The fifth annual Yoma Yangon International Marathon (YYIM) took place on January 8, drawing a record number of 8,000 runners who took part across four different categories – 42.195km Full Marathon, 21km Half Marathon, 10km Challenge and 3km Fun Run/Walk.
YYIM was jointly organised by Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd, First Myanmar Investment Company Limited and Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) and it is Myanmar’s largest marathon and Yangon’s only road race event. Growing in popularity with each year, runners filled with enthusiasm and excitement took to the streets for the marathon and were spurred on by the public across Yangon, as well as at the start and finish line at Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium.
The first of the four race categories, the 42.195km Full Marathon, was flagged off at Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium at 5am by Tin Maung Tun, Speaker of Yangon Region Hluttaw and Thein Wai, Chairman of SPA Group, FMI and Yoma Strategic Holdings.
Similar to last year’s event, YYIM 2017 saw Kenyan Joseph Gitau Kariuki win the men’s Full Marathon for the fifth time in a row, finishing with a time of 2 hours 34 minutes 28 seconds (02:34:28). Joseph Gitau Kariuki has won the men’s Full Marathon in each of the five years YYIM has been held since 2013. Coming in second was Myanmar’s Thaung Aye with a time of 2 hours 45 minutes 13 seconds (02:45:13). He is part of the Myanmar national athletics team and this was the second time he has placed in the top three of the YYIM 42km Full Marathon. Kenta Komatsu from Japan came in third with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 39 seconds (02:58:39).
In the women’s Full Marathon, Valentine Jepkemoi Serem from Kenya took home the title for the second year in a row after clocking 3 hours 07 minutes 36 seconds (03:07:36). Finishing behind her were Kaori Tamada from Japan in second place (04:05:00) and Yin Nwe Soe from Myanmar in third (04:05:57).
The second race category, the 21km Half Marathon, saw Nelson Kiptoo from Kenya win gold with a time of 1 hour 12 minutes 52 seconds (01:12:52). Nelson Kiptoo was a bronze medal winner in last year’s YYIM 42km Full Marathon. The Women’s Half Marathon saw Gathingi Hannah Wabera from Kenya finish first with a time of 1 hour 29 minutes 34 seconds (01:29:34).
In the Men’s 10km Challenge, Enock Kipchirchir Kigen from Kenya led the field and claimed first place with a time of 33 minutes 55 seconds (33:55). Thidar Oo from Myanmar came in first in the Women’s 10km Challenge, recording a time of 42 minutes 1 second (42:01).
