Kenyan Sittak pulls away to win marathon in new record time

FREDDY SITTAK led home a Kenyan one-two in yesterday's Guernsey Waterfront Marathon in record-breaking fashion.

The 29-year-old crossed the Albert Pier finishing line in 2hr 18min. 11sec. to shatter the existing event record by more than four minutes, leaving the rest for dead in a frighteningly good finish.

Up until the 20-mile mark of the course, he and close friend Reuben Chumba had been neck-and-neck, before Sittak began his kick and opened up a lead. As it transpired, Sittak finished more than 15min. clear of Chumba, who began to suffer from serious stomach cramps and was forced to walk much of the late stages.

Testament to the two Africans' ability, though, was that despite the setback, Chumba himself still finished a long way clear of the rest, led by English woman Phillippa Taylor. Peter Amy was the first Guernsey runner to finish, in fourth place, in what was his first ever marathon, dipping under the 3hr mark in 2-56-23.

However, the day belonged to Sittak. 'The course was great,' he said, 'although the first few miles were very hilly, but that is what I am used to when I am training at home in Kenya. I was hoping for a 2hr 16min., so am not that pleased with the time, but the hilly start wasn't easy and it definitely isn't a flat course.'

Full round-up in today's Guernsey Press.