Ethiopia sweeps Paris marathon as Calvin smashes French record
Ethiopian Abrha Milaw upstaged two-time defending champion Paul Lonyangata to win the Paris Marathon on Sunday.
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Milaw clocked 2hr 07min 05sec, with Kenyan rival Lonyangata coming in third as 60,000 runners took to the streets of the French capital in cold, clear conditions.
2019_04 Paris marathon women's winner Gelete Burka
Pure happiness. Gelete Burka wins the female elite #ParisMarathon! Congratulations! #LifeIsOn pic.twitter.com/wkQJg0aCEV
Schneider Electric (@SchneiderElec) April 14, 2019
Gelete Burka produced a spurt of extra gas in the final kilometre to ensure an Ethiopian winner in the women's race with a time of 2:22:48.
France's Clemence Calvin, who was only cleared to race on Friday after the last-minute lifting of a temporary ban for evading a doping test last month in Morocco, smashed the French women's record.
Calvin finished fourth in 2:23:41, bettering by 41 seconds the previous national record set by Christelle Daunay in 2010.
2019_04 Paris marathon - Clémence Calvin French record
Nouveau record de France de Marathon par Clémence Calvin : 2:23:41 🏆🇫🇷#ParisMarathon pic.twitter.com/5aU6YUJX22
Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris (@parismarathon) April 14, 2019
It also bettered by almost three minutes her own previous best of 2:26:28 which she set when finishing second in the European championships in Berlin last.year.
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