Kenyan Runners Dominate Montevideo Marathon; Race Sees 60% Registration Boost

The Montevideo Marathon concluded with victories for Kenyan runners Zaphaniah Cherui and Gladys Kemboi in the full marathon, while the half marathon titles went to Ethiopia's Abadema Ajema and Brazil's Mirela De Andrade. Cherui completed the 42-kilometer race in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 46 seconds, followed by Uruguayans Óscar Cáceres and Nicolás Espinoza. Kemboi secured the women's marathon in 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 7 seconds, with Brazilian runners Mónica De Lima and María Lourdes Contreras Calderón taking second and third. The half marathon saw Ajema finish in 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 49 seconds, with Uruguay's Gaspar Geymonat and Martín Cuestas in pursuit. De Andrade won the women's half marathon in 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 17 seconds, ahead of Uruguayans Flavia Lanza and Lucía Santucci. Notably, Lionel de Mello, director of Montevideo's Secretariat of Physical Education, Sport and Recreation, reported a significant 60% increase in registrations this year. De Mello highlighted the importance of attracting elite athletes, noting the return of African competitors after more than two decades, as a crucial step in positioning the capital's marathon as a premier event in South America. This influx of international talent, particularly from established running nations like Kenya and Ethiopia, signals a promising future for the race and its ambition to gain regional prominence.

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la llegada de estos deportistas de élite, tras más de 20 años sin presencia de atletas africanos en el país rioplatense, es un paso fundamental para ubicar a la maratón capitalina como una de las carreras de fondo de referencia a nivel sudamericano.