Dibaba retains Xiamen marathon title with new women's record

Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia repeated her title-winning feat in Xiamen one year ago as she improved the event record for a second straight year to win the women's race at 2015 Xiamen International Marathon here on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Dibaba enjoyed an overwhelming victory in Xiamen last year. Leading early in the race, the third-fastest Ethiopian woman clocked 2:21:36 to cruise to the top of the podium and beat the previous course record of 2:22:38 set by China's Zhang Yingying in 2008.

This time Dibaba again built up a huge advantage shortly after the start of the race, and led all the way to the finishing line with a new event record of 2:19:52, levelling her personal best when she finished third in Dubai Marathon in 2012.

"I could have run faster but I felt a little bit pain in my legs in the last 10 kilometers which forced me to slow down," Dibaba said. "But I am happy with the result."

Dibaba's countrywoman Meseret Legesse, runner-up of Xiamen Marathon in 2014, again finished second in 2:27:38. And Kenya's Mirriam Wangari, a half marathon specialist finished third in 2:27:53.

It was also the second time for Wangari to run in Xiamen. She made her debut over the marathon distance at the 2012 Xiamen Marathon and although she was some minutes behind the winner Ashu Kasim, she claimed second place with a debut time of 2:31:30.

Compared with the one-sided women's race, the men's race was much tougher with the strongest field ever assembled in the race's 13-year history.

Kenya's Moses Mosop outraced Tilahun Regassa of Ethiopia in the final kilometers to win in 2:06:19, breaking the event record of 2:07:32 set by Getachew Terfa Negari of Ethiopia in 2013.

Mosop's winning mark is the fastest-ever time for marathon races organized by the Chinese Athletics Association, beating the 2:07:16 course record of Beijing Marathon set by Ethiopia's world bronze medallist Tadese Tola, who only finished fifth in 2:10:30 on Saturday.

2014 Eindhoven Marathon winner Tilahun Regassa of Ethiopia was 35 seconds adrift of Mosop while Abrha Milaw finished third in 2:08:09.