Ethiopian wins wet Rome marathon

Rome: A rain-battered Rome marathon was won by Ethiopia's Shura Kitata Tola in 2hr 07min 30sec on Sunday, almost two minutes clear of Kenyan pair Dominic Ruto and Benjamin Bitok.

The women's race was also taken by an Ethiopian as Rahma Tusa burst clear for a solo finish in 2hr 27min 21sec, while compatriots Mestawot Tadesse and Abeba Tekulu Gebremeskel completed a national sweep.

One of the abiding images of the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome was the remarkable barefoot marathon run from Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila, who captured the hearts of the city with his then world best time of 2hrs 15min 16sec. AFP