Press Release - Belfast Marathon - 5/4/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                  Kenyans Dominate Belfast Marathon

Belfast, IRE - May 4, 2009 -- The Kenyan athletes once again dominated the 
Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon, as John Mutai became the first man to 
win the event three years in succession.

Mutai’s time of 2:17:34 was slightly slower than those for his two previous 
wins – and 90 seconds outside Marty Deane’s record – but his history-making 
run was still four and a half minutes quicker than fellow Kenyan and 2006 
runner-up Zak Kihara (2:21:09.

Moldova’s Sergiu Ciobanu (2:23:57), now resident in Tipperary, finished 
third, while the top Northern Ireland runner home once again was the 
veteran Alan McCullough (2:33:09), in fifth.

The women’s race was dominated by Joyce Kandia, repeating her 2006 victory 
but in a somewhat slower time of 2:47:44.  Fellow Kenyan Joyce Kirui was 
slightly more than two minutes behind, with Moldova’s Svetlana Shepeleva 
another two minutes further back.

Top Northern Ireland lady was fourth-placed Suzanne McCormick, who made it 
home 42 seconds inside the three hour barrier.

A total of 17,250 people took part in this, the 28th running of the Belfast 
City Marathon

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