Gotytom Gebreslase from Ethiopia won gold in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in Eugene and, one day after her compatriot Tamirat Tola won, completed the double strike of the East African running nation.
The 27-year-old set the championship record of 2:18:11 hours ahead of Judith Jeptum Korir (Kenya/2:18:20) early on Monday morning (local time) after 42.195 km.
It was Ethiopia’s second World Cup victory in the women’s classic distance after Mare Dibaba in Beijing in 2015. Bronze went to Lonah Salpeter (Israel/2:20:18) on the circuit.
Gebreslase, who won her marathon debut in Berlin in 2021, pulled away from Korir about a kilometer from the finish. It remained well below the previous world championship record of the British Paula Radcliffe from 2005 (2:20:57).
Defending champion Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) dropped out before the half-marathon mark with stomach problems.
Only once before had athletes from the same nation won both men’s and women’s events. Kenyans Luke Kibet and Catherine Ndereba did it in Osaka 2007.
A German runner was not at the start, as was the Kenyan Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir (hip injury).