Marathon

Abrha Milaw and Gelete Burka respectively won the men's and women's elite races at the 2019 Paris Marathon on Sunday.

Milaw set a time of two hours, seven minutes and five seconds, 20 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, while Burka won the 43rd edition of the race in the French capital with a time of 2:22:47.

The event's official Twitter account shared the results of the men's, women's and wheelchair races:

🏁 Podium Handisport
🥇 Julien Casoli 🇫🇷 1:36:57
🥈 Heinz Frei 🇨🇭 1:45:37
🥉 Vitaliy Gritsenko 🇷🇺 1:46:35#ParisMarathon pic.twitter.com/nEu4Fukt59

— Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris (@parismarathon) April 14, 2019

Paul Lonyangata of Kenya was bidding to win his third consecutive Paris Marathon, having won in 2017—when he set his personal best—and 2018.

However, he had to settle for third behind Milaw and one of the other pre-race favourites, Asefa Mengistu, both of Ethiopia.

With 2018 women's champion Betsy Saina not taking part, Burka was the favourite to win on Sunday, and she did just that.

Here's her winning moment:

🏆 Victoire de Gelete Burka 🇪🇹 chez les 🏃‍♀️

🏃‍♀️🏆 Victory for Gelete Burka 🇪🇹#ParisMarathon pic.twitter.com/PwQpiAmbw6

— Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris (@parismarathon) April 14, 2019

She finished five seconds ahead of Azmera Gebru, while Azmera Abreha rounded out the top three to secure an all-Ethiopian podium.

Home favourite Julian Casoli took the wheelchair race with a time of 1:36:57:

🏆🏆🏆
3ème victoire pour Julien Casoli 🇫🇷 ici sur le Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris !

Third victory for Julien Casoli 🇫🇷 here on the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris!#ParisMarathon pic.twitter.com/akwtTUe2SQ

— Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris (@parismarathon) April 14, 2019

The Frenchman finished almost nine minutes before Switzerland's Heinz Frei, while Russia's Vitaliy Gritsenko took third a further minute behind him.

Casoli's victory was his third at the Paris Marathon, having also won it in 2012 and 2015.

The 2019 Paris Marathon will take place on Sunday when around 60,000 competitors take to the streets of the French capital.

The elite men's race will see Paul Lonyangata bid to win a record third consecutive title, having won the event in 2017 and 2018, but defending women's champion Betsy Saina won't be present.

Here is the schedule for the day's racing:

                            

Paris Marathon Schedule

• 8:06 a.m. local time (7:06 a.m. BST, 2:06 a.m. ET): Wheelchair race
• 8:09 a.m. local time (7:09 a.m. BST, 2:09 a.m. ET): Elite women
• 8:25 a.m. local time (7:25 a.m. BST, 2:25 a.m. ET): Elite men and preferential wave
• 10:20 a.m. local time (9:20 a.m. BST, 4:20 a.m. ET): Last runners depart

                       

The 26-mile route will see the runners start on the Champs-Elysees in front of the Arc de Triomphe and cross seven districts of the French capital before returning to the monument via the Avenue Foch:

🔊 SOUND ON 🔊
Laisse toi guider par Jacques Vendroux de @franceinfo
La ligne 4⃣2⃣de la @RATP 🚇 est ouverte pour le @parismarathon de dimanche ! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Prêt à suivre la course ?
-
The line 4⃣2⃣of the @RATPgroup 🚇 will be open for the @parismarathon on Suday! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️#ParisMarathon pic.twitter.com/IlDnKaL2GL

— Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris (@parismarathon) April 10, 2019

Along the way, the competitors will pass some of Paris' most famous sites.

They'll make their way to the Bois de Vincennes via the Place de la Concorde, Palais Garnier and Place de la Bastille before heading back along the Seine, where they will pass Notre Dame cathedral and the Eiffel Tower.

Lonyangata's recent record in Paris makes him the favourite in the men's race, though he could face some stiff competition this year.

The Kenyan set his personal best of 2 hours, six minutes and 10 seconds in Paris with his win in 2017, but there are several competitors who have recorded quicker times than him.

Asefa Mengistu, Yemane Tsegay and Feyisa Lilesa, all of Ethiopia, have each set personal bests under 2:05:00. 

In the women's race, it's a slightly more open field without Saina. Gelete Burka, whose best time of 2:20:45 would be a course record in Paris, is the favourite.

Being paralyzed from the waist down didn't stop Adam Gorlitsky from completing a majority of the Los Angeles Marathon. 

The 32-year-old walked 17.2 miles using an exoskeleton over the course of three days with a support group around him, via TMZ Sports:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbgwvQQVlm0

Gorlitsky, who was paralyzed 13 years ago in a car accident, had previously completed various other races, including a half marathon, per Kim Baldonado of NBC Los Angeles. With the aid of an $80,000 robotic exoskeleton, he was trying to push himself even further this time.

