OTSU, Japan — Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia won the Lake Biwa marathon on Sunday after running the final third through the rain way ahead of the pursuing runners.
The 24-year-old moved up the pace at around the 24 kilometre (15 mile) point to shuffle the nine-men front pack.

After the last pace-setter Samuel Ndungu abandoned the race at the 30km mark, Tsegay was alone for the rest of the race, crossing the finishing line in two hours nine minutes 34 seconds.

"The course was good, but the weather was so bad that I had a foot problem caused by the water," said Tsegay. "I tried to set a new course record, but the bad weather was not good for me."

Japan's Tomoyuki Sato came in second in 2:10:07 to become a candidate for the Asian Games later this year, while Abraham Tadesse of Eritrea finished third in 2:10:46.

Source: AFP