Tanui, Sintayehu triumph at Doha Marathon 2025 by Ooredoo
Kenya’s Ezra Kipketer Tanui and Ethiopia’s Ethlemahu Sintayehu won the men’s and women’s elite titles at the Doha Marathon by Ooredoo at the Doha Corniche on Friday.
Tanui, running in only his second marathon ever, completed the men’s race in 2hrs 7mins 28sec. He was a mere eight seconds ahead of Ethiopians Balew Yihunle (2:07:36) and Mitku Tafa (2:07:40).
He was thrilled with the win.
“I’m taking the Doha title for the first time, so I’m feeling really happy. Last year, I’d finished fourth in the race, so this is a very happy occasion for me. The course was quite good, and I knew about it from my last year’s participation,” he said.
Tanui, who had a close fight with Yinhule until the very last minute, had this to say about the experience.
“Thank you my coach and my training, I was feeling good throughout the race. I’d like to thank my team for preparing me for this challenge. I was focusing on my race and my attention never wavered. It was a tough fight, but I came out on top,” he said.
In contrast, Sintayehu finished the race in 2:21:43, enjoying a clear lead over compatriots Muluhabt Tsega (2:22:21) and Zinah Senbeta (2:22:34).
Sintayehu, who placed sixth in the 3,000M steeplechase at the 2018 World U20 Championships in Tampere, is now a marathon specialist. Running together with her compatriots and three male pacemakers, she timed her race to perfection.
The 23-year-old Ethiopian showed great patience and left it until the latter stages of the race to make a move away from the leading pack.
With the finish line in sight, she established a gap between herself and the rest.
The Ethiopian smashed her personal best of 2:25:36 — set in Abu Dhabi two years ago — over the distance.
Tanui emerged as the lone non-Ethiopian podium finisher among both the men’s and women’s elite races.
Morocco’s Rachid Boudalla (2:31:23) was the fastest in the men’s non-elite full marathon race. He pushed back Kenya’s Jared Korir (2:34:56) and USA’s Charles Goldstein (2:53:45) in the 18 to 39 age category event.
Spain’s Estefania Unzu Ripoll, who competed in the non-elite women’s 40 to 49 age category marathon, emerged as the fastest.
The Doha Marathon 2025 by Ooredoo, billed by organisers as the biggest in history, did not fail to disappoint. Over 15,000 runners — of all ages and nationalities — turned up at the venue to be a part of the prestigious annual event. It was around 2,000 more than the previous year’s numbers.
The Doha Marathon 2025 by Ooredoo, which also received the Gold Label — the second-highest certification for a marathon in World Athletics — this year, proved to be a massive hit, which got the entire city moving.
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