MESKEREM ASSEFA of Ethiopia pulled ahead of favorite Valary Jemeli of Kenya with four kilometers left to win the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan yesterday. Assefa won in a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes and 45 seconds, one minute and three seconds ahead of Jemeli. Japan’s Hanami Sekine, making her marathon debut, was third with a time of 2:23:07. Assefa pulled even with Jemeli at the 38-kilometer mark and was unchallenged over the closing kilometers to take two and a half minutes off her personal best time. The Nagoya race is the world’s largest all-female marathon event. (SD-Agencies) |