World Championships in Athletics
Marathon runner Kejeta Eleventh at World Championships – gold goes to Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso Shankule celebrates at the finish. photo
© Ashley Landis/AP
The women’s World Cup marathon in Budapest is an Ethiopian affair. Germany’s starter keeps up well in difficult conditions for a long time.
The German marathon runner Melat Kejeta took eleventh place at the World Championships in Athletics in Budapest. The Olympian sixth from Kassel dropped out of the leading group before the last third of the 42.195-kilometre heat race. Kejeta crossed the finish line at Heldenplatz in 2:29:04 hours, almost five minutes behind winner Amane Beriso Shankule from Ethiopia.
The second of this year Boston Marathon won in the morning heat and high humidity in 2:24:23 hours, eleven seconds ahead of teammate and defending champion Gotytom Gebreslase. Third was the Moroccan Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi (2:25:17).
Return after maternity leave
Kejeta returned this year after a baby break. The only German starter stayed in the group of favorites from the start without showing up at the top. The former runner-up at the World Half Marathon Championships got rid of her glowing yellow cap and later also her sunglasses.
The race, starting and finishing at Heroes’ Square, took place on a circuit through Budapest, passing many of the Hungarian capital’s well-known sights. The runners also crossed the Danube on the famous chain bridge.
The gradually shrinking lead group of four Ethiopians passed the half marathon mark after 1:14:30 hours. After a good 28 kilometers, Kejeta, who was born in Ethiopia, had to let the best go on the chain bridge when it was already 25 degrees. Before the last of the four laps, the gap was already 50 seconds, but Kejeta bravely ran through to the finish.