"I don't feel disabled, but I don't feel able-bodied," he said before attempting the marathon. "I feel what I call re-enabled and all that means is what it feels to be empowered."

Although he fell short of becoming the first American paraplegic ever to complete the 26.2-mile race, he still displayed an inspired effort in his journey.

Elisha Barno and Askale Merachi won the men's and women's races at Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday morning. 

The Kenyan Barno shocked runner-up John Korir with a blistering pace down the home stretch. 

Kenyan Elisha Barno crosses the finish line at the #LAMarathon. Watch a raw feed of the race’s final leg in Santa Monica: https://t.co/HGHHAsn8r3 pic.twitter.com/KChooilwYL

— KTLA (@KTLA) March 24, 2019

Barno finished with a time of 2:11:45, followed by Korir (2:11:52), Juan Luis Barrios (2:11:59), Milton Rotich (2:12:42) and Weldon Kirui (2:13:24). 

Ethiopia's Merachi had a bit less drama in her victory:

Eskale Merachi of Ethiopia 🇪🇹 is your women’s winner of the 2019 @LAMarathon #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/ecqRilicwY

— Chris Schauble (@ChrisKTLA) March 24, 2019

With a time of 2:24:11, Merachi held off Cynthia Jerop (2:25:54), Lucy Karimi (2:26:15), Olha Skrypak (2:30:33) and Jane Kibii (2:32:12) with relative ease. She also set a course record with her victory, according to Austin Knoblauch of the Los Angeles Times.

And Barno's victory ended Kirui's string of dominance, after the Kenyan won the previous two men's marathons. 

It appeared neither would end Sunday victorious, as Korir established a sizable lead ahead of the 20-mile mark. But Barno made his comeback on the final two miles, finishing with an impressive burst to claim the title.

The sights and scenes are always striking at the Los Angeles Marathon, which begins at Dodger Stadium before winding downtown and making trips through famous neighborhoods like Hollywood and Beverly Hills before ending at the Santa Monica Pier.

After all, how many marathon courses are lined with palm trees?

The only time I’ve ever seen LA streets without traffic! We are live at the #LAMarathon on @KTLA! pic.twitter.com/jVn96XCvEL

— Lauren Lyster (@LaurenLyster) March 24, 2019

#LAMarathon elite men runners on #RodeoDrive @RodeoDriveBH pic.twitter.com/HnjE7JYLkU

— CityofBeverlyHills (@CityofBevHills) March 24, 2019

I live off the @lamarathon route and caught this photo of the Elite women! Best of luck! #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/yZgT36MKna

— Tee/ThatsITLA (@ThatsITLA) March 24, 2019

Runners head along #HollywoodBlvd in the 34th #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/lmSuVafIDN

— David Crane (@vidcrane) March 24, 2019

According to ABC7.com, "More than 24,000 people are in the race, which has drawn entrants from all 50 states and a record 66 nations, three more than the previous high, according to organizers."

Next week, baseball returns to Dodger Stadium. But on Sunday, the ballpark will be used as the starting line for more than 24,000 runners participating in the 34th annual Los Angeles Marathon.

The race has occurred every year since 1986, and it was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics, which took place in L.A. It is 26.219 miles long and ends with the Finish Festival on Santa Monica Blvd.

According to the L.A. Marathon website, there will be runners from all 50 states and more than 63 countries, and this year's race has officially sold out.

          

Event Information

Where: Dodger Stadium to the intersection of Ocean Avenue and California Avenue in Santa Monica, California

When: Sunday, March 24

Route: Course Map

Road Closures: Complete List

            

2019 Los Angeles Marathon Schedule

6:30 a.m. Wheelchair start

6:32 a.m. Handcycle start

6:45 a.m. Professional women start

6:55 a.m. Professional men and rest of field start

            

Marathon Preview

Although there will be elite runners looking to complete the race in record time, there will be many more competitors who will be there to raise money for charity, complete their first marathon or just run for fun.

It should be a nice day for the event. As of Friday morning, Weather.com was forecasting it to be sunny with a high of 70 degrees in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Last year's winners in the elite divisions were Weldon Kirui (men's, 2 hours, 11 minutes and 47 seconds) and Sule Gedo (women's, 2:33:50). The records for the marathon were set by Markos Geneti (men's, 2:06:35) in 2011 and Lidiya Grigoryeva (women's, 2:25:10) in 2006.

Participants for the Los Angeles Marathon, which is among the largest 26-mile events in the United States, must be 16 years or older. There are 14 age divisions with the top three finishers in each section receiving a commemorative award. All finishers earn a commemorative medal.

For runners participating in this year's marathon, packets and racing bibs can be picked up at the Health & Fitness Expo being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday and Saturday.

