Kenyans dominate 40th Paris Marathon

Cyprian Kotut led an all-Kenyan podium finish in Paris Marathon here on Sunday, before his fellow Kenyan Visiline Jepkesho won the women's title less than 18 minutes later.

Kotut overtook Ethiopia's Abraha Gebretsadik with 3km to go and clocked 2 hours 7 minutes and 11 seconds over the 42.195km race to double up his half-marathon win in the French capital last month.

The 24-year-old, younger brother of three-time London Marathon champion Martin Lel, thus improved his personal best of 2:08:55 set last year when finishing runner-up in Milano on his marathon debut.

His winning result for the 40th anniversary of Paris Marathon is more than two minutes short of Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekele's course mark from two years ago.

Defending champion Mark Korir settled second in 2:07:31, while Commonwealth Games marathon silver medalist Stephen Chemlany ensured a Kenyan podium sweep in 2:07:39.

Another Kenyan runenr Micah Kogo came out the fourth in 2:07:43 as Gebretsadik settled fifth in 2:08:05.

"I was a bit nervous considering the big names in the field. I had prepared well but not for this victory. It' s a surprise for me. I ran well and I loved the course," said Kotut, who became the 12th Kenyan to win the race.

Kenya's national marathon team selection for Rio Olympic Games will go on after London Marathon April 24.

Kotut's compatriot Visiline Jepkesho, who finished third in last year's race, won the women's part in 2:25:52, almost five minutes behind the course record set by Boru Tadese of Ethiopia in 2013.

Ethiopian pair Gulume Chala and Dinknesh Tefera completed the podium with repectively results of 2:26:14 and 2:28:12. Endit