Six weeks after a fourth-place end on the NYC Marathon, Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei gave the gap one other shot to solidify a spot on Workforce Kenya for Paris. She ended up shattering the ladies’s course file by greater than a minute at Saturday’s Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon in UAE.
The reigning Olympic marathon silver medallist, Kosgei accomplished the race in two hours, 19 minutes and 15 seconds, breaking the earlier file of two:20:41 set by Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba in 2022. Enduring heat situations of round 23 C, Kosgei pulled away from the sphere within the ultimate 10 km, holding a commanding lead over Ethiopian runners Hawi Feysa Gejia and Sintayehu Dessi (practically 5 minutes).
ثلاثي كيني على خط النهاية في سباق السيدات#ماراثون_أدنوك_أبوظبي@AbuDhabiSC@ADNOCADmarathon pic.twitter.com/h5Rk94BwUv
— قناة أبوظبي الرياضية (@ADSportsTV) December 16, 2023
The 29-year-old former marathon world file holder not solely claimed the USD $50,000 winner’s cheque but additionally earned a bonus $30,000 for setting a brand new course file. “This was my first time in Abu Dhabi. My purpose from the outset was to win this race,” Kosgei mentioned to UAE Information N Sport. “Now I’ve completed it in a course file time, and I wish to come again subsequent 12 months to defend my title.”
This race marked solely Kosgei’s second accomplished marathon of 2023; she spent a good portion of the 12 months on the sidelines as a result of damage. Her final marathon win got here on the Tokyo Marathon in 2022.
Earlier this month, Kosgei was named one of many 10 ladies shortlisted for the Kenyan Olympic marathon group. Kosgei’s win in Abu Dhabi on Saturday considerably strengthens her place for choice. Earlier than her victory, Kosgei was possible on the surface wanting in on Olympic choice, solely holding a fourth-place end on the 2023 New York Metropolis Marathon behind two of her Kenyan compatriots, Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi. Her win in Abu Dhabi reveals the Kenyan choice committee that she’s wholesome and in form eight months out from the Paris Olympics.
Athletics Kenya now faces the difficult activity of choosing three ladies from the pool of 10 athletes to characterize Kenya within the 2024 Olympic marathon, together with two provisional athletes. The group has introduced plans to slender down the group to 5 members (three opponents and two reserves) by the top of January.
