Kipchumba breaks Istanbul Marathon course record by a minute

Kenya's Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba broke the Istanbul Marathon's course record on November 1, winning the 48th edition in 2:08:44. That is exactly a minute faster than the 2:09:44 his countryman Daniel Kibet ran to set the mark in 2019.

The race is a World Athletics Gold Label marathon, one tier below the sport's Platinum races, and the only marathon course that crosses between two continents. It starts on the Asian side near the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and finishes at Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul's old city. Ethiopia's Sufaro Woliyi Kebeto and Kenya's Vincent Kipyegon Ronoh rounded out the men's podium behind Kipchumba.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Kasanesh Ayenew Baze won in 2:24, with compatriot Azmera Abreha Gdey close behind in second. Nineteen-year-old Diribe Hirko Alemu took third in her marathon debut, completing an Ethiopian sweep of the podium.

Turkish runners filled out the rest of the men's field, led by Huseyin Can in 11th place in 2:17:53, more than nine minutes off Kipchumba's winning pace. Marathon Handbook reported a $50,000 prize for each champion.

A Gold Label course record from a deep field is worth more attention than it tends to get. Istanbul doesn't pull the depth of Berlin or Chicago, and Kipchumba still took a full minute off a mark that had stood for seven years.

Sources: Marathon Handbook; Daily Sabah; Türkiye Today.