Kassim win Milo Marathon
The 27th edition of the Accra Milo Marathon last Saturday produced a new winner, Alhaji Mohammed Kassim, who beat Kenyan Alex Kimeli to grab the GH¢12,000 cash prize at stake.
Advertisement
Kassim, a 29-year-old Air Force officer, who was making his sixth appearance in the country’s most prestigious marathon, finished the race in 2hrs 27min 43sec, a minute shy of Kimeli’s last year time but enough to represent the country in next year’s Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
For a moment it appeared Kimeli was destined for another title as he took a commanding lead throughout the early stages of the race but Kassim continued to narrow the gap and overtook Kassim who had run out of steam a few kilometres away from the finish line.
Amid cheers from the crowd that gathered along the finish point, the Air Force officer was never exhausted as he managed to gather momentum to accelerate towards the finish line in grand style.
Four minutes later Kimeli emerged, taking the second position with a time of 2hr 31min 10 seconds. Akakiya Atampuri placed third with a time of 2hr 31min 24seconds.
Elizabeth Bortsor of the Police Service retained her title in the ladies division after finishing with a time of 2hrs 58min and 11seconds followed by Millicent Boadi and Gifty Ama Abbey with a time of 3hr 4minutes 5 seconds and 3hrs 5minutes 10seconds respectively.
Ishmael Arthur won in the boys Under 15 category followed by Yussif Malik and Kweku Nsefusi, both of the Northern Region, while Lariba Sakat also defended the girls’ category followed by Saraphina Adombila and Sandra Sagbil respectively.
First and second runners-up of the mass sports got GH¢8000 and GH¢6000 respectively while winner for the Under 15 took away GH¢2000 with the first and second runners-up receiving GH¢1,500 and GH¢800 respectively.
By Peter Sarbah/Daily Graphic/Ghana
