26-year-old Salah-Eddine Bounasr overcame a quality field for a surprise win writes Vincent Wu. “It was a little bit hot today [but] I came here for the win,” he said. Temperatures ranged up to 24C. A leading pack of 13 runners including defending champion Mekuant Ayenew and 2014 winner Girmay Birhanu held together beyond halfway but at about 24km the group began to thin out with several changes of pace. By 32km only four were left, including Birhanu, Kenya’s Stephen Kwelio Chemlany, Bounasr and his countryman Zakaria Boudad. Birhanu began to pull away after 36km and by 38km he led by five seconds. Bounasr caught him at 40km and went away for the win.

The women’s leader also changed several times in the second half but Beyene held firm and ran away to a convincing win in her second fastest time ever.

Rahma Tusa had led through the first half but slowed gradually before being caught by Beyene and Rebecca Chesir as they approached 28km. Beyene continued apace and a kilometre later had broken away from the other two.