Feyissa wins Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

CLEVELAND Retta Feyissa of Ethiopia last week was the first runner to cross the finish line at the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon with a time of 2 hours 33 minutes and 34 seconds.

As of the morning of the race, more than 10,400 participants were registered for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K, event organizers reported, though rain before and during the early part of the race may have kept some registrants from participating.

Second and third place in the marathon were taken by two Ohio master’s-age runners: James Beyer, 40, Dayton, with a time of 2:34:52; and Rob Juergens, 44, Avon Lake, in 2:35:43.

The separate 10K race, which annually attracts elite international runners, was dominated by three Kenyans who raced side-by-side from start to finish. John Itati, 34, won the race with a time of 29:30. Second was Robert Letting, 21, in 29:32, and third was George Misoi, 24, finishing in 29:33. Misoi won Cleveland’s 10K last year.

The women’s 10K also was swept by elite runners from Kenya. Jane Murage won with a finishing time of 33:12. Second was Florence Jepkosgei, 24, in 33:21, and third was Evelyne Lagat, 28, in 33:33.