Ethiopians rule the roost at Goa River Marathon

Vasco: In the wee hours of a chilly Sunday morning, the scenic route from Chicalim to Cortalim was set ablaze by thousands of feet.
The Goa River Marathon 2015, which presented the full marathon for the first time in the state, saw runners from across India and overseas swarm the SAG ground, Chicalim, to give Goa’s running culture a ray of hope for a better tomorrow.
Ethiopians dominated both the full and half marathon. While Amogne ruled the 42km run clocking 2:29:08, Chekol Dires laid his hands on the 21km winner’s cheque with a time of 1:08:50. The 10km run was won by a Kenyan — Samuel Maina — who finished the race in 33 minutes, 50 seconds.
Goa’s Nitisha Gaonkar won the women’s 10km category with a time of 0:50:51. Speaking to TOI after the race, the 25-year-old Vasco girl said, “I do the 21km as well but this year I did the 10km. I never fail to run, I ensure I run either in the morning or evening.”
There was a host of provisional category winners with prizes going to the top three Indian men, women and Goan men and women in all the events except the Charity walk/run.
Results: Full Marathon (men): 1. Amogne (2:29:08) 2. Geleta Kebeta (both Ethiopia) 3. Peter Mwangi (Kenyan).
Full marathon (women): 1. Rajashri Tarihal (3:52:50), 2. Jigmet Dolma, 3. Tsetan Dolker.
Full marathon: Indian men: Mals Perera (3:58:40), Ramesh Shanmugam, Richard D’Souza.
Full marathon: Goan men: 1. Sayadali Awati (3:36:36), 2. Andy Silveira, 3. Vishwanath B Shetye.
Half marathon: Women: Meseret G Merine (1:19.01), Hiwot Adenew Tefera, Brigid Kimtiwai.
Half marathon: Men: Chekol Dires (1:08:50), Mengiste Getu, Bulo Beyssa Dega.
Half marathon: Indian women: Seema Verma (1:52:16), Anjali Saraogi, Tanmaya Karmarkar.
Half marathon: Indian men: B Vikram Sing Bharat Singh (1:11:42), Madan Lal Ashok Kumar, Henna Mulleth.
Half marathon: Goan women: Nadia Dias (2:45:01), Pratibha Shirwant, Gitanjali Verma.
10km: Women: Nitisha Gaonkar (0:50:51), Himangi Godbole, Shraddha Sainuche.
10km: Men: Samuel Maina (0:33:50), Paul Kihara, Sachin Kumar Rishiraj Singh.
10km: Goan men: Vikas Velip (0:42:32), Babaji Dessai, Noel Joaquim Fernandes.
10km: Goan women: Shradda Sainuche (0:54:19), Afra Shaikh, Rosanne Mathias.