William Kiplagat (KEN) (© Getty Images)
29yearold Kenyan Jason Mbote scored his first big marathon win taking the 2006 Joongang Seoul Marathon title in Korea, this morning, Sunday (5).
Mbote bettered his personal best (2:08:30 Frankfurt 2005) setting a new course record of 2:08:13. This is only the second time that Mbote has dipped under 2:10 during his career. The previous course record was the 2:08:27 held by compatriot William Kiplagat, who recorded his time winning the race last year.
Mbote beat several faster runners in the race. Another Kenyan Paul Kirui, who had set a personal best of 2:06:44 when finishing second in Rotterdam earlier this year finished second in 2:09:05. Two more Kenyans Philip Manyim and Wilson Kigen were the next finishers in a 1-2-3-4 Kenya race. Manyim set a season best of 2:09:35 for the third place, as did Kigen who ran 2:09:47 finishing fourth.
36-year-old Korean national record holder Lee Bong-Ju, the former Boston Marathon winner, took the fifth place in 2:10:49, also in a season's best, while Morocco’s two-time London victor, Abdelkader El Mouaziz, was next home but way adrift in 2:13:28
Women's national race was won by Kim Hye-Kyong in a personal best of 2:40:36.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
RESULTS
Men
1 Jason Mbote KEN 2:08:13
2 Paul Kirui KEN 2:09:05
3 Philip Manyim KEN 2:09:35
4 Wilson KigenKEN 2:09:47
5 Lee Bong-Ju KOR 2:10:49
6 Abdelkader El Mouaziz MAR 2:13:28
7 James Rotich KEN 2:13:35
8 Norman Dlomo RSA 2:14:17
Women
1 Kim Hye-Kyong KOR 2:40:36
2 Park Mi-Ok KOR 2:45:15
3 Kim Mi-Eun KOR 2:52:44
