The women's champion was Flomena Cheyech with a time of 2:22:44.
On April 6 local time, the 2014 Paris Marathon took place in Paris, France, where Ethiopian long-distance running legend Kenenisa Bekele won the men's race in 2:05:03, also breaking the course record.
In the history of middle- and long-distance running, Bekele has always held a prominent position. He still holds the world records in both the men's 5000m and 10000m. However, due to injuries, the 31-year-old has experienced ups and downs in form. After recovering, the Ethiopian star shifted his focus to marathon racing, having won a half-marathon event in the UK last September.
This Paris Marathon marked Bekele’s first full marathon. He had previously claimed he aimed to break the world record in his debut, though that goal wasn’t achieved. Still, his time of 2:05:03 improved the previous course record by 8 seconds.
After the race, the champion Bekele said, “Before today, I had no marathon experience. It was very tough, but running this time was what I expected.” Next, at the London Marathon on April 13, Bekele will aim for the world record once again.
Top 3 Men’s Finishers – 2014 Paris Marathon:
Champion: Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) – 2:05:03
Runner-up: Limenih Getachew (Ethiopia) – 2:06:49
Third place: Robert Kwambai (Kenya) – 2:08:01
Top 3 Women’s Finishers – 2014 Paris Marathon:
Champion: Flomena Cheyech (Kenya) – 2:22:44
Runner-up: Yebrqual Melese (Ethiopia) – 2:26:21
Third place: Zemzem Ahmed (Ethiopia) – 2:29:35