Kenyan runners clinched the top position in both men’s and women’s events in 2015 Taipei Marathon yesterday, earning a cash prize of NT$800,000 (US$24,360) each.
William Chebon Chebor took first place in the men’s event with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 15 seconds, while his compatriot Nancy Joan Rotich finished first in the women’s event in 2 hours, 36 minutes and 42 seconds.
The two athletes could have secured a cash prize of NT$1.8 million each if they had set a new race record, the marathon’s organizers said.
A total of 27,000 people participated in the annual marathon, which is made up of three different events: a full marathon, a half-marathon and a 10km run.
Among local participating runners, Ho Chin-ping (何盡平) was the fastest runner in the men’s event, finishing the race in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 15 seconds.
Ho, who has qualified to compete in next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, said he treated the Taipei Marathon as a training course aimed at adjusting his running speed, adding that he felt satisfied with his performance.
In the women’s event, Fu Shu-ping (傅淑萍) finished the race with a time of 2 hours, 51 minutes and 56 seconds, the best performance among female Taiwanese participants.
Fu, who teaches track and field sports at a junior high school, said her performance in the marathon was not as good as her performance during training, adding that she will review what needs to be improved.
It is the first time Fu ran the full marathon at the annual race in Taipei, she said.
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