Misoi and Gurmesa break records at Sydney marathon

By The Associated Press

SYDNEY (AP) — Kenyan athlete Brimin Misoi and Ethipoa’s Workanesh Gurmesa surged to record-breaking victories at the Sydney marathon, which had over 25,000 participants for the first time. Misoi won the men’s race in two hours, six minutes and 18 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded in Australia, and finshed almost two minutes clear of Ethiopian Chalu Gelmiso (2:08:02) and fellow Kenyan Felix Kirwa (2:08:18). Workenesh Gurmesa (2:21:41) led an Ethiopian sweep of the podium positions in the women’s race and bettered the previous best time by Japan’s Naoko Takahashi set at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The Sydney marathon is bidding to join the World Marathon Majors series, a series of elite events that includes New York, London, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo and Chicago.