The 2024 Xiamen Marathon in China was a weird race from begin to end, with most of the pre-race favourites dropping out early or not exhibiting up, and even a Kenyan runner stopping at 30.5 kilometres (whereas main the race) to let others catch up.

Kenyan marathoner Benson Mutiso had round a 100m lead on the sphere at 30K. But, what occurred subsequent from Mutiso defied all logic. As a substitute of holding his tempo, Mutiso shocked everybody by stopping, trying again and letting rivals catch up. He even strolled to the aspect to cheer on runners chasing him earlier than rejoining the race behind the lead pack.

Lo de Mutiso en la Maratón de Xiamen.
Está en cabeza en el km 30, se para, se deja pillar, anima a sus rivales y reinicia la marcha.
30 segundos surrealistas.
Resultados https://t.co/j05rhsI9z6 pic.twitter.com/93Io057XH4

— Óscar Fdez. (@gabyandersengz) January 8, 2024

Regardless of his position as a pacer being revealed later, many have been nonetheless confused by Mutiso’s actions, since pacers don’t usually run far forward of the sphere or attempt to win the race. The one logical rationalization is that he needed to complete his pacing job robust. (He ended up dropping out at round 33 km.)

Mutiso is a younger Kenyan marathoner with just one race on his resume (an eighth-place end in Hannover, Germany, in March 2023 (2:19).

His transfer wasn’t the one unusual factor on the 2024 Xiamen Marathon. One other shock was the withdrawal of pre-race favorite, former half-marathon world report holder Kibiwott Kandie, who has a private greatest of two:04:48 from a month in the past on the 2023 Valencia Marathon. Kandie reportedly had issues with one among his sneakers, however it didn’t cease him from posing in footage at 20K.

The race additionally tweeted a picture of Ethiopian marathoner Ruti Aga, itemizing the 2019 Tokyo Marathon champion on the elite begin record for the marathon. Aga didn’t begin the race, nor was she even in China. She ran the Dubai Marathon (which was additionally Sunday), ending second in a PB of two:18:09.

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Ethiopian duo Asefa Boki Kebebe and Bekelech Gudeta received the C&D Xiamen Marathon in 2:06:46 and a pair of:22:54, respectively. Kebebe upset a high quality discipline that contained three sub-2:05 runners, falling simply 27 seconds shy of the course report of two:06:19.

For full outcomes from the 2024 Xiamen Marathon verify right here.