ATHLETICS – BAHRAIN’S elite distance-running specialist Shitaye Eshete secured an impressive podium finish in the women’s race of the NN Marathon Rotterdam, held in the Netherlands.
Eshete took third place overall amongst a high-quality field of world-class athletes from around the world.
She completed the 42.2-kilometre distance in two hours 23 minutes and 22 seconds – just over four minutes behind winner Mekides Shimeles of Ethiopia. Her compatriot Aminet Ahmed came second in 2:21:25.
Eshete’s mark was the best of her season so far, but she has only competed in two international races. The 35-year-old previously clocked a mark of 2:27:03 en route to taking victory in the Hong Kong Marathon in January. Her times are still far from her personal best of 2:20:32, which she clocked in a women’s marathon in Hamburg, Germany last year.
Eshete is a three-time Asian champion in the women’s 10,000 metres and also captured a gold medal at the World Military Games. She has put in strong results in her appearances in the Olympic Games and the world championships, and is expected to be part of the kingdom’s athletics national team who will be going for gold at the upcoming 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, this September and October.
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