The inaugural Tobago Sea to Sea Marathon on the weekend featured three runners from Kenya with two emerging victorious. Kenneth Rotich, 25-years-old, has enjoyed success in Trinidad recently and transferred his winning streak to Tobago by capturing the 10K race title on Saturday.
On Sunday, his compatriot Keniata Peter Nkaya took first place in the 26.2 mile marathon while the other Kenyan Stephen Tanui was fifth.
The Sea to Sea marathon also featured a 5K race and attracted a large number of participants.
On Saturday it was Rotich who first took glory in the 10K road race as the 25-yearold, Colorado, United States-based runner finished the course in a time of 31 minutes and 16.1 seconds.
Nkaya, a champ in the 2012 Mexico City Marathon, 2012 Santiago de Chile Marathon and this year’s Marathon de Merida, admitted to not knowing much about TT and explained that most of his running is done in the US, Central and South America.
On Sunday, Nkaya won the 26.2 mile marathon which began in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and ended at Petit Trou in Lambeau in a time of 02:43:13.2.
Tanui, based in Mexico with Nkaya, has competed in the 2011 UWI SP EC half-marathon where he placed fourth.
This was his first time in Tobago and he told Newsday Tobago that he was invited by a friend, Raymond Chin Asang, the race director, who has a long-standing reputation for organising and directing major races including the UWI SP EC half-marathon.
Speaking with Newsday Tobago before the race began, he hailed Tobago as a beautiful country with nice, warm, friendly people. He placed fifth in 03:05:35.3.