Melbourne Marathon champion Timothy Ronoh (pictured) on Saturday won the fourth edition of Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Ronoh clocked an impressive time of 2:05:20 ahead of his compatriot Felix Kimutai who timed 2:09:32 as Ethiopia’s Adeladlew Mamo Gebreyohannes sealed the podium in 2:09:42.

Zelalem Bacha Regasa of Bahrain, Titus Kipchumba, Dickson Kiprono and Kenneth Kiprop came fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in 2:12:28, 2:12:53, 2:14:46,2:15:00 respectively.

In October, Rono smashed the course record at the 44th edition of the Melbourne Marathon in Melbourne, Australia.

Ronoh broke the old course record of 2:10.47 that Dominic Ondoro set when he took the first of his two successive Melbourne wins in 2013 with a new course time of 2:09.13.

Kiplagat also improved his previous personal best time of 2:07:01, set at the Marathon Eindhovan in October 2021.

“I felt so good today, setting the pace and with nobody to challenge towards the finish,” Kiplagat said.

This was a great opportunity to win a race,” Kiplagat said. In the women’s race, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Eunice Chumba made her experience count as she won the elite women’s section of the marathon after she clocked 2:20.41, just outside her personal best 2:20:02, to clinch the top prize.