Kenyans David Barmasai Tumo and Sharon Jemutai Cherop are the winners of the 42 km Lagos City Marathon. Both smashed the records.
Tumo set a course record time of 2:10:22, erasing the time of last year’s winner.
Tumo, has broken the marathon’s four-year record in 42km race to win the first prize of $50,000.
He finishing the race in two hours, 10 minutes and 22 seconds, a time lesser than what previous winners had recorded.
In 2016, Abraham Kiptum of Kenya won in 2:16:21 seconds; 2017: Abraham Kiptum, Kenya 2:15:20secs;
2018: Abraham Kiprotich Kenyan-French 2:13:04secs; and in 2019, Sintayehu Legese of Ethiopia breast the finishing tape in 2:17:28secs.
Sharon Cherop, right: led the ladies
Another Kenyan Sharon Jemutai Cherop won in the women’s category by also setting a new record of 2:31:38, two minutes later than she made a similar race in Eldoret Kenya in 2018.
The 35 year-old is a veteran marathoner. She won a bronze medal at the age of sixteen in the 5000 metres at the World Junior Championships.
She was the bronze medal winner in the marathon at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and won the Boston Marathon in 2012.
She also won the Eldoret City marathon in 2018 with a time of 2:29:57
Both male and female 42km runners competed for the grand prize of $50,000 while the second and third place winners $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.