Birhanu and Melkamu Make it an Ethiopian Double in Daegu

Published by IAAF on April 5, 2015

Girmay Birhanu and Meselech Melkamu lived up to their status as pre-race favourites at the seventh edition of the Daegu Marathon, winning the men’s and women’s races respectively at the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Sunday (5).

It was the third time in six years that Ethiopia had won both races in Daegu. For both athletes, it marked their second marathon victories of their career.

Birhanu triumphed in 2:07:26, the second-fastest winning time in the history of the race, while Melkamu won in 2:27:24, finishing more than two minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

On a chilly morning in which 14,452 runners took to the streets of Daegu, Birhanu was one of a lead group of six men in the first half, along with Kenyan duo Stephen Chemlany and Benjamin Mutai.