Former women’s marathon world record holder, Brigid Kosgei, showcased her resilience by winning the Abu Dhabi Marathon in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with an impressive time of 2:19:15 on Saturday.
Ethiopian Hawi Feysa secured the second position with a time of 2:24:03, while her compatriot Ethlemahu Sintayehu claimed the third spot with a time of 2:25:36.
Kosgei’s victory comes at a crucial juncture in her career, following a challenging year where she failed to podium in the road races she participated in. Starting the year with a fourth-place finish at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the UAE, clocking 1:06:34, she had to withdraw from April’s London Marathon due to injury.
Despite her efforts, she narrowly missed clinching the New York Marathon title, finishing fourth with a time of 2:27:45. The Abu Dhabi triumph marks Kosgei’s first victory in over a year since her notable performance at the Lisbon Marathon in May the previous year, where she clocked 1:06:46.
In the men’s race, Leonard Barsoton, the 2014 African Cross Country champion, secured second place with a time of 2:09:37, trailing behind Eritrea’s Samsom Amare Hailemicael, who won with a time of 2:07:10. Turkey’s Ilham Ozbilen claimed the third position with a time of 2:10:16.
Barsoton’s performance in Abu Dhabi marked a significant improvement, coming after his sixth-place finish at the New Delhi Half Marathon, where he clocked 1:01:36 in his previous race.
