Naibei, Jebet win maiden Abuja International Marathon
Kenya’s Emmanuel Naibei has made history as the first man to win the first Abuja International Marathon held Friday in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital City.
He ran 2:13: 45 to finish ahead of his countrymen, Benard Sang (2:13:49) and Ezekiel Koech (2:13:51) who finished second and third respectively.
The winning time is the best ever recorded in any first edition of Marathon races in Nigeria
This is the second time Naibei is winning a marathon in Nigeria having also won the 2021 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon (2:15:04), was third
in 2022 (2:14:42) and fourth last February (2:18:03).
The 39 year old holds a personal best of 2:08:28 he ran at the Run Rome The Marathon in Rome, Italy in September, 2021.
In the women’s category, 2016 Olympic 3000m steeplechase winner, Ruth Jebet won in 2:36.08 in what is her first official marathon race while Kenya’s Mercy
Kwambai was second in 2:38:17 and Dida Negasa Ethiopia ran 2:40: 16 to come in third.
Jebet, going by official record, is one of the few long distance runners that won their debut races in the marathon.
Just last weekend, Netherland’s Sifan Hassan won the Lond Marathon in her first race over the distance while Helen Obiri was second time lucky with her win at the B.A.A. Boston Marathon in Boston, USA about 12 days ago.
