Netherland’s Abdi Nageeye wins Rotterdam marathon

Somalia-born Dutch runner Abdi Nageeye, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, won the Rotterdam marathon on Sunday, bettering his own national record by 11 seconds.

He clocked 2:04.45, finishing five seconds ahead of Ethiopian Amedework Walelegn, with Birhanu Legese, also of Ethiopia, rounding out the podium.

Amedework clocked 2:04.50 and Birhanu 2:05.16 while Kenneth Kipkemboi of Kenya, who had been carrying his country’s hopes, finished in fourth place with a time of 2:05.43.

Kipkemboi’s compatriot, Enock Onchari, came in fifth with a time of 2:06.07.

The race course record of 2:03.36, set three years ago by Bashir Abdi of Belgium, remains unbroken.

There was a victory in the women’s race for Ethiopia’s Ashete Bekere, whose winning time of 2:19.30 was enough to see her finish ahead of the Kenyan pair of Viola Kibiwot and Selly Chepyego Kaptich.