It was not a great day in office for defending champion Daniel Ebenyo who was forced to settle for second place behind Stephen Kissa.
Daniel Simiu Ebenyo failed to defend his title at the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata after being outsmarted by Uganda’s Stephen Kissa with a few meters to the finish line.
The race saw Anthony Kipchirchir run a brilliant race to round up the podium with East Africans dominating.
Daniel Ebenyo started the race in great fashion, and in no time, it became a battle between himself and the Ugandan road maestro. He seemed to struggle a bit as the race gathered pace, but Kissa looked comfortable and was not letting go of the Kenyan.
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Throughout the race, Ebenyo did the donkey work by controlling the pace, and Kissa took charge on a few occasions. With the finish line in sight, Stephen Kissa meant business as he unleashed a finishing kick, but Ebenyo’s legs were too stiff, and he could not challenge the half-marathon pro.
After crossing the finish line, Daniel Ebenyo seemed unsurprised as he was smiling all through with Stephen Kissa looking like he would engage in another race. In a pre-race interview, Ebenyo had expressed confidence about defending his title but it was not a good day in the office.
“The Kolkata roads are fast, and conditions are ideal; it is a perfect opportunity for me to defend my title and better my timing,” Daniel Ebenyo said.
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The women’s race saw Sutume Kebede claim top honours in fashion ahead of Kenya’s Viola Chepngeno in the tight race. Chepngeno held onto the Ethiopian ace for the better part of the race but she was too strong and dropped her eventually.
The Ethiopian is a true definition of actions since she is very shy and does not express herself in press conferences but does the talking on the roads.
Meanwhile, the winners of the race will walk away with $15,000 each and a bonus of $5,000 had been promised for breaking the course records.