The Ethiopian Belay Tilahun Bezabh and the Kenyan Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei They won the Sao Silvestre de Sao Paulo race this Friday and repeated the triumph that both scored in the penultimate edition, held in 2018.
The 15-kilometer test was run this Friday in its 96th edition with special protocols after last year’s competition was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bezabh, 26, made the route with a time of 44 minutes, 54 seconds, below the 45min03s he had in his 2018 victory, in a final disputed with the Brazilian Daniel Nascimiento, whom he surpassed in the last kilometer.
It was the Brazilian who took the lead of the pack from the start, although he couldn’t keep up the intense pace at the end and was overtaken by the Ethiopian near the finish line. Both were clear favorites in the second half of the circuit.
In third place came the Bolivian flowers, with a time of 45m 15s, the Kenyan Elisha Rotich finished fourth (46min26s) and fifth place went to the also Brazilian José de Silva (46min35s).
In women the Kenyan was crowned champion Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei, 23 years old, who had already won the penultimate round, and who posted a time of 50min06s today, four seconds more than the time that gave him victory in 2018.
Sandrafelis and the second classified, the Ethiopian Yenenesh Dinkesa, they starred in the main duel at the start of the race, with great distance from the rest of the runners, but in the middle of the circuit the Kenyan proved to be unbeatable.
This rivalry between the Kenyan and the Ethiopian was offset by the role of the Brazilian runners Jenifer dos Nascimento, Valdilene dos Santos Silva and FRancieli dos Santos Moura, which ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
The race, in which they were enrolled about 20,000 athletes and fansIt was contested with a special protocol that asked for protective masks at the start and finish and recommended keeping them at times of greatest agglomeration of runners.
In the previous edition, played on December 31, 2019, the victory went to the Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie, who did a time of 42min59s, and his compatriot Brigid Kosgei, with a time of 48min56s in the female branch.
– Results of the 96th edition of São Silvestre São Paulo:
. Male:
.1.- Belay Bezabh (ETI) 44m54s
.2.- Daniel Ferreira do Nascimento (BRA) 45m09s
.3.- Héctor Flores (BOL) 45m15s
.4.- Elisha Rotich (KEN) 46m26s
.5.- José da Silva (BRA) 46m35s
Feminine:
.1.- Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei (KEN) 50m06s
.2.- Yenenesh Kindesa (ETI) 51m10s
.3.- Jenifer do Nascimiento (BRA) 53m32s
.4.- Valdilene dos Santos Silva (BRA) 53m33s
.5.- Francieli dos Santos Moura (BRA) ND