Kenyan, Ethiopian athletes clinch titles at 37th Istanbul Marathon

Kenyan and an Ethiopian athlete have come first at the 37th Vodafone Istanbul Marathon on Nov. 15, as thousands of Istanbulites have enjoyed the opportunity to cross the Bosphorus Bridge combining the Asian and European continents on foot. 

Kenyan Elias Kemboi Chelimo and Ethiopian Amane Gobena runners won the men's and women's race, respectively, while a Turkish athlete came to the stage at third place, the first time for 20 years. 

The 37th Istanbul Marathon, with this year's theme of "End Violence Against Women," started at 9 a.m. on the Asian continent of Istanbul and finished on the European side of the city.

Chelimo finished the race with the time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 13 seconds, as the runner up Evans Kiplagat, also a Kenyan, finished with 2 hours, 12 minutes, 47 seconds. Men's third place was also achieved by a Kenyan, Silah Kipkemboi Limo, as he came in at 2 hours, 13 minutes, 57 seconds. 

Chelimo, who received $50,000 for finishing first, said his timing was a little short of a record but he was happy to have done his best. 

"I missed the record with a small difference but I tried to do my best," Chelimo told state-run Anadolu Agency. 

Gobena came in first in the women's competition at 2 hours, 31 minutes, 54 seconds, while Kenyan runner Gladys Jepkemoi Chemweno came in second with 2 hours, 40 minutes, 50 seconds. 

Meryem Erdo?an, the third place winner of the race, finished the marathon at 2 hours, 46 minutes, 38 seconds, thus marking the first Turkish athlete to make it to the podium in the last 20 years. 

Bekir Karayel, who was the best scoring Turkish athlete at the marathon, came in sixth. 

The weather conditions affected the race as well, said Karayel, adding that ...