(DPA) – Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia won the Paris Marathon on Sunday while the women’s race went to Kenyan Martha Komu.

Tsegaye ran away from Moses Arusei of Kenya after the 40-kilometres mark and with a time of 2 hours 6 minutes 40 seconds for the 42.195km race missed the course record by a mere six seconds.

Arusei finished second in rainy and windy conditions in 2:06:50, and fellow-Kenyan Hosea Rotich was third in 2:07:24 hours.

Kenya made up for the men’s defeat in the women’s race in which Komu won in 2:25:29 from Ethiopians Worknech Tola 2:25:37 and Lenah Cheruiyot (2:26:00).

Several among the 35,000 runners wore stickers on their shirt in protest of China’s crackdown of the unrest in Tibet ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August. Other fans were at the finish line waving Tibetan flags and holding up signs saying “Games of Shame.”

Bigger protests are expected on Monday when the torch relay for the Beijing Games passes through Paris.

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