When race day arrives on Sunday, Los Angeles will be on full display as runners travel through the city during the marathon. At the finish line, there are sure to be feelings of relief and excitement for the participants who completed the long race.

So, racers, get ready to enjoy the nice weather while running through the streets of the second-largest city in the United States.

Ethiopians Birhanu Legese and Ruti Aga respectively won the men's and women's races at the 2019 Tokyo Marathon in poor conditions on Sunday.

Per the event's official website, the former crossed the finish line ahead of the field after two hours, four minutes and 48 seconds, exactly two minutes in front of his nearest competitor, Bedan Karoki of Kenya.

Two-time Tokyo winner Dickson Chumba, also of Kenya, rounded out the top three with a time of 2:08:44.

The trio were neck and neck over the first 25 kilometres before Legese, 24, pulled away to claim victory:

Birhanu Legese wins Tokyo marathon!

He finishes in a fast 2:04:48 despite the heavy rains. Congratulations!

📸 @WMMajors pic.twitter.com/9LB6d298Yg

— NN Running Team (@NNRunningTeam) March 3, 2019

In the women's race, Aga finished with a winning time of 2:20:40, ahead of compatriot Helen Tola by 21 seconds.

Shure Demise ensured there would be an all-Ethiopian podium when she crossed the line four seconds after Tola, with a time of 2:21:05.

The runners had to deal with cold and wet conditions throughout the race, as the event's official Twitter feed showed:

https://twitter.com/TokyoMarathon_E/status/1102007861054337025

As for the wheelchair races, they were won by Swiss competitors Marcel Hug and Manuela Schar.

Here are the full results for those events:

#東京マラソン 男子車いすマラソン順位

★リザルトはこちらから→ https://t.co/owx0SxUZYe pic.twitter.com/KsXlKqq2LB

— 東京マラソン財団 (@tokyo42195_org) March 3, 2019

#東京マラソン 女子車いすマラソン順位

★リザルトはこちらから→ https://t.co/mjvoNfazeF pic.twitter.com/Q5MpoiNVo2

— 東京マラソン財団 (@tokyo42195_org) March 3, 2019

Tatyana McFadden, runner-up in the women's event, noted the difficulty brought on by the weather conditions in the Japanese capital:

so proud of myself for comming in #2 in #tokyo #marathon . This race was so tough because it’s the first race of the season with tough competition, and it was raining heavily and the temperatures dropped significantly.I am excited for what the season has in store. pic.twitter.com/sP2kUax3kq

— Tatyana McFadden (@TatyanaMcFadden) March 3, 2019

Schar felt the same way. "I reached 10 kilometres at my regular pace, but it was difficult after that," she said, per the event's Twitter account. "With the rain [and] cold, halfway through I wasn't sure I would make it. I'm very happy that I was able to finish."

The victory marked her second consecutive title in Tokyo.

Biruktayit Degefa continued her reign of dominance at the Houston Marathon, winning for the second straight year and the third time in four years, while Albert Korir prevailed in the men's race Sunday. 

Congrats to our Chevron Houston Marathon winners!!! 🏆🙌 Korir (Kenya) & Degefa (Ethiopia)#houhalf #houmarathon #runhou pic.twitter.com/ycabMCF82N

— Houston Marathon (@HoustonMarathon) January 20, 2019

Korir defeated Yitayal Atnafu, who finished as the runner-up for the fourth consecutive year, according to Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle.

Korir finished with a time of 2:10:02, followed by Atnafu (2:10:08), Justus Kimutai (2:10:25), Elisha Barno (2:10:54) and Juan Pacheco (2:10:58). Tyler Jermann was the top finisher on the men's side from the United States, coming in with a time of 2:13:29.

I just watched Albert Korir of Keyna win the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2h10m02s! #HoustonMarathon pic.twitter.com/kcnWYlQ2Sp

— Sergio Chapa (@SergioChapa) January 20, 2019

For the women, meanwhile, Biruktayit paced the field with a dominant final time of 2:23:28, followed by Belaynesh Fikadu (2:26:41), Meseret Belete (2:26:56), Buze Diriba (2:28:06) and Sechale Dalasa (2:28:46). Kelsey Bruce was the top American women's finisher in sixth place at 2:31:53.

Biruktayit, who finished second in 2017 to go along with her three victories in Houston, had nothing but nice things to say about the city and the race after her latest win. 

"Houston people are so nice," she said, per Robertson. "I really like the support I get [from the organizers] and from the people watching. Thank you!"

With her victory, she joined Veronique Marot (1986, 1989, 1991) and Tetyana Pozdnyakova (1995, 1999, 2000) as the only women to claim three victories in Houston. She also continued a streak of Ethiopian women winning the race, dating back to 2007.

The conditions weren't easy in her latest triumph, with temperatures sitting in the 30s and 40s. 

The winners of the 2019 Disney World Marathon were familiar faces.

Fredison Costa captured the men's division for a seventh time, while Giovanna Martins won the women's crown for a third straight year and fourth time overall.

WE HAVE A WINNER! Six-time #WDWMarathon winner Fredison Costa, who came up short last year, just recaptured his title! CONGRATULATIONS! https://t.co/GqgkC3A8dU #wdw #WaltDisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/n7POD1KAX3

— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) January 13, 2019

PARTY AT THE FINISH LINE! Giovanna Martins wins the women’s race in the #WDWMarathon for the 2nd year in a row (and 3rd overall)! #WDW #WaltDisneyWorld https://t.co/GqgkC3A8dU pic.twitter.com/ueg9jdfHs2

— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) January 13, 2019

Costa has now won five of the last six Walt Disney Marathons. His reign of four straight ended last year when American Nicholas Hilton pulled off an upset.

Martins has won four of the last five events in Orlando, Florida. Canadian Natasha Yaremczuk's win in 2016 stopped her from a streak of five straight.

Hilton and Costa paced the field on the men's side Sunday. Hilton (2:21:48) was the only competitor within five minutes of Costa, whose winning time was 2:18:45. Brazilian Jose Lima, American Jacob Krolick and Brazilian Luis Barboza rounded out the top five.

A Brazilian has won the event in 14 of the last 15 years.

Brazilian Antonia Lins Da Silva finished second in the women's division. Her time of 2:47:36 was a little more than two minutes off Martins' winning time of 2:45:24.

The pair of Brazilians at the top were followed by a remaining top 10 filled with Americans. Nancy Jurgens, Megan Curham and Loni Smith rounded out the top five.

The 2019 Disney World Marathon will take place on Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m. ET, marking the 26th anniversary of the race, which first happened in 1994.

The race, which spans 26.2 miles, begins and ends near Epcot. The course takes runners around Walt Disney World, going past milestones such as the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It is the only race that runs through all four Walt Disney World theme parks.

A full map of the course can be seen here.

Last year, there were about 25,500 participants in the race. That included 76 people who had participated in every running of the race up to that point.

The race caps a full schedule, which began with a 5K on Thursday, followed by a 10K on Friday and a half marathon on Saturday. The "Goofy Challenge" is available for runners who wanted to participate in both the half and full marathons, while the "Dopey Challenge" will see participants take on all four races.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, there were more than 65,000 people registered for the four races, including 22,000 for the half marathon and 15,000 for the marathon. Seventy-three countries are said to be represented.

All participants in Sunday's marathon must be able to keep a 16-minute-per-mile pace. There will be food stops for runners located throughout the course.

Although it's a competitive marathon, participants and their guests are still allowed to have fun by dressing up like their favorite Disney characters. There will also be characters and entertainers throughout the course.

The race will be held rain or shine. However, as of Saturday morning, there was no rain in the forecast for Orlando on Sunday morning.

At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, there will be an awards ceremony for the top three finishers in the men's, women's and push-rim wheelchair divisions in the Epcot parking lot.

     

Information courtesy of RunDisney.com.

New York's Tadesse Yai Dabi and Albuquerque's Serkalem Abrha won the men's and women's races at the Philadelphia Marathon, respectively, on Sunday morning.  

Yai Dabi (2:14:46) narrowly edged out Birhanu Dare Kemel (2:14:53) and Diriba Yigezu (2:17:09) for the win, while Abrha held off Anna Weber (2:40:11) and Sarah Kiptoo (2:42:42) with a bit more ease.

Both winners set course records:

New course record for Philadelphia Marathon 2:14:45. New York City man wins @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/qlJdH7vnI7

— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) November 18, 2018

Women’s winner ALSO sets Philadelphia Marathon course record. Just awesome @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/1aTl0lJbry

— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) November 18, 2018

It was a cold but clear morning in Philadelphia, with runners fighting through temperatures in the 40s as they took to the streets, starting near the Philadelphia Art Museum. The course took runners through Center City and Old City, down by the Delaware River at Penn's Landing before heading back up Chestnut Street and along the Schuylkill River before looping back around and finishing once again near the museum.

The course cut through some of the most famous areas of the city, with a number of runners taking in the views: 

#Philadelphia @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/y9HmHYZ4jX

— Steven Fisher (@Steven_Fisher10) November 18, 2018

Off & running. The AACR @Philly_Marathon is underway! #PhillyMarathon pic.twitter.com/CHisLt1jbc

— Jason Rothman (@JasonRothman) November 18, 2018

As for the locals, Philadelphia's Matthew Herzig finished sixth (2:18:34) and Paul Matuszak (2:22:32) came in 10th among the men, while Margaret Vido (2:42:47) came in fourth and Kaitlin Frei (2:44:10) finished ninth for the women.