Stephen Muange is Baltimore Marathon winner; Shurkhno repeats for women
Kenyan Stephen Muange has barely pulled ahead of two competitors to win the 2011 Baltimore Marathon.
Muange battled fellow elites Ambesse Tolosa and Tesfaye Assefaudube until the very end of the race, with all three competitors finishing within seconds of each other -- a relatively unusual situation in a race that spans more than two hours.
Muange managed to stay ahead, with a chip-recorded time of 2:15:16, while Tolosa and Assefaudube had chip times of 2:15:20 and 2:15:22, respectively.
Speed appears to run in the winner's family: Muange is a nephew of 1983 Chicago Marathon champion Joseph Nzal. Muange has generally competed in 21Ks -- half-marathon-distance races. This was his first victory in a major marathon. He is 30 years old.
Julius Keter, the favored, 22-year-old, Kenyan runner who set the course record of 2:11:52 in 2008, was a presence early in the race. Keter dropped back near mile 23, according to tweets from a truck near the lead pack.
In the women's race, 2010 winner Olena Shurkhno has repeated her victory. Shurkhno is 34 years old.
-- Sun file photo by Kenneth K. Lam
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running, Stride by Stride, Weekend
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