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In his first competitive run over the 42.195km distance, Ayana clinched the men's title in a time of 2:07:15, leaving behind pre-race favourite Guye Adola in the closing five kilometers.
Ethiopia's Abeje Ayana and Kenya's Helah Kiprop both emerged victorious at the 2023 Paris Marathon on Sunday, April 2, in difficult wet and windy conditions.
In his first competitive run over the 42.195km distance, Ayana clinched the men's title in a time of 2:07:15, leaving behind pre-race favourite Guye Adola in the closing five kilometers.
The 20-year-old Ayana became the third Ethiopian to win the race in the last four years.
On the women's side, the 37-year-old Kiprop overcame a more than one-minute deficit after 25 kilometres to storm back and win the race with a time of 2:23:19 seconds, outsprinting Ethiopian Atalel Anmut to the line.
Kiprop's victory marked her second Paris Marathon title after she won the race in 2015.
The route started on the famous Champs-Elysees and went through Bois de Vincennes park, along the Seine river, and around the Bois de Boulogne before ending near the Arc de Triomphe.
While the weather was difficult, it didn't prevent Ayana and Kiprop from putting on a show.
Kenya's Josphat Boit finished third in the men's race, crossing the line four seconds behind Adola.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia's Atalel Anmut and Fikrte Wereta finished second and third, respectively, in the women's race.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics on the horizon, the race offered a preview of the city's marathon course.
However, the 2024 Olympic marathon route will be different, starting at Paris' historic Hotel de Ville before heading towards Versailles and returning to the central Esplanade des Invalides.
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