Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Kenya to Oman, Moses and Melly...

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When a festival of running meets a melting pot of people, what does one get?...the answer in Oman is definitely the Al Mouj Muscat Marathon and so it was on a lovely Friday morning.


Kenya’s long and historic tradition of producing fine marathon runners was evident at the Muscat Marathon as well when Moses Too romped home in 2 hours and 19 minutes.


Moses, who hails from a town called Kericho, west of the capital Nairobi, was excited after his victory at the teeming Muscat Marathon.


The Kenyan spoke about his journey as a professional marathon runner and the other facets of his vocation.


“I have been running marathons for three years now. My best timing is 2 hours and 10 minutes and I set the timing at Barcelona, Spain,’’ he revealed.


“My timing here has been very poor actually. But my experience here was very good, the weather was nice and I enjoyed it,’’ the affable champion said.


Jordanian wins half-marathon


Jordan’s Mohammad al Khwaldeh clinched the half-marathon and was ecstatic after his jubilant performance.


“I feel very good after winning. I worked very hard for the marathon and I feel nice that I could pull it off. It is my first time in Oman and I love the place and the people,’’ he added.


Khwaldeh finished with a timing of 1 hour and 14 minutes and felt the weather was pretty good throughout the race.


“It was not a great timing but I did just fine. My best timing is 1:09 minutes but I have to keep improving,’’ he added.


FOURTH-PLACED MELLY


Moses’ countryman Melly Kennedy placed fourth in the full marathon and was quite happy with his effort.


“It was a good race and the weather was pleasant, that was the best part of the event. The people are very nice too and good marshalling as well,’’ said the man from Eldoret in Kenya.


Melly’s personal best is a 2:13 in Krakow, Poland, set in 2011 although he struggled with his timing here despite being well prepared.


“I ran the Two Ocean Race in Cape Town, South Africa, and that has kept me in good shape,’’ he added.


Melly also had some wonderful things to say about Muscat.


“I have really enjoyed my trip here. We went around Muscat and it was very nice to see the culture and the landmarks,’’ he added.


The setting at the Al Mouj was simply perfect as runners and enthusiasts of all ages gathered for the annual running carnival that is the Muscat Marathon.


Families from various nationalities enjoyed the morning with their fun-filled presence and engagement.


The Al Mouj was a picture of cacophony and colour as the marathons of different categories were flagged off.


It was a day that Muscat thoroughly enjoyed as people from all walks of life embraced sport, fitness, health and fun at one go.


Haridev Pushparaj -


Muscat, JAN 19 -


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