Kenya’s Bernard Ngeno smashed the Safi International Half Marathon course records after stopping the clock in 1:01:06.
Tanzania’s Failuna Abdi Matanga also slashed the women’s course record in 1:10:50 as the East African nations reign supreme in Morocco.
Ngeno entered the race as favourite for the men’s title, coming off a 59:22 clocking in Valencia last year and victory at the Bomet Half Marathon last weekend.
He coasted through the opening half as the elites left the rugged coastline behind them and ran uphill through the city, the Kenyan allowing compatriot Edwin Koech and Ethiopia’s Gizachew Hailu Negasa to take turns at the front.
However, when Ngeno reached the 15km mark with just Hailu and Koech for the company, he made his decisive move.
“Nobody was pushing the pace so I went off on my own,” he said.
“I said if someone wants to come with me, let’s go. When I saw nobody could follow that’s when I knew I could win.”
Ngeno powered clear of his rivals on the rolling hills before he was given a generous reception by the throngs of locals lining the road in the Coast City as crossed the line a delighted champion in 1:01:06, which carved almost two minutes off the course record of 1:03:01 set by Getaneh Molla last year.
Ngeno came home 27 seconds clear of Gizachew Hailu Negasa. Edwin Koech rounded out the podium in third with 1:01:41, with local hero Othmane El Goumri of Morocco, just missing out, finishing fourth in 1:01:50.
In the women’s race, Matanga played her cards a little later to snatch victory; the Tanzanian applying pressure and finally breaking her rivals with just one kilometre to run.
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