Abeje Ayana, a 20-year-old Ethiopian, caused an upset in the Paris Marathon on Sunday, beating favourite Guye Adola to win the men’s race.
Ayana pulled away from Adola in the final five kilometres, crossing the line in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 15 seconds.
Adola, the 2021 Berlin Marathon winner, finished 20 seconds behind, with Josphat Boit of Kenya coming in third, five seconds further back.
Ayana said the race was part of his preparation for the World Athletics Championships in August.
The women’s race was won by Kenya’s Helah Kiprop, who finished in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 19 seconds, narrowly edging out Ethiopian duo Atalel Anmut and Fikrte Wereta in a sprint finish.
The race was run in wet and windy conditions, preventing any attempt on the course record. The 42.195 km route began on the Champs Elysees, wound through the Bois de Vincennes park, along the Seine river, looped around the Bois de Boulogne, and ended near the Arc de Triomphe.
The route for the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon will be different, starting at Paris’ historic Hotel de Ville before heading towards Versailles and returning to the central Esplanade des Invalides.
