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Dar es Salaam. Tanzania top long distance runner Gabriel Geay failed to finish the 128th Boston Marathon due to feeling unwell.
That was revealed by Athletics Tanzania (AT) Secretary-General Jackson Ndaweka in an interview with The Citizen yesterday.
Ndaweka said Geay, who was placed second in the 2023 edition, was unable to continue the race when he reached the 21-kilometres mark on Monday.
According to Ndaweka, such situations are common among athletes, as it happened to Alphonce Simbu and Magdalena Shauri before.
“It’s normal for athletes; you can start the race well and then you find yourself unable to continue despite making efforts.
“Even last year, Eliud Kipchoge finished in the sixth place with a time of 02:09:23, contrary to his expectations.
“Kipchoge despite being in top form, he failed to reach his usual standard due to his body refusing and he ended up finishing in the sixth place
“Geay is expected to arrive in the country today and he will explain more about the race,” said Ndaweka.
The event saw Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma win a gold medal in a thrilling event.
Lemma seized control in the opening miles and built a lead of more than two minutes by the halfway mark on the way to victory in 2:06:17.
By the time those chasing could make any inroads on his lead it was too late and Lemma finished 41sec ahead of compatriot Mohamed Esa, who surged late to grab second ahead of Kenyan Evans Chebet, who was denied a third straight Boston title.
Lemma’s gritty wire-to-wire victory was a marked contrast to the late push Kenyan Hellen Obiri delivered to win her second straight women’s title in 2:22.37.
In a race that saw 19 women clustered in a leading group at the halfway point, Obiri and compatriots Sharon Lokedi and Edna Kiplagat finally separated themselves in the final three miles.
Obiri and Lokedi ran shoulder-to-shoulder before Obiri pulled away in the final mile, Lokedi finishing eight seconds back and Kiplagat completing the Kenyan podium sweep 44 seconds adrift.
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