Titus Kipruto & Vivian Cheruiyot save Kenya the blushes as Ethiopians rule Paris Marathon

Kenyans played second fiddle to Ethiopians at the 2024 Paris marathon when Uma Mulugeta won the men’s race ahead of Titus Kipruto while debutant Mestaut Fikir claimed the women’s race.

Ethiopian Mulugeta claimed the win in a new personal best of 2:05:33 while Kenya’s Kipruto was second after timing 2:05:48 with his compatriots Elisha Rotich, the 2021 champion, clocking 2:06:54, for third position.

Mulugeta commanded the final five kilometres of the race before sprinting away from his challengers after it had looked like the Kenyans would challenge him.

Kipruto and Bethwel Kipkemboi, who finished fourth, had taken leads at some point during the race but the Ethiopian executed his strategy well and struck when it mattered most to claim the win.

However, Kenya will be proud that the course record, held by Rotich, who clocked 2:04:21 in 2021, was not broken by the Ethiopian.

Meanwhile in the women’s race, Vivian Cheruiyot managed an impressive third place behind Ethiopian duo Mestaut Fikir and Enat Tirusew who claimed first and second positions respectively on their marathon debut.

Cheruiyot clocked 2:21:47 to completed the podium while Fikir won the race in 2:20:45 as Tirusew stopped the clock at 2:20:47.

It was a remarkable performance for Cheruiyot who fought back to get on the podium having seemed like she was struggling mid-race.

The former world and Olympic 5,000m champion was seeking a good outing in Paris having failed to finish her last race, the 2020 London Marathon, and she must have been delighted with her performance.

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