Taipei Fubon Marathon attracts 28,000 runners

台北富邦馬拉松吸引28,000名跑者

Kenyan Brimin Kipkorir wins men's race, Ethiopian Fozya Jemal Amid wins women's race


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Taipei Marathon on Sunday attracted 28,000 runners who braved cold conditions on a course through city streets.

Kenyan Brimin Kipkorir prevailed as the pre-race favorite, leading from start to finish with a time of 2:11:41. The only disappointment was his failure to set the course record, which he missed by about four minutes, per CNA.

“This is my first time coming to Taiwan to compete,” Kipkorir said after the race. "I ran hard at the start, though unfortunately, the back section was difficult, so my speed was a bit slow. It’s a pity that I could not break the course record.”

As for the women’s race, Ethiopian Fozya Jemal Amid won her second marathon race in Taiwan this year with a time of 2:32:47. Her previous win came in March at the New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon.

Amid said the course was beautiful and weather conditions held. She said she could have challenged the women's record of 2:25:55 if there was someone to pace her.

The Taipei Marathon was recognized by World Athletics (WA) as a Gold Label Road Race. The designation assures participants of certain race criteria, such as limited environmental impact, a minimum number of doping tests, and prize money.

The designation ensures the race is professionally conducted with safety measures. Gold Label designation was one reason the race attracted a record 4,380 international runners to Taipei.

Among the foreign competitors were 16 internationally ranked runners from Japan, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Although the temperature was just 14 C, runners were fortunate to see no rain.