in 2:31.24 ahead of fellow kenyan Eunice Jeptoo in 2:32.22 to finish in the second position just like last year. Ethiopian Zanesh Debebe Getachew completed the podium in 2:33.53.
At 34 years, Kibarus was in team Kenya at the 2014 world half marathon where she finished 4th.
But Kemboi won the men’s title for the third time. The 34 year old runner trounced Uganda’s Thomas Ayeko, and Birhanu Addisie of Ethiopia.
Kemboi won the race in 2:13:37 followed by Ayeko who dropped back by just over two minutes by the finish, crossing the line to take second place in 2:15:52. Addisie looked at times as if he might mount a challenge for second, but he could not sustain it, finishing third in 2:16:25