FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women's marathon highlighted by race record and Aussie incentive
Kenya's Ruth Chebitok set a race record and the fourth fastest time ever
recorded in Australia with her win in the 40th edition Gold Coast Marathon,
an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
Chebitok, the first Kenyan woman to win this race, won the AUD $20,000
winner's purse as well as a $10,000 time bonus for her race record of
2:24:49, breaking the previous record of Abebech Bekele (2:25:34) by 45
seconds.
Creating just as much excitement was second place for Aussie Jessica
Trengove who improved her personal best (PB) to 2:26:31 and claimed a
special incentive for Australian athletes to run sub 2:28.
For the 40th edition of the race, organisers offered a $40,000 prize pool
for Australian athletes who ran sub 2:28 for women and 2:10 for men.
As the only Australian to go under those marks this morning, Trengove (SA)
was awarded the AUD $40,000 and an additional AUD $8,000 for her runner up
finish.
Trengove said post-race that she would contribute some of her incentive
money to charities close to her heart.
It has been a great year for Trengove, 30, with a bronze medal in the
marathon at the Commonwealth Games, a second-place finish in the Gold Coast
Marathon in a PB and then crowned the IAAF Oceania Marathon champion with
her performance as the leading athlete from Oceania.
Top seed for the race Agness Barsosio from Kenya finished in third position
clocking 2:27:46 after losing touch with her Kenyan compatriot with about
10km to go.
Miharu Shimokado was fourth in 2:29:38 while another Australian Celia
Sullohern (NSW) finished fifth in 2:30:19, after being on sub 2:28 pace up
until the 40km mark.
View results
The 40th edition Gold Coast Marathon will feature eight races including
the Gold Coast Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon,
Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Gold Coast Airport Fun
Run, Garmin 4km Junior Dash and Garmin 2km Junior Dash.
The Gold Coast Marathon is organised by Events Management Queensland, a
major event management company wholly owned by the Queensland Government as
part of Tourism and Events Queensland.
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