Kenyans Dominate Stockholm Marathon; Wikström Wins Swedish Title

Kenyan runners dominated the Stockholm Marathon, with Edwin Kiptoo claiming victory in the men's race and Rebeca Chesir winning the women's event. Kiptoo came close to breaking the course record, finishing just 35 seconds shy with a time of 2:10:46.

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It's my comeback after a pregnancy, so I am extra proud and satisfied.

In the Swedish Championship (SM) portion of the marathon, Carolina Wikström secured the women's title with a time of 2:34:06. Ebba Tulu Chala won the men's SM title, finishing in 2:17:26. Wikström expressed satisfaction with her comeback after a pregnancy, stating, "It's my comeback after a pregnancy, so I am extra proud and satisfied." Chala, despite winning, was not entirely pleased with her time, noting the challenging heat.

Kiptoo made a decisive move around the 30-kilometer mark, increasing his pace. Although he aimed for the course record, the tempo slowed in the final kilometers, preventing him from achieving it. He expressed his determination, saying, "I was aiming for the course record. I knew I could run that time. But somehow the pace became a bit slow, so I lost some time."

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I am happy to have won this race. It has been tough for me for many years, without winning anything. I have come second or third, but now I am happy.

On the women's side, Chesir pulled away from a large pack in the final kilometers to win by eight seconds. She shared her joy after years of near misses, stating, "I am happy to have won this race. It has been tough for me for many years, without winning anything. I have come second or third, but now I am happy."

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I was aiming for the course record. I knew I could run that time. But somehow the pace became a bit slow, so I lost some time.