Gerald Hanks
After this weekend’s race, results are in, and, according to officials, the annual Houston Marathon and Half-Marathon saw runners from Ethiopia take three of the four winner’s slots, as well three spots on the second-place podium.
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Bazu Worku reportedly won the men’s marathon for the third time with a time of 2:08:30, passing countryman Yitayal Atnafu with just under two miles to go in the 26.2-mile race.
Worku won the race in both 2013 and 2014; reports show the finish also marks the third straight year Atnafu finished second.
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Event officials said Biruktayit Degefa won the women’s marathon for the second time in her career with a time of 2:24:51.
Her victory is also said to mark the twelfth consecutive year an Ethiopian won the women’s event; Belaynesh Oljira, also from Ethiopia, finished second, only six seconds behind her countrywoman.
“When I come to Houston I feel a special joy,” Degefa said in an interview Sunday. “I consider Houston as my hometown. As if I’m coming to a family. These five years, I know Houston very well. I come very prepared, and I knew I would win today.”
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Results further show Ruti Aga of Ethiopia won the women’s half-marathon with a time of 1:06:39, topping her previous personal best time by nearly 90 seconds.
Former two-time U.S. Olympian Molly Huddle finished seventh and also broke her personal best with a time of 1:07:25, as well as the American record for a women’s half-marathon set in 2006 by nine seconds.
Jake Robertson of New Zealand is reportedly the only non-Ethiopian to win a major event; he finished the men’s half-marathon with a time of 1:00:01, tying his personal best and falling only 39 seconds short of the race record.
Guye Adola of Ethiopia finished second – 14 seconds behind Robertson.
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The near-freezing temperatures at the start of the race reportedly allowed the runners to exert themselves throughout the race without the problem of overheating, which is what some said contributed to so many fast times and personal bests.
Congrats to all the runners out there